Ayalaan – Review

Directed by: R. Ravikumar

Written by: R. Ravikumar,Manikandan 

Produced by:Kotapadi J. Rajesh

Starring:Sivakarthikeyan,Rakul Preet Singh,,Sharad Kelkar,Isha Koppikar

Cinematography:Nirav Shah

Edited by:Ruben

Music by:A. R. Rahman

Production companies: KJR Studios, Phantom FX Studios, Aadhi Brahma Productions

Release date:12 January 2024

Language:Tamil

Ayalaan  is a  Tamil-language science fiction film directed by R. Ravikumar and produced by Kotapadi J. Rajesh under KJR Studios. After delivering Indru Netru Nalai,  director R Ravikumar is back with its highly anticipated Ayalaan.The film stars Sivakarthikeyan, Rakul Preet Singh, Sharad Kelkar, Isha Koppikar, Bhanupriya, Yogi Babu, Karunakaran and Bala Saravanan, while Siddharth voices an alien. The film has music composed by A. R. Rahman, cinematography handled by Nirav Shah and editing by Ruben. It has over 4500 visual effects shots, the most for an Indian film.

Hollywood science fiction films follow a certain template. R Ravikumar’s latest film Ayalaan is no exception. It follows a similar path. They are introduced to a normal guy who takes on a larger-than-life villain on a mission to end some form of negativity. Basically, the usual good vs evil template is set against different backgrounds, and they are given an out-and-out commercial-film treatment.

Needless to say, the majority of Ayalaan’s budget was spent on the VFX department. But we can say without a doubt that this is one of the finest VFX outputs in India. In a sci-fi film of international standards with a message that is universal, VFX plays the biggest role.. The film, however, falls into the trap of a screenplay that has been tried and tested multiple times, and that happens to be the biggest drawback of Ayalaan.

Following the pattern of science fiction films already done in films like Koi Mil Gaya and Hollywood alien films could prove to be redundant to a few and lessen the engagement factor. When it comes to blending emotions with technology, this sci-fi flick is more like a half-baked meal.If the presentation of the story was done in a tighter manner, it could have worked better for a certain section of the audience. But this film falls into the kid zone…

Sivakarthikeyan proves himself to be a wonderful performer. It is an easy role to pull off.Rakul Preet Singh is adequate. She doesn’t have to do much. There are many actors who play their parts well, especially Sharad Kelkar as an antagonist,Yogi Babu and Karunakaran, etc. Isha Gopikar struggled with an emotionless face.

AR Rahman’s work in this film is pathetic and couldn’t elevate the scenes properly. The songs are not memorable. Nirav Shah, as the cinematographer, also deserves praise. Being a VFX film, it is quite a tough task to shoot it. But his work seems effortless, as the cinematography is very appealing. The colors and lighting perfectly suit the film. Ruben’s cuts are neat and pose no threat to the film.

Bottomline

A kid zone film, lacks good music , emotional depth ,originality etc .