Film Review: Dignified acting, soothing music
Pallikoodam
Credits
Cast: Naren, Sneha, Thangar Bachchan, Shreya Reddy, Seeman
Direction: Thangar Bachchcan
Music: Bharadwaj
Production: Vishwas Sundar
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WONDERFUL JOB: Actors in the film steal every heart. |
CINEMA: In the Thankar Bachaan's genre of movie making, emotions play
hid and seek between the characters with an undertone. The subtlety of
such characterization of feelings has always remained the success
quotient for him. Pallikoodam follows the same genre Azhagi paved way
for, only with a tad different plot.
The movie is about a school that faces troubles with the owner of the
land and how the characters try and get help from the old students to
prevent the school from being seized. Thus starts this nostalgic
emotional ride. It's about four classmates Vetrivel, Muthu, Kumaraswami
and Kokila who had studied at that school and how the school changes
their life forever.
Vetrivel, a son of a potter, is the most intelligent of the lot and
loves Kokila who is the daughter of a rich Jamindar who owns the school
land. And their common friends are Muthu and Kumaraswami. Kumaraswami,
very bad at studies, avoids school: however, his father makes all
efforts to send him back to school and succeeds in doing so.
A young and beautiful Doctor, Jhansi (Shreya) arrives at the village
and befriends the foursome. Jhansi slowly becomes the godfather figure
to all the four. And when Muthu loses his father and becomes an orphan,
Jhansi takes him into his custody. Vetrivel and Kokila's love is made
public and the villagers blame Jhansi. They throw her out of the Village
and Muthu accompanies her.
What follows is the disentanglement of the plot on the plight of
Jhansi, Muthu, Kumaraswami, Vetrivel, and Kokila. Eventually the rest of
the story and the climax also unravel whether the school escapes the
wrath of the landowner.
The movie is based on a novel "Kalavadiya Pozhudhugal" which is
immaculately translated into the big screen by Thankar Bhachchan who is
also taking care of the cinematography, screenplay, and direction
besides playing a character in the film.
Cinematography has little to talk about but Thankar scores with his
screenplay, direction and acting.
There are a few eyesores like the opening scene where students sing
the national anthem in the rain. The patriotic angle is very much
appreciable, however, it doesn't need any emphasis and proves to be tad
unrealistic.
Also, the duet between the young Vetrivel and young Kokila is a total
let down. But the movie is successful in bringing out the nostalgic
feeling. Some of the scenes like the meeting of Kumaraswami, who is a
farmer now, meeting Vetrivel - the collector, are directed very well.
The performance in the movie is of high order and all the actors
compete with one another for the glory. Naren as Vetrivel has done a
wonderful job. Sneha as Kokila steals every heart with her simplicity,
and Thankar Bachchan as Kumaraswamy lives his part.
Shrey Reddy as Jhansi impresses everyone with her dignified acting.
Seeman as Muthu makes a confident debut. The actor who comes as the
younger Kumaraswamy is a revelation with his superb comic timing and
quick wit. The scene in which he drops his pen to see Shreya's legs will
surely bring the house down.
Baradwaj's music is soothing to the ears especially the "Meendum
Pallikoodam Pogalam" track, which lingers in one's heart long after the
leaving the theatre. Gana Ulaganathan comes up with a remix of the old
song "Nanamoo" which can achieve a hit status if marketed properly.
Sathish does a good job as the editor but the pace of the movie drops
in the second half, which if taken care of, would have made a big
difference in the outcome of the movie. Cinemas release at Capitol
Cinema, Colombo.
- Haran
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