# Raangi (ராங்கி)
**Raangi** (ராங்கி) is a 2022 Indian Tamil-language action thriller film directed by M. Saravanan, written from a story by A. R. Murugadoss, and produced by Allirajah Subaskaran under Lyca Productions. It stars Trisha Krishnan as Thaiyal Nayagi, a Chennai journalist who, through a fake social media account created in the name of her 16-year-old niece, connects with a terrorist in Tunisia and puts both of them in danger.[1](https://tamil.filmibeat.com/movies/raangi/cast-crew.html) • [2](https://latestnetflix.com/movies/618907)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Release | 30 December 2022, Tamil language, U/A certification[1](https://tamil.filmibeat.com/movies/raangi/cast-crew.html) |
| Director and story | M. Saravanan (director and screenplay); story by A. R. Murugadoss[1](https://tamil.filmibeat.com/movies/raangi/cast-crew.html) |
| Lead cast | Trisha Krishnan as Thaiyal Nayagi; Anaswara Rajan as her niece Sushmitha; John Mahendran, Lizzie Antony, Gopi Kannadasan, and Waqar Khan in supporting roles[1](https://tamil.filmibeat.com/movies/raangi/cast-crew.html) • [2](https://latestnetflix.com/movies/618907) |
| Production | Lyca Productions (producer Subaskaran); music by C. Sathya, cinematography by K. A. Shakthivel, editing by Subarak[1](https://tamil.filmibeat.com/movies/raangi/cast-crew.html) |
| Filming | Wrapped on 12 February 2020, with major portions shot in Uzbekistan[3](https://www.cinemaexpress.com/stories/news/2020/Feb/12/its-a-wrap-for-trishas-raangi-17004.html) |
| Censorship | Over 30 cuts from the Indian censor board, including muting the names of countries such as America and Libya[4](https://www.dtnext.in/entertainment/cinema/raangi-is-a-romantic-film-with-geopolitics-as-its-core-m-saravanan) |
| Running time | 121 minutes (BBFC classification, 20 December 2022)[5](https://www.bbfc.co.uk/release/raangi-q29sbgvjdglvbjpwwc0xmdewmtky) |
| Streaming | Available on Netflix and Zee5[6](https://www.moviefone.com/movie/raangi/MpN4jVZo6zI3qp9bnhSNM/showtimes/) • [7](https://www.zee5.com/global/movies/details/raangi/0-0-1z5395713) |
## Spoilers
### Story and themes
Thaiyal Nayagi is an online journalist in Chennai who takes over a Facebook account created in her niece Sushmitha's name and chats daily with a man who believes he is speaking to the teenager.[2](https://latestnetflix.com/movies/618907) • [9](https://www.dinamani.com/cinema/movie-reviews/2022/Dec/30/a-love-story-within-international-politics-raangi-film-review-3976014.html) The man, Aalim, turns out to be a terrorist in Tunisia, and American intelligence discovers the connection, drawing Thaiyal Nayagi and Sushmitha into danger.[9](https://www.dinamani.com/cinema/movie-reviews/2022/Dec/30/a-love-story-within-international-politics-raangi-film-review-3976014.html) • [2](https://latestnetflix.com/movies/618907) The film opens with Thaiyal Nayagi being arrested in turn by the police, the CBI, and the FBI before a flashback explains the catfishing, blackmail, and corruption that led her there.[10](https://www.tamilguardian.com/content/raangi-wrong-track)
**Genre framing.** Saravanan described the film as a romantic story about love across borders, with geopolitical issues at its core rather than a pure action picture.[4](https://www.dtnext.in/entertainment/cinema/raangi-is-a-romantic-film-with-geopolitics-as-its-core-m-saravanan) The story also examines why an ordinary young man becomes a militant and the politics behind it.[9](https://www.dinamani.com/cinema/movie-reviews/2022/Dec/30/a-love-story-within-international-politics-raangi-film-review-3976014.html) Murugadoss pitched the storyline to Lyca, then asked Saravanan to develop the screenplay while he was busy with other projects.[4](https://www.dtnext.in/entertainment/cinema/raangi-is-a-romantic-film-with-geopolitics-as-its-core-m-saravanan)
## Production
The film's puja ceremony took place in April 2019, and the team flew to [Uzbekistan](https://www.edgepedia.org/uzbekistan) for a location recce the following month.[8](https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/tamil/movies/news/trishas-raangi-team-to-fly-to-uzbekistan/articleshow/69341164.cms) The first schedule, bankrolled by Lyca Productions, was wrapped up by May 2019, and shooting finished on 12 February 2020, which Trisha announced on Instagram.[8](https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/tamil/movies/news/trishas-raangi-team-to-fly-to-uzbekistan/articleshow/69341164.cms) • [3](https://www.cinemaexpress.com/stories/news/2020/Feb/12/its-a-wrap-for-trishas-raangi-17004.html) The title, in Tamil, usually refers to an uncontrollable girl, suggesting a bold role for the lead.[8](https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/tamil/movies/news/trishas-raangi-team-to-fly-to-uzbekistan/articleshow/69341164.cms)
**Delay and release.** Although filming ended in early 2020, the film reached theaters nearly three years later, on 30 December 2022.[1](https://tamil.filmibeat.com/movies/raangi/cast-crew.html) Saravanan said the team had watched the finished film together and that Murugadoss and Trisha were pleased with the result.[4](https://www.dtnext.in/entertainment/cinema/raangi-is-a-romantic-film-with-geopolitics-as-its-core-m-saravanan) In the United Kingdom, the [British Board of Film Classification](https://www.edgepedia.org/british-board-of-film-classification) cleared it on 20 December 2022 with a 121-minute runtime, noting strong bloody violence and sexually abusive behavior, for a 23 December release distributed by TGS Entertainment Limited.[5](https://www.bbfc.co.uk/release/raangi-q29sbgvjdglvbjpwwc0xmdewmtky)
## Censorship
The Indian censor board ordered over 30 cuts, which Saravanan called harsh. The board made him mute the names of countries such as America and Libya; the film discussed [Muammar Gaddafi](https://www.edgepedia.org/muammar-gaddafi)'s capture and the claim that the United States started a civil war in Gaddafi's state. Saravanan said these cuts affected the core of the film, though he also stated elsewhere that the cuts did not damage the story.[4](https://www.dtnext.in/entertainment/cinema/raangi-is-a-romantic-film-with-geopolitics-as-its-core-m-saravanan) • [11](https://www.hindutamil.in/amp/story/news/cinema/tamil-cinema/918683-trisha-starrer-raangi-movie-official-trailer-released.html)
## Reception
Critical response was divided. The Times of India gave 3.5 out of 5, calling it a power-packed, sensible action thriller led by a female star in an industry where women are often relegated to sidekick roles.[12](https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/Tamil/movie-details/Raangi/movieshow/70698609.cms) [Behindwoods](https://www.edgepedia.org/behindwoods) rated it 2.5 out of 5, praising the action makeover of Trisha's girl-next-door image and the story, while noting that the shift from action to love might disappoint viewers expecting an out-and-out thriller.[13](https://www.behindwoods.com/tamil-movies/raangi/raangi-review.html) OTTplay, also at 2.5, called Trisha terrific but the film a convoluted mess with problematic ideas.[14](https://www.ottplay.com/review/raangi-review-trisha-is-terrific-in-this-thriller-that-doles-out-many-problematic-and-questionable-ideas/0dafece3cd588)
**Negative reviews.** India Today gave 2 out of 5, finding the film replete with ridiculous and morally wrong ideas despite Trisha's decent performance.[15](https://www.indiatoday.in/movies/regional-cinema/story/raangi-movie-review-trishas-film-and-its-politics-are-flawed-on-so-many-levels-saravanan-ar-murugadoss-2315424-2022-12-30) Cinema Express rated it 1.5, criticizing the treatment of the niece Sushmitha, who is the center of every plot point yet whose choices are disregarded.[16](https://www.cinemaexpress.com/tamil/review/2022/Dec/30/raangi-movie-review-problems-galore-in-this-tepid-trisha-thriller-38209.html) [The Indian Express](https://www.edgepedia.org/the-indian-express) gave 1 out of 5, writing that the film becomes the monster it tries to slay by exploiting the very issue of radicalization it attempts to portray empathetically.[17](https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/raangi-movie-review-trishas-latest-is-bafflingly-silly-and-questionable-8352247/) The Tamil Guardian's review acknowledged the subject matter as thought-provoking enough for a festival-scale film, for which Murugadoss deserved credit, but judged the execution to be B-movie work, rating it 2 stars.[10](https://www.tamilguardian.com/content/raangi-wrong-track)
## Context in Saravanan's career
Raangi marked Saravanan's return to the director's chair after a gap of seven years and was a female-centric action film, a notable departure since his 2011 debut *Engeyum Eppothum* was a road-safety drama about two couples.[13](https://www.behindwoods.com/tamil-movies/raangi/raangi-review.html) • [10](https://www.tamilguardian.com/content/raangi-wrong-track) For Trisha, coming off her role as Kundavai in [Mani Ratnam](https://www.edgepedia.org/mani-ratnam)'s *Ponniyin Selvan*, it was a rare action-driven lead role in [Tamil cinema](https://www.edgepedia.org/tamil-cinema).[4](https://www.dtnext.in/entertainment/cinema/raangi-is-a-romantic-film-with-geopolitics-as-its-core-m-saravanan) • [2](https://latestnetflix.com/movies/618907)
## References
1. [Raangi Cast & Crew Details, Filmibeat Tamil](https://tamil.filmibeat.com/movies/raangi/cast-crew.html)
2. [Raangi (2022), Latest Netflix](https://latestnetflix.com/movies/618907)
3. [It's a wrap for Trisha's Raangi, Cinema Express](https://www.cinemaexpress.com/stories/news/2020/Feb/12/its-a-wrap-for-trishas-raangi-17004.html)
4. [Raangi is a romantic film with geopolitics as its core: M Saravanan, DT Next](https://www.dtnext.in/entertainment/cinema/raangi-is-a-romantic-film-with-geopolitics-as-its-core-m-saravanan)
5. [Raangi, British Board of Film Classification](https://www.bbfc.co.uk/release/raangi-q29sbgvjdglvbjpwwc0xmdewmtky)
6. [Raangi Showtimes, Moviefone](https://www.moviefone.com/movie/raangi/MpN4jVZo6zI3qp9bnhSNM/showtimes/)
7. [Watch Raangi on Zee5](https://www.zee5.com/global/movies/details/raangi/0-0-1z5395713)
8. [Trisha's 'Raangi' team to fly to Uzbekistan, Times of India](https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/tamil/movies/news/trishas-raangi-team-to-fly-to-uzbekistan/articleshow/69341164.cms)
9. [ராங்கி திரைவிமர்சனம், Dinamani](https://www.dinamani.com/cinema/movie-reviews/2022/Dec/30/a-love-story-within-international-politics-raangi-film-review-3976014.html)
10. [Raangi - On the wrong track, Tamil Guardian](https://www.tamilguardian.com/content/raangi-wrong-track)
11. [த்ரிஷாவின 'ராங்கி' ட்ரெய்லர், Hindu Tamil](https://www.hindutamil.in/amp/story/news/cinema/tamil-cinema/918683-trisha-starrer-raangi-movie-official-trailer-released.html)
12. [Raangi Movie, Times of India](https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/Tamil/movie-details/Raangi/movieshow/70698609.cms)
13. [Raangi Movie Review, Behindwoods](https://www.behindwoods.com/tamil-movies/raangi/raangi-review.html)
14. [Raangi Review, OTTplay](https://www.ottplay.com/review/raangi-review-trisha-is-terrific-in-this-thriller-that-doles-out-many-problematic-and-questionable-ideas/0dafece3cd588)
15. [Raangi Movie Review, India Today](https://www.indiatoday.in/movies/regional-cinema/story/raangi-movie-review-trishas-film-and-its-politics-are-flawed-on-so-many-levels-saravanan-ar-murugadoss-2315424-2022-12-30)
16. [Raangi Movie Review, Cinema Express](https://www.cinemaexpress.com/tamil/review/2022/Dec/30/raangi-movie-review-problems-galore-in-this-tepid-trisha-thriller-38209.html)
17. [Raangi movie review, The Indian Express](https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/raangi-movie-review-trishas-latest-is-bafflingly-silly-and-questionable-8352247/)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Films and standalone screen works › Individual films by title and year › Indian films (individual works) › Tamil films of the 2020s › Tamil films of 2022 and 2023*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 19, 2026; Oct 3, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Sep 18, 2026; Sep 19, 2026; Oct 3, 2026; Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026; Nov 1, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
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