‘Aranmanai 4’ movie review: Despite lacking in finesse, Tamannaah anchors the best entry in the franchise

Horror-comedy franchises like Aranmanai and Kanchana deserve a detailed case study; despite getting critically panned almost always, they turn out to make a considerable mark at the box-office. Considering they are the franchises with the most films in Tamil cinema, it’s a no-brainer that they are fruitful ventures. Probably the biggest grouse those who follow the franchise have is how similar tropes get upcycled for subsequent entries. An innocent woman gets mercilessly killed, causing her to turn into a ghost that haunts a huge palace, only for Sundar C’s character to restore balance by avenging the departed soul and bringing peace to the living ones. While the franchise’s latest iteration Aranmanai 4 does precisely the same, the interesting backstory that the previous films lacked makes it stand apart.

What makes Aranmanai 4 special is that it’s not just a revenge saga. Similar to the Sundar C-starrer Iruttu which was based on the concept of Jinn, the new film revolves around the Assamese folklore of Baak, a soul-grabbing, shape-shifting ghost. When it targets the family of Selvi (Tamannaah) resulting in a few deaths, it’s up to Selvi’s brother Saravanan (Sundar C) to solve the mystery and bring peace to the village and his family.