Director: Kishore N. Cast: Sibi Sathyaraj, Tanya Ravichandran, Radha Ravi, K.S. Ravikumar, Bagavathi Perumal and Hareesh Peradi.
Rating: ***1/2
Director Kishore N's 'Maayon' is a reasonably well-made thriller that keeps you engaged from start to finish.
The film offers quite a bit of mythology, some history, a generous dose of suspense and thrills with a touch of the supernatural. In all, it is an entertaining affair.
Devaraj (Hareesh Peradi), a senior archaeologist with the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), is an unscrupulous, corrupt man looking to get rich by selling the country's artefacts and ancient relics to foreigners.
He has an entire team that works for him for various reasons but the smartest among them is Arjun Manimaran (Sibiraj), another ASI officer, known for his skill, his vast knowledge of the subject, and his presence of mind.
The ASI stumbles upon written literature at one of its sites where Devaraj is posted. It points to a secret chamber in a temple for Lord Krishna that exists to this day. According to the literature, treasures from different exploits were stored in the room, and Devaraj is thrilled.
He does not share this latest finding with his superiors, but informs Arjun about it. He also pulls strings in his office and gets Arjun transferred to his site. Their objective is clear to find the secret chamber and the treasures stored in it.
Getting to the treasure chamber, however, is not that easy. First, the entrance to the chamber is hidden and it must be found by deciphering a poem in which clues are present. Next, the treasure must be found within a night because of a greedy Revenue Department official who wants a share. Finally, there are warnings from the villagers not to venture into the temple at night as those who do so could lose their mental balance and in some cases, even die.
Devaraj assigns the task to his team led by Arjun. Do Arjun and his associates succeed in finding the chamber? Do they steal the treasure and sell it to foreigners? Does Devaraj get away with his crimes? Do Arjun and his team return alive? 'Maayon' answers these and much more.
Sibiraj and Hareesh Peradi play their parts as ASI officers to perfection. Director K.S. Ravikumar, who plays the honest head of the department, is convincing as well. Tanya Ravichandran does not have much of a role but she does a neat job. Bagavathy Perumal as D.K. impresses yet again in this film.
Ilaiyaraaja's music is apt and enhances the effect of the sequences. Ram Prasad's visuals are outstanding in some places in the film and just about acceptable in certain others. His aerial shots are among those that are fantastic.
A lot of thought seems to have gone into narrating this story and director Kishore does a decent job. 'Maayon', as a result, comes across as being a decent thriller that is worth a watch!
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