Shortly after Ashwath Marimuthu’s Tamil coming-of-age comedy drama Dragon hit screens on February 21, social media was abuzz with praise for the film’s storyline and the director’s surprise cameo towards the end.

“#Dragon has plenty of theatre moments like this scene. The canteen fight in the second half was an absolute riot. The climax surprise cameo was a blast,” wrote a social media user on X, heaping praise on Pradeep Ranganathan’s portrayal of Ragavan "Dragon" Dhanapal in the movie.

Another X user lauded the performance of actresses Anupama Parameswaran and Kayadu Lohar in the film. “Girls are catalysts in #Dragon movie,” he wrote. “D. Ragavan's life changed and he became 'Dragon' after a girl rejected him in school. After his girlfriend from college breaks up with him, he became motivated to succeed in life. When he almost gave up in the pursuit, it's again a girl who pushes him to success. This must be Ashwath's most personal film,” continued the user.

A netizen heaped praise on director Ashwath’s cameo and Pradeep’s performance in the film. “#DRAGON - That Surprise CAMEO at the end was really UNEXPECTED Not a BIG Star but has a BIG connect to Pradeep Ranganathan,” reads the post.

Another social media user observed how Dragon is different from the 2022 action comedy Don with which it was being compared initially following the trailer’s release earlier this month. “Following the #Dragon trailer release, the negativity was overwhelming, with many quick to criticise the film blindly and make comparisons to Don. It's nowhere close to #Don!! However, the Dragon team proved them wrong & emerged victorious. Also, the film was not glorifying arrears and spoiled college brats. If you watch it, you will love the beautiful message the film is saying,” the netizen wrote.

An X user also shared a video capturing the reaction of viewers inside a theatre. The clip shows the audience erupting in cheers as Pradeep Ranganathan’s Ragavan "Dragon" Dhanapal appears on screen.

Backed by AGS Entertainment, Dragon follows Dhanapal, an obedient and high-performing boy in school who turns into a notorious college rebel after a girl turns down his proposal.

Dragon also stars George Maryan, K. S. Ravikumar, Gautham Vasudev Menon and Shanmugha Raja in key roles.