By ambatibusiness What Is the Film About? Raghavan (Pradeep Ranganathan) is an intelligent student who studies well and wants to settle after education. He changes his views when a girl rejects his proposal as she wants a bad boy’s personality. He maintains the newfound attitude through college and leaves it without completing the degree. The movie’s basic story is what happens to Raghavan when his girlfriend rejects him citing him as a failure and not a perfect life partner material. What does Raghavan do and how it impacts his life and the people around him is the overall story. Performances Pradeep Ranganath is perfect for the part. It’s a story that is tailor-made for him. He breezes through the proceedings with ease covering the different emotions along the way. The anger and emotional outbursts are the mainstay here. A couple of moments, particularly in the last half an hour, stand out. The one while writing the final exam and then another one a few scenes later. The way Pradeep Ranganath carries the whole thing is the deal breaker here. The content gives him enough push a little emotionally and he pulls off the necessary stuff convincingly. Anupama Parameswaran and Koyadu Lohar have limited but pivotal appearances. They are vital to the proceedings and get a couple of emotional moments too, besides the montage songs. Looks wise also both are presented well in trendy and traditional outputs. Analysis Ashwath Marimuthu of Ori Devuda fame directs Return Of The Dragon. It’s a coming-of-age drama set in a college backdrop. Right from the start, the movie gives the vibe of another Tamil film (also in Telugu) Don. However, it’s only the setup and the colourful vibe that gives that impression. The content here is different. More than Don, The Return Of The Dragon reminds one of the director’s own Ori Devuda thematically. It is all about getting a second chance and realising the mistakes made in the past to turn out to be a better person in the present. We see the same trajectory here albeit in a different setup. The director takes time to establish the setting, the world, and the stakes involved for the lead, Raghavan. It involves his family, love, friends, workspace and finally the marriage. The entire first half is dedicated to building the foundation upon which the main story and the drama rest. We only go to the main point at the interval mark when it reaches the point where Raghavan has everything to lose. The interval is predictable, and the time taken to reach that point feels lengthy as we know the narrative needs to reach there anyway. The predictability is covered to an extent with neat execution. So, despite the routineness one is engaged and looks forward to the second half. The post-interval sequences are where the fun, drama and emotions are. The story really kicks off here, and we have a consistent, engaging narrative with neat punches thrown in between. The ‘punches’ here are not the dialogues but instead the scenarios. The whole narrative neatly builds to the crux of the movie related to the degree and the hard work one needs to do to get it. The message is conveyed well with the right emotions in place in the end. The pre-climax and climax work because these relatable emotions work. They are nothing extraordinary, but regular ones like the hero realising his mistake, his interaction with the principal and finally the father. They are all simple but effective and very relatable. Overall, The Return Of The Dragon has a regular but relatable story, and it’s narrated engagingly. It’s not high on comedy, but the drama and emotions work out where necessary. Watch it if you like youthful dramas with a message. Performances by Others Actors Apart from the hero, none have big roles. But, everyone has vital parts that fit the narrative and complete the movie like individual pieces that complete the puzzle. Director Mysskin gets a good role as college principal. He does well within the scope given to him and so does George Maryan with an even lesser time. Indumathi Manikandan plays the perfect foil as the mother and impresses. Gautam Vasudev Menon and KS Ravikumar feel under-utilised but are okay. The rest of the cast is alright. Music and Other Departments? Leon James provides the music for the youthful drama. Unfortunately, the songs don’t work as they should. They are used as part of the narrative and do a serviceable job. The background score, too, oscillates between good and ordinary. The cinematography is neat and gives the film a trendy look. The editing is fine. The writing delivers where it’s necessary.
