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Time of India
10-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Maayakoothu Movie Review: A film that almost finds its mark
Maayakoothu Movie Synopsis A writer's fictional characters materialize in his real world, demanding justice for their tragic fates and forcing him to confront the consequences of his storytelling. Maayakoothu Movie Review: Written By: Abhinav Subramanian Writers playing God is hardly a novel concept, but what happens when the creations show up at the creator's doorstep demanding answers? Maayakoothu takes this meta premise and runs with it, though not always in the right film introduces us to Vasan ( Nagarajan Kannan ), a popular writer whose serialized column puts together multiple storylines: a maid Selvi (Aishwarya Ragupathi) accused of stealing a ₹2000 rupee note (does anyone remember those notes anymore?!), a gangster Dhanapal (Sai Dheena) on the verge of his 50th kill, and Raji (Mirdhula), a farmer's daughter dreaming of medical school. When Vasan declares himself the God of his fictional universe, his characters literally burst into his living room. Selvi demands to know where her missing money went, her boss nearby, still continuing their domestic argument. Soon Vasan finds himself trapped in a nightmarish loop where his creations seek revenge for the miseries he's written into their do get a taste for what this film tried to achieve. Vasan's dry wit peppers his interactions–he's a writer, after all–but the jokes land somewhere between "almost funny" and "trying too hard." You'll get the occasional chuckle, sure, but with tighter comic timing, these moments could've been the film's secret weapon. The film hits its stride in the second half when Vasan becomes a pinball in his own nightmare machine. First, Selvi's family force-feeds him poisoned milk. He escapes that mess only to wake up in a hospital where Raji–the same woman whose dreams he crushed in print–is his nurse. Talk about cosmic irony. From there, he stumbles straight into Dhanapal's crosshairs, who's still looking for kill number fifty. Poor guy can't catch a break, but that's exactly the point: his only escape route is rewriting these characters' stories with actual happy endings. It's a clever premise that delivers just enough dark comedy to keep you for all its clever conceits, Maayakoothu feels constrained by its own ambitions. Director Raghavendra keeps things moving at a brisk pace, but the visual language rarely matches the inventiveness of the premise. Characters appear and disappear with the logic of a fever dream, which works thematically but often leaves dramatic moments feeling unearned. There's some philosophizing about whether creatives have a duty to be ethical, whether creation carries responsibility. Really? It's hard to imagine Heart of Darkness or Lord of the Flies having to be revised after going through a moral committee–imagine Heart of Mild Disappointment or Lord of the Butterflies Kannan brings a believable writerly arrogance to Vasan, particularly in early scenes where he dismisses criticism with godlike pomposity. The supporting cast, particularly Aishwarya Ragupathi, inject life into what could have been mere concept is one of those films where you find yourself rooting for the concept more than the movie itself–which is both its charm and its problem.
News18
02-07-2025
- Entertainment
- News18
Maayakoothu Movie Review: A Brilliant Case For Relentless Optimism Amid Ruin
Last Updated: When an egoistic writer creates tragic stories that are borderline sadistic, the characters begin to haunt him and demand he do right by them. Vasan (Nagarajan Kannan), an egotistical writer with a god complex, makes a living by writing stories for a small magazine. He avoids mainstream magazines, citing the lack of freedom. Even his magazine's editor (Delhi Ganesan) calls magazine stories a dying art. But Vasan is adamant and relentless. His resolve is also seen in his writing and his choice of creating tragic stories where the oppressed and people on the fringes of society get tortured. Parallel to Vasan's narrative, we get three other narratives, and it takes a while to understand that the three stories are by Vasan. One is about a gangster, Dhanapal (Sai Dheena), on the precipice of finishing his 50th murder assignment. The second one has Selvi (Aishwarya Raghupathi), a domestic worker struggling to make money for her son's school fees, and the third is another tragic tale of an aspiring doctor, the daughter of a poor farmer, who doesn't have the means to attempt the NEET exam. All three stories teem with archetypal tropes of poverty and oppression that cater to a particular gaze of society. Vasan has an air of superiority while weaving their stories of torture, but his characters start tormenting him, demanding he write more responsibly. He claims his characters are after his life, and thus begins a maze of a story where the lines of reality blur. AR Ragavendra does a splendid job in the way he unravels the different arcs, and he is effective in making you root for his characters instantly. Within minutes, we see ourselves wanting Selvi out of her fix. There is a sustained anxiety watching these painful stories unfold, which, in turn, makes us detest Vasan. However, beyond his ego, Vasan also justifies his stories of cynicism, where the poor and oppressed have no hope of recovery. 'Only one in a million succeed, and we create an illusion of hope based on that," he argues to his mentor. Yet, as the story unravels and reaches its crescendo, it reveals the need for relentless optimism in the face of hopelessness. A particular scene involving an auto driver is an example of the brilliant depth of Maayakoothu. The driver, another creation of Vasan, puts forth an incredible point about how the common narrative of society can be changed by individuals. The film argues for a fair representation of people, even if it is absent in reality. While Vasan wants to reflect the painful reality in his stories, AR Ragavendra and the film's writer, M. Srinivasan, argue for conscious creators and creations that would inspire hope. It is rather a radical perspective, and it is up to the viewers to agree or protest against its message. However, Maayakoothu succeeds in how it makes its argument. The film is a largely entertaining drama with suspense that is maintained till the end. The elements of fantasy—of characters coming to life—are handled with mature dexterity. It could all be happening in Vasan's head, or they could be real. Either way, the film makes for an engrossing watch. Added to its merit are the performances of almost all the actors. Nagarajan Kannan is infuriating as Vasan, and that's a major win. Most often, it is a risk to have a hateable protagonist, but the constant self-aware humour relieves such tension, and you begin to see Vasan as a tortured soul rather than a sadistic writer. Maayakoothu is another example of how indie filmmakers and small-budget films reach greater heights of storytelling and immense depth in philosophical thought than our mainstream cinema. Maayakoothu releases in theatres on July 11. First Published:
Time of India
26-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Spontaneity of Delhi Ganesh sir was the highlight for us: AR Raghavendra
'Ganesh Sir's improvisations and spontaneity turned out to be the highlight during filming. Since we shot the movie in 2023, he had also dubbed for his character in the film,' Raghavendra adds. AR Raghavendra is making his directorial debut with the fantasy thriller titled Maayakoothu , which, he says, is 'about a writer who creates an unjust world in his fiction and what he does when he comes face-to-face with a character from his story that seeks justice'. ' DELHI GANESH SIR ACTED IN OUR FILM FOR A VERY LOW SALARY' Raghavendra informs us that Nagarajan Kannan plays the writer, while Aishwarya Raghupathi plays the character who has faced injustice. Late actor Delhi Ganesh has played an important role in the film too. Speaking about the legendary artiste, the filmmaker shares, 'We were initially sceptical about asking him to act in the film because we had a limited budget. But he received us well and understood the limitations of an independent film. He acted in our film for a very low salary.' 'Ganesh Sir's improvisations and spontaneity turned out to be the highlight during filming. Since we shot the movie in 2023, he had also dubbed for his character in the film,' Raghavendra adds. We shot the film during weekends and by taking leaves: AR Raghavendra The director tells us that even though making an independent film was filled with challenges, he and his team enjoyed the process. He says, 'Many in the team, including me, had full-time jobs. It was challenging to manage work-life and filming. So, we shot the film during the weekends and by taking planned leaves. We made sure to finish the shoot in a short timespan and to not miss continuity. We learnt in the process of filming. '
