Run Baby Run (2023) Rating:2.5/5
RUN BABY RUN CAST & CREW
Production: Prince Pictures, S. Lakshman Kumar Cast: Aishwarya Rajesh, Radhika Sarathkumar, RJ Balaji Direction: Jiyen Krishnakumar Music: Sam CS Background score: Sam CS Cinematography: S. Yuva Editing: G. Madan Art direction: Veeramani Ganesan
Run Baby Run (2023) is a Tamil action thriller written and directed by Jiyen Krishnakumar. RJ Balaji and Aishwarya Rajesh play the lead characters in the film. The film is produced by Lakshman Kumar under the banner Prince Pictures.
A simple man’s life is turned into a nightmare when Tara, a medical student seeks him for help. This random encounter changes the life of the IT employee ruining his peace and the small world he is surrounded with. The rest of the film follows RJ Balaji trying to prove his innocence while attempting to reason with the events that unfold.
RJ Balaji and his new avatar in experimenting with different roles have kicked off well with this thriller. He is convincing as the innocent character caught in a maze yet there are miles to be achieved. Aishwarya Rajesh fits the role perfectly, but there is a lack of freshness in her characterization. Tamizh as police brings in the atmosphere of reality and relatability with his screen presence. The rest of the cast members do not carry many complaints as they have given what is asked out of them.
Technically the film is lifted by Yuva with his frames and Sam CS composing the tunes. The background score meets the chaotic undercurrent but becomes jarring on a few occasions. Slick editing saves the film from derailing in its touted route.
Positive aspects include the script being true to the thriller genre. It does not tend to overplay with its content but acts accordingly. Packed with a lot of twists, the film engages decently. The phone conversation between Radhika and RJ Balaji deserves a special mention for its subtlety.
Dialogues break the engaging factor as characters are made to speak in a single-dimensional way. Most of the dialogue reminds us that it is all happening in a film disrupting the relatability of the content. The second half solidifies the film with the loose threads starting to overlap with each other. The final reveal and the way it is handled shows the maturity of the script which does not make a superhero out of RJ Balaji.
The pacing of the film could have been enhanced and trimmed as it seemed stretched. Using conventional tropes of a thriller film in a decent way saves the film from monotony. Though the film has contrived situations it tries to keep us engaged.
Balaji, who has always been self-aware about his limitations as an actor, plays his part competently. It’s a believable performance of an ordinary guy stuck in an extraordinary situation and the story follows his efforts to free himself. Any other actor in his shoes would’ve expected his character to turn heroic at some point but thankfully RJ Balaji doesn’t fall in that image trap. The film definitely needed a better antagonist and a stronger twist but that’s just a minor grouse in an otherwise mostly compelling thriller. The supporting cast does a decent job in playing their respective parts fittingly.
