Raththam

Raththam is a 2023 Indian Tamil-language crime thriller film written and directed by C. S. Amudhan. The film stars Vijay Antony, Mahima Nambiar, Nandita Swetha and Remya Nambeesan.

The film was released on 6 October 2023, and received mixed reviews from critics.

Plot
The plot revolves around Ranjith Kumar, an investigative journalist who returns to his job after his close friend Chezhiyan is killed in a hate crime. As Ranjith investigates the murder, he uncovers a larger network behind Chezhiyan's death and several other targeted crimes. The film delves into the complexities of hate crimes, a criminal network operating behind the scenes, data mining social media, and grooming potential killers through psychological profiles. Ranjith's pursuit to track down the mastermind behind these sinister operations forms the core of the movie. The narrative is filled with intriguing elements like hate crimes, a criminal network, and a battle of wits between the protagonist and antagonist, creating tension and suspense throughout the storyline. Despite receiving mixed reviews, the film presents a thought-provoking exploration of journalism, crime, and the manipulative power of data in a thrilling and engaging manner.

Production
In April 2021, C. S. Amudhan announced that he was collaborating with Vijay Antony on a thriller film. The production of the film started in November 2021. On 23 January 2022, the title of the film was revealed as Raththam, and the first look poster was also released on the same day. The film was produced by Kamal Bohra, G. Dhananjayan, Pradeep B and Pankaj Bohra under the banner Infiniti Film Ventures. The production house has already previously collaborated with Vijay Antony on the films Kodiyil Oruvan and Kolai. The film was shot in Chennai, Kolkata, Spain and Thailand. The filming wrapped up around mid-2022. The cinematography of the film was by Gopi Amarnath, and the editing was handled by T. S. Suresh.

Music
The music for the film was composed by Kannan Narayanan in his fourth collaboration with director C. S. Amudhan after the films Thamizh Padam, Rendavathu Padam, and Tamizh Padam 2.

Release
The film was initially scheduled to release on 28 September 2023, but was postponed. Later, it was released on 6 October 2023.

Home media
The post-theatrical streaming rights to the film have been acquired by Amazon Prime Video. The film was scheduled to premiere on Amazon Prime Video from 3 November 2023.

Reception
Janani K of India Today gave it 2 out of 5 stars and wrote, "Raththam could have been a good crime thriller had there been some great moments that would wow the audience." M. Suganth of The Times of India gave the film 2.5 out of 5 stars and wrote, "A crime drama with good ideas and bland execution."

Sudhir Srinivasan of The New Indian Express gave the film a mixed review and noted that "It’s a film that’s refreshing in its presentation of journalism and its faith in the transformative powers of good journalism." Gopinath Rajendran of The Hindu gave the film a mixed review and noted that "CS Amudhan's thriller, starring Vijay Antony, suffers from a bland treatment despite having an intriguing plot."

Bharathy Singaravel of The News Minute gave it 3 out of 5 stars noting it was "an ode to the spirit of good journalism." Thinkal Menon of OTTplay gave it 2.5 out of 5 stars and wrote, "Raththam is a pretty straightforward investigative drama that pivots around hate crimes in the country. There is a bit of everything in here — though it doesn’t work for the most part."