Raatchasi Trailer Breakdown: Jyotika teacher takes over a school, Nammavar style

What is it with our filmmakers and aerial drone shots? Why does every second trailer/teaser begin with a tracking shot that is solely present to give way to another cliche — the voiceover? Anyway, the Raatchasi trailer begins with a voiceover that ends with the introduction of a new-look Jyotika as Geetha Rani aka the Raatchasi teacher in a notorious school that has built itself quite the reputation. 

While we are introduced to the other teachers in the school who take instant displeasure to Jyotika's methods to rebuild the tarnished reputation of the school, the one thing that holds our attention is the Magalir Mattum actor's dubbing. Having dubbed for herself, the laboured pronunciation feels a bit unsettling at first, but hopefully, we will warm up to it by the time the film releases.

While the look of her character seems to be an extension of her very own Maya from Kaakha Kaakha, the similarities appear to end there. The urbane role in the Gautam Menon film gets replaced by a message-spewing character who talks about poverty, government inefficiency, bureaucratic insecurity, and political interference in the education sector.  

Initial reports suggested Raatchasi would be a remake of Rani Mukherji's Hichki. The makers refuted such claims, and looking at the teaser, it's quite clear that Raatchasi is in no way related to that Siddharth Malhotra-directorial. However, a school teacher changing the fate of the students has been done to death, and Raatchasi reminds us of films like Manikyakallu, Nammavar, and Saatai. But, let's give debutant filmmaker Gowthamraj the benefit of doubt and see what kind of spin he imparts to this age-old idea when we go to watch this class in session, this June. 

Here's the trailer: