Review
Production – GM Film Corporation
Direction – Mohanji
Music – Sam CS
Acting – Selvaraghavan, Natraj
Release Date – 17 February 2023
Time – 2 Hours 36 Minutes
Rating – 2.5/5
There have been many revenge stories in Tamil cinema. This is also a revenge story. This ‘Bahasuran’ is the revenge foil of an ordinary village affectionate father.
Selvaraghavan came to Salem from a village near Cuddalore and served in the temple and lived like a foreigner. He commits three murders in quick succession. One side is why an innocent man commits those murders. On the other hand Nataraj, an ex-army major, is trying to find out the background behind his nephew’s suicide. The rest of the story of the film is why Selvaraghavan kills some people and whether Nataraj finds out the background behind Annan’s daughter’s suicide or not.
Director Mohanji, who had the caste issue as the central theme in his previous two films ‘Draupadi and Rudrathandavam’, did not deal with any such caste issue in this film. However, he focused on sexual harassment in educational institutions and sexual harassment of young women through mobile phones. In the end, he concludes that ‘mobile’ phones are ‘Bakhasuran’.
Selvaraghavan fits the role of an innocent village father. In some scenes he is emotional and in others he is at a loss as to what to do. But it is not believable that even the police department is not aware of his murders.
Former Major Nataraj is today a YouTuber who uploads crime videos about crimes that have created sensation in the country. Through her character, the director has given a lesson on how innocent women are trapped in the trap of sex. A warning bell for many is that parents should monitor what their sons and daughters are doing.
Producer K. Rajan as Selvaragavan’s father, Radharavi as Principal of the educational institution, Richa as Selvaragavan’s daughter, Kool Jayant as broker, Sasi Laya as hostel warden are other characters to be mentioned.
The Sam CS background music adds strength to certain scenes. The song ‘Shiva Sivayam’ sounds divine. Mohan G had done the making well in the previous two films. In this film, he has come down from the standards of those films.
The film moves very, very slowly. After the break, Selvaraghavan may have briefly finished the flashback scenes involving his daughter Richa. Three murders and an innocent woman’s suicide is a sensational thriller in the film. However, the screenplay did not create the appropriate intensity.
All scientific discoveries have their good and bad. How we use them well is in our hands. But we cannot fully accept that ‘mobile’ phones are the ‘Bagasuran’ that has come to destroy our lives.
Bhakasura – half-sura