Haraa Movie Review : Mohan's acting can't salvage a weak story

Haraa Movie Synopsis: A loving father goes on a revenge mission to find those responsible for his college-going daughter’s suicide, uncovering corruption and exposing society’s wrongdoers along the way.

Haraa Movie Review: Actor Mohan, known as a “Silver Jubilee Hero” in the 80s and early 90s, returns to the silver screen after 14 years with Haraa. Does the film live up to expectations and mark a successful comeback for Mohan?

The film opens with Ram (Mohan), Nila (Anumol), and their daughter Nimisha (Swathi) living a happy life in Ooty. Ram is deeply devoted to Nimisha. Their life is ruined when Ram receives news that Nimisha has committed suicide in Coimbatore. Determined to uncover the truth, Ram adopts the alias Dawood Ibrahim (!!) and investigates the reasons behind his daughter’s death. His investigation exposes major scams, including a medical mafia and a forced prostitution ring, implicating powerful figures in the government and police. Now, Ram seeks retribution.

Haraa is a rather cheesy flick. Where does one even begin with the lack of believability and logical loopholes? Is it the rather convenient way in which Ram coerces anyone by simply pointing a gun? Or the bunch of cops and thugs (you can’t tell them apart) trying to track down Ram and failing miserably? The way in which they get flummoxed gives you a serious “how many guys do you need to screw in a lightbulb” vibes. There are also a lot of ineffectual and cringe dialogues. When Ram grills his daughter’s supposed boyfriend as to why he sedated her, he says, “I thought if I had sex with her, she’d love me.” Go figure.

There’s also an unrelenting soundtrack to go with the endless developments. Ram just hops on from one master-plan to another. The roadblocks are a way for him to show how he’s one step ahead. The screenplay is bland and with no coherence. Things like an add-on backstory of a suspended cop (Jayakumar) are redundant. Yogi Babu appears in a single court scene for comedic purpose but it’s cringe to the core.

For the first time in over 100 films, Mohan, known for his romantic and family dramas, has taken an action avatar. Though he has taken an age-appropriate character in Haraa, he still looks very young and relatively fit. He has done whatever the character has demanded.

A revenge drama that is more laughable than thrilling.

Written By: Abhinav Subramanian