Raatchasi

Education Minister of Malaysia, Dr. Maszlee Malik praising the film,cast & crew for its social relevance after watching the film alongside with his officers.

The film opened to positive reviews from both critics and audiences.[8] Behindwoods gave the film 3.5 out of 5 starts and stated "Jyotika's performance is clean throughout and the clarity she brings to screen is impeccable. She steals the show with good dialogue delivery and body language. The film could have been way better if the story was treated well and the screenplay was more engaging."[9] Sify.com rated the film 3.5 out 5 stars and explained "Raatchasi works mainly because of Jyotika, as her performance is solid and sincere. She is in there in every frame and is in superb form. She has even put on a little weight to look convincing as a teacher. Though it takes some time to sync with her character, slowly she grabs our attention and makes us travel along with her. Watch it for the topical message, sharp dialogues and an earnest Jyotika."[10] Times of India summarised the film by saying "Jyotika’s performance as the dutiful teacher is the prime saving grace of this preachy film" and gave the film 3.5 out of 5 stars.[11] Indiaglitz wrote "Sy. Gowthamraj makes a respectable debut armed with genuine knowledge of the issues he has taken up and filming it as honestly as he could. The lack of finesse can be forgiven for the strong content and messages".[12] Indiatoday wrote "Jyothika's Raatchasi is a film that touches upon pressing issues that are plaguing government schools. Along with being predictable, the film lacks a strong screenplay to hold everyone's attention. Raatchasi is a one-time watch".[13] Ananda vikatan Says, "Teacher crush, Heroinsm, special wish for dealt the Educational Development".[14] Film Companion South wrote "When will our directors learn that good intentions cannot make a good movie? Or that relentless music (Sean Roldan is the composer) isn’t enough to make us “feel” if there’s no emotional connect with the characters?...it’s great that Jyotika is cherry-picking projects that indulge in a fair bit of “heroine worship”...but she really needs better scripts".[15]Firstpost rated 3.5 out of 5 stars stating "Raatchasi skims through issues plaguing the education system and offers a one-woman army as the solution".[16]News18 rated 3.5 out of 5 stars stating "Jyothika makes it bearable".[17]The Hindu stated "Raatchasi is well-intentioned no doubt — films like these are constant reminders of the need to upgrade our government schools - but it needs more finesse, more heart".[18]The Indian Express rated 3 out of 5 stars stating "Raatchasi could have been a better film if the director understood the screenplay and characters were as important as ‘messages’".[19]Hindustan Times rated 2 3.5 out of 5 stars stating "Despite an earnest effort by actor Jyotika, the film’s dependence on melodrama and message-heavy dialogues makes it an effort to watch".[20]Cinema Express rated 3 out of 5 stars stating "After an efficient beginning, Raatchasi settles into a dull, comfortable zone, where familiar demons get addressed, and not particularly in enterprising ways".[21]The News Minute rated 3 out of 5 stars stating "Jyothika's Geetha Rani is a refreshing character but the film does not rise above the predictable one-line story of a teacher turning a school around".[22]Deccan Chronicle rated 3.5 out of 5 stars stating "Sean Rolden’s music and Gokul Binoy’s cinematography capture the right mood of the film".[23]