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Reviews have been mixed and so are feelings about the film. What has gone wrong with ‘Raavanan’? Though, we have given good reviews and ratings for ‘Raavanan’, we try to guess what has not been communicated by the film to the audience and what miscommunication has happened.
There are a few causative factors that led to the mixed feelings on Raavanan. Let us look into what have gone wrong with ‘Raavanan’. Like the ‘Ten’ heads of ‘Raavanan’, here are ‘ten’ factors that influenced the failure of ‘Raavanan’:
1) Hindi ‘Raavan’ has turned a dud and Tamil ‘Raavanan’ takes the backlash
2) Vikram and Abhishek Bachchan – difference in overall abilities of the two actors
3) Being a minority film
4) Accusations of Blasphemy
5) Film short and inadequate – The Ultimate Resolution
6) High Expectations and Hype
7) Television Broadcast Rights sold to less popular, indolent and deadbeat Raj TV
8) Predictable Story and Screenplay
9) Mani Ratnam and expectations on him
10) No Post-Release Promotion
1) Hindi ‘Raavan’ has turned a dud and Tamil ‘Raavanan’ takes the backlash
The Tamil film ‘Raavanan’ may have evoked mixed responses but the ‘Hindi’ film ‘Raavan’ evoked a unified response with lack of poetry and woodenness in the narration. The failure of the major, widely marketed Hindi film failing to meet expectations has crossed the Deccan Plateau and has reflected on the Tamil Film ‘Raavanan’.
2) Vikram and Abhishek Bachchan – Differences in overall ability between the two
Abhishek Bachchan is no match to the ‘National Award Winner’ Vikram. Vikram has essayed the role in the film with ease and emotions while Abhishek Bachchan being a failed actor could not essay the role with comfort and understanding. This has led to the failure of ‘Raavan’ where Vikram playing the role of Dev in Hindi was also not well received. Vikram has supposedly struggled to put up with the Bollywood atmosphere.
3) Being a minority film
‘Raavan’or ‘Raavanan’ is not for the majority. The film has failed to communicate with the minority as well. Positive reviews have been coming only from Tamil Nadu but even Telugu ‘Villain’ has turned average. The film could not relate to the Telugu audience nor can it find the emotional connection other than Tamil Nadu. ‘Raavanan’ is a film, perhaps, not suitable to be a bilingual.
4) Accusations of Blasphemy
The film being blasphemous has irked a lot of people and that has reflected hugely in their views on the film. India is so connected towards their favorite epics. Dispelling myths has created a lot of shock and anger. Word of Mouth suggests that you skip the film for its blasphemy which is so disturbing to those who hold conventional beliefs.
5) Film Short and Inadequate – The Ultimate Resolution
Two hours and seven minutes is definitely inadequate for the Indian audience, that too in a Mani Ratnam film. Mani Ratnam has made lengthier films and he could have been given all liberty to go ahead to make a shorter film.
6) High Expectations and Hype
The Pre-release hype has created a lot of expectations which has gone beyond what the film has in store. How could the audience imagine and suppose that this film should be the best of Mani Ratnam before watching the film? Taking the genre of the film as it is would have sufficed.
7) Predictable Story and Screenplay
Perhaps the biggest of mistake in the whole film – a story known to everyone, at least on the outline, though being a variation, the adaptation could have taken a different course at the end. The film is predictable by adapting popular formats and is only a thin variation from ‘Ramayana’. The Screenplay is linear as well and does not hold surprises though this film is about ‘what is happening’ than ‘what is going to happen’.
8) Television Broadcast Rights sold to less popular, indolent and deadbeat Raj TV
Imagine the kind of publicity ‘Raavanan’ would have received had it been sold to Sun TV instead of Raj TV or if the Tamil film ‘Raavanan’s distribution rights were sold to Sun Pictures? It is not about Sun TV, but ‘Raavanan’ has not received ravening marketing which other films have been getting. ‘Raavanan’ turns an easy target and a scapegoat for merely failing the expectations of the people though crap films take away the limelight with inveigling marketing tactics.
9) Mani Ratnam and expectations on him
Much like how Shankar would not be expected to direct a ‘Veyyil’, ‘Kadhal’ and even ‘Earam’, Mani Ratnam is not expected to make a commercial entertainer like ‘Raavanan’, though the film is not entirely commercial. When we say the name, people always expect ‘Mani Ratnam’ to make another ‘Nayagan’, ‘Anjali’, “Roja’ and ‘Bombay’ all the time. This is not possible nor does a director have to make masterpieces all the time. He can make a simple film.
10) No Post-Release Promotion
Pre-release promotions may have been high but post-release promotion has remained at low levels. When lackluster films have been turning successful with coercive ‘Post-Release’ promotions and marketing, Raavanan failed in this department, which could also be due to their being a little more confident than normal.
Too many factors, responses and emotions
There may be too many factors and responses but ‘Raavanan’ is made a scapegoat amidst cajoling marketing of films that are almost nothing. If Mani Ratnam has not made his best, we may wait for him to make one. This is not the time for Mani Ratnam to retire and unfair criticisms due to the film being proselytizing is one thing to avoid.
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