Production: Abinesh Elangovan, CV Kumar, KE Gnanavel Raja – Studio Green Cast: Daniel Balaji, Jackie Shroff, Jayaprakash, Lavanya Tripathi, Mime Gopi, Sundeep Kishan Direction: CV Kumar Screenplay: Nalan Kumarasamy Story: CV Kumar Music: Ghibran Background score: Ghibran Cinematography: Gopi Amarnath Dialogues: Nalan Kumarasamy Editing: Leo John Paul Singers: Abshek, Ghibran, Marana Gana Viji, Sharanya Gopinath, Shwetha Subram Lyrics: Sikkander, Soundara Raja, Vivek PRO: Nikkil Murugan

Maayavan is a science fiction crime thriller written and directed by CV Kumar with Soodhu Kavvum fame Nalan Kumarasamy supporting him in the screenplay department.

The film talks about an honest police officer who finds himself in the middle of a challenging criminal case. Sundeep Kishan gets to play a physically challenging role, and fits the bill quite convincingly.

Doubling up as the producer as well, CV Kumar has marshalled his resources well whilst handling the budget. The core story line is intriguing, and that serves as its USP. Maayavan could have been a solid investigative thriller had it been a little more focused. It has too much to tell, but the way it is put forth, reduces the overall intensity.

The emotions lack depth, and though the director’s intentions look commendable, a few investigation scenes look artificial. One feels an exhilarating script such as this deserves better execution. Maayavan shows some promise initially but lacks fizz as the story unfolds.

A little more detailing in a few aspects could have totally changed the perspective of the film. It hardly has any high points and the overall screenplay looks a tad flat. Though the audience is left guessing about the mystery for a large part of the film, the pace of the proceedings is still an issue.

Jackie Shroff’s introduction sequence is well shot and creates some excitement, and the scene where Bagavathi Perumal cries are well enacted. Lavanya Tripati is back to Kollywood after Bramman – she plays a psychiatrist. The protagonist goes through personal trauma, and that is when he meets the heroine. Be it the lead’s medical condition or the love story, they look hurried and not so compelling.

Having said that, we must appreciate CV Kumar for accentuating the story with acceptable twists. Ghibran’s music works at parts, especially during the latter part of the second half. The cinematography is functional, while the art direction department adds richness to the script. CGI, though not thoroughly convincing, still deserves a mention. Maayavan has an interesting story line, but the overall execution and the slow pace play spoilsport.