Route No. 17

Route No. 17 is a 2023 Indian Tamil-language horror thriller film, written and directed by Abhilash G Devan. The film stars Jithan Ramesh, Anju Sasi (In her Tamil debut), Akhil Prabhakar and Hareesh Peradi in lead roles. The film is touted as the comeback film of Ramesh with Malayalam composer Ouseppachan scoring the music.

The film was released on 29 December 2023, with positive reviews.

Plot
The film portrays many eerie happenings in the forests of Sathyamangalam, where its forest path has been shut for 30 years for a mysterious reason. The suspense thickens when trespassers do not return alive from the forest.

Production
Route No:17 is director Abhilash G Devan's second Tamil film after the acclaimed 'Thai Nilam' produced by Dr.Amar Ramachandran. Ramesh became popular after his Big Boss stint and he was signed to play the lead with 3 different looks. Ramesh performed a major sequence in a 5500 square foot set work of cave constructed below ground level, where no ambiance to get free air, for 22 days.

Reception
Maalai Malar appreciated the film's cinematography, editing and music, but rated the film losing its knit in the second half after a decent first half. RK Spark of Zee Tamil stated that, though the film is technically sound, the second half of the film lost its grip. He also appreciated the performances of Jithan Ramesh and Anju Sasi. Raisa Nasreen of Times Now rated the film with 3/5 stars, stating that Jithan Ramesh film unveils mystery and suspense In Sathyamangalam forest.