Dragon review: Pradeep Ranganathan's coming-of-age film takes flight post-interval

Dragon movie review: Director Ashwath Marimuthu's Dragon, starring Pradeep Ranganathan, Anupama Parameswaran and Mysskin, is a fun film that stresses the importance of education and second chances in life. The film hits the right notes, mostly.

In Short

• Pradeep Ranganathan's Dragon released in theatres on February 21
• Directed by Ashwath Marimuthu, the film talks about the importance of education
• The film hit almost all the right notes

What happens when a mistake you commit uproots the life of an already struggling person? How do you overcome this? Does it make you realise your mistake or does it push you into the depths of depression? Director Ashwath Marimuthu's 'Dragon' is a film that provides definite answers to these questions.

D Ragavan (Pradeep Ranganathan), a archetypal 'good boy', is a gold medallist in school. He confesses his love to a girl after he gets awarded the gold medal. However, she rejects him, stating that she sometimes prefers 'bad boys', who are unruly and roam around the school with gethu (swag). Cut to his college days, D Ragavan becomes Dragon because of the rejection and has 48 standing arrears. What he earned in college was the love of Keerthi (Anupama Parameswaran).

Six years after their relationship, Keerthi realises that Ragavan is a failure. She breaks up with him, stating that she received a marriage proposal from a smart and successful guy who earns over Rs 1 lakh a month. This breakup transforms Ragavan's life. Initially consumed by hatred for Keerthi, it also leads him down dangerous paths.

Before the release of Dragon, there was constant chatter - especially after the trailer release - that it was a copy of Sivakarthikeyan's Don 2. While both stories share some similarities, they are distinct in their own ways. Director Ashwath Marimuthu's Dragon begins with Ragavan's school life and moves on to his college life, where principal Mayilvahanan (Mysskin) has a problem with his attitude. But he is not a tough principal who believes in punishment. He knows the importance of education in one's life and gives his students a chance to rectify their mistakes. But, how many mistakes will make a person realise their bad ways? That's what Dragon is all about.

Here's the trailer:

Dragon's first half is like any other college film. We are introduced to a bunch of students who double up as ruffians, with Ragavan being one of them, unfazed by the consequences. His bad-boy image is so deeply ingrained that he hardly thinks about the repercussions of his actions. Be it his love life or the state of his innocent parents or his non-existent work life, Ragavan simply doesn't care. He relies on shortcuts rather than doing the grunt work.

While the film gets a rocky start, it comes together in the second half, which packs in more twists and turns. It is in the second half that director Ashwath Marimuthu's brilliance truly shows. Be it Ragavan's arc or his point of realisation and the way the film avoids the clichéd ending where the hero wins despite all his mistakes, some interesting moments of brilliance shine through.

Ragavan and Keerthi's love track is a bit problematic as the film almost villainises her for being honest and leaving him. Though there's a redemption to this arc in the later part of the story, it could have been dealt with in a more refined manner. The comedy, in the first half, works here and there. Whatever knots that were revealed pre-interval get proper closure by the end of the film.

Pradeep Ranganathan's performance as Raghavan is cut from the same cloth as his performance in Love Today. The fun stretches and the exaggerated reactions are enjoyable, but the emotional bits need a more nuanced approach. Anupama Parameswaran as Keerthi is perfect in her role, especially in the scene where she cries after seeing her ex-boyfriend. Kayadu Lohar, who plays Pallavi, (Ragavan's fiancé), is appropriate in her role as a doting girlfriend who has a checklist for the man of her world.

VJ Siddhu and Harshath Khan, Ragavan's friends, get meaty roles in Dragon. Music director Leon James's music and background music are a huge plus for a film like Dragon. The surprise cameo got everyone excited and rightfully so. Niketh Bommireddy's colourful cinematography and editor Pradeep E Ragav's editing helped uplift the quality of Dragon.

Dragon is a satisfying watch with minor shortcomings. Despite convenient writing, the screenplay keeps the story going with some interesting twists and turns.

3 out of 5 stars for Dragon.