Raghav is an ordinary middle-class man worn down by the corruption, pollution and everyday rule-breaking around him. Pushed past his limit by a system that holds no one accountable, he decides to take matters into his own hands and teach the offenders a lesson. His one-man stand soon spirals into serious trouble, testing his courage and his values.
Common Man is one of 2025's small-scale Gujarati releases that aimed higher than its budget. Raghav, an ordinary middle-class man, is worn down by the corruption, pollution and everyday rule-breaking around him, and when the system keeps failing to hold anyone accountable he decides to act on his own. Director Pranav M. Patel frames it as a vigilante social drama, the kind of angry-everyman story Gujarati audiences recognise from Hindi cinema but rarely see set in their own streets.
The film's strongest asset is its grounded lead work. Ashish Rajput carries it as Raghav, with Chetan Daiya as the ATS chief on his trail and a supporting cast drawn largely from Gujarati theatre. Sampark Gujarati, which rated it three and a half out of five, praised the honesty and relevance of the writing and singled out the central performance for feeling lived-in rather than theatrical. The same review flagged what holds the film back, a climax that turns predictable and a final act that feels rushed once the premise is set up. Those are fair notes. The idea carries more weight than the execution, and the modest production shows in stretches where the pacing sags.
Audience response was cooler. The IMDb score sits at 5.2, below the critic take, and the theatrical run was quiet, closing with barely six lakh worldwide. Common Man is worth a look if you like issue-driven regional drama and can forgive rough edges, but it is a film of intentions more than polish. Released on 19 September 2025 to a small footprint, it never found the audience its premise deserved. It says something real about civic frustration without quite finding the craft to make that anger land.
Verdict
An issue-driven vigilante drama with an honest core and a lead worth watching, held back by a rushed climax and rough edges.
What works
- Grounded, lived-in lead performance
- Relevant civic and social premise
- Sampark Gujarati rated it 3.5/5
- Everyman anger rarely seen in Dhollywood
What holds it back
- Predictable, rushed climax
- Modest production shows in stretches
- Pacing sags in the middle
- Cool 5.2 audience score
Cast & crew
Writers: Ravi Mokariya
Cast: Ashish Rajput (Raghav), Chetan Daiya (ATS Chief), Jaini Shah (Reporter), Smit Joshi (DJ Bubli), Bhushan Bhatt, Anjali Acharya
Producers: Maansingh Rajput
Watch the trailer
Play the official trailer on YouTubeMore from Pranav M. Patel
More Drama Gujarati films
Frequently asked
Is Common Man worth watching?
An issue-driven vigilante drama with an honest core and a lead worth watching, held back by a rushed climax and rough edges. Kevu Che rates it 3 out of 5.
What is Common Man about?
Raghav is an ordinary middle-class man worn down by the corruption, pollution and everyday rule-breaking around him. Pushed past his limit by a system that holds no one accountable, he decides to take matters into his own hands and teach the offenders a lesson. His one-man stand soon spirals into serious trouble, testing his courage and his values.
What is the IMDb rating of Common Man?
Common Man (2025) holds an IMDb rating of 5.2 out of 10 from 169 votes.