Maaran, directed by Karthick Naren and starring Dhanush, Malavika Mohanan, Smruthi Venkat, and Ameer, is a disappointment. The film struggles to keep your attention with a cliched storyline and so-called twists.

After Jagame Thandhiram and Atrangi Re, Dhanush is back with another OTT release. Maaran, his third OTT film directed by Karthick Naren, was set to be released in theatres. However, the makers decided against it. And we understand why. The audience is taken on a ride 10 minutes into the film, where they will guess every 'twist' and even pronounce the dialogues before the actors. Certain films will make you question your existence, and Maaran is unfortunately one of them.

Maaran, by all means, looks like a terrible mish mash of scenes stitched together in a haphazard manner in order to meet the deadline. In that sense, it definitely belongs to editor Prasanna GK, for Karthick Naren and team must have figured out what sort of a film they were making in the first place, only at the edit table. 

Maaran appears to be a terrible mishmash of sequences stitched together haphazardly in order to meet the deadline. In that sense, it belongs to editor Prasanna GK, because Karthick Naren and company must have realised what kind of film they were making only at the editing table.

The writing is terrible. Maaran is a multi-award-winning investigative journalist who has appeared on the cover of a national magazine. Guess the name of the organisation for which he writes... The news. During the interview, guess how he convinces his bosses...by posting a viral tweet. The creators are that oblivious to their own subject matter. But wait, there's a "twist." A Christopher Nolan-level twist. That Maaran is a thangachi sentiment film in the garb of an investigative thriller.

Performances: 
Dhanush is a brilliant actor, yet he appears jaded and, to be honest, going through the motions in Maaran. He still has a few sparks here and there, but nothing compares to the intensity of some of his best works. Malavika Mohanan's performance as the female lead is useless. In the end, it feels like a thankless role because the major focus is elsewhere. Smruthi Venkat plays a more important part than Malavika. She does well in a one-dimensional role.

Overall Verdict:
Overall, Maaran is an out-of-date and completely uninteresting drama with an investigative journalism backdrop. Even the best actors can't stop it from being unwatchable.