Kathakali - A Pandiraj Experimentation!

After his recent hit "Pasanga-2", the kids specialist comes out of his comfort zone for the first time with a thriller, a whodunit one, a rarity in Tamizh cinema. Pandiraj, known for his movies with the "humour" tag ventures into the action platform for the first time with a perfect action hero on board. With a well-trimmed trailer of Kathakali releasing a few weeks back, has Pandiraj lived up to the expectations in the longer version? 

Kathakali starts with Balasubramaniem's brilliant top-angle shot of the sea, a sample of the technical brilliance behind the scenes. After the voice-over introduction of the principal character "Thamba", the film takes a dip featuring an intro song with the usual carnival backdrop. The first half of the film takes a fairly long time establishing the plot, often disturbed by the romance portions. Catherine Tresa as Meenukutty gets a very weak role and poor dubbing, a movie to forget after her much-acclaimed performance as a North Madras girl in Madras. Vishal fails to impress in the first half, as he tries to woo Meenukutty most of the time. Karunas, as Vishal's friend provides a few lighter moments. Samudhirakani's voice-over for Thamba is worth mentioning for the intensity it adds to the character. With a weak screenplay, first half tests your patience. With a lot of compromise made in the first half, the film rope-walks on a thin line suspense - "Who killed Thamba?"

Thamba, a local bigwig in Cuddalore gets killed and Vishal is finger-pointed for the murder. There are streaks of flashback scenes peeping in, involving Vishal's family and Thamba, hinting at some kind of enmity. Vishal has a motive, so does a bunch of others around him. Close to the intermission, you realise that Pandiraj has set up a brilliant plot with a lot of knots to be unravelled later, in spite of the fairly large share of compromises made. Vishal's much needed transformation comes and from then on, the movie picks up pace. Pandiraj begins the guessing game and keeps the audience engaged.

Pandiraj's Kathakali transforms into a dark thriller in the second half with the guessing game still on. Vishal's role with the portrayal of his close bonding with his family reminds us of his Pandiya Naadu and Paayum Puli. Hip-hop Tamizha's Kathakali whistle elevates the scenes and enlarges Vishal's action hero image. The selfie-scene post the action sequence with the local thugs provides the much needed mass-appeal. The question marked face of the killer justifies the title "Kathakali" -  a dance form involving masked faces. The flow of the movie is unadulterated in the second half and is free-flowing. With tightly knitted scenes, the movie is catapulted into an intriguing suspense. A lot of underplaying moments gives a whole new experience. The unexpected twists towards the fag end of the movie gives a decent finish to the movie. The second half of the movie makes it a one-time watch, it would have been a well etched thriller if not for the disturbing first half.

Bottomline - An experimental film from Pandiraj with a fresh genre and novel-like treatment let down by compromise on the commercial elements!

Pasanga 2 - A Pandiraj Haiku

Branded with the national award winning "Pasanga", Pandiraj comes out with yet another script revolving around kids. In this flick, Pandiraj deals with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder) and the need of parental support and care for the kids. How different and entertaining is Pasanga 2 from Pasanga?

The film revolves around two kids - Nayana and Kavin. Both of them are reported mischievous, hyperactive and out of control in their respective schools and as a result, their parents have to keep changing schools. Their pranks and dialogues are adorable and amuse you at many places. At some point of time, we expect these two kids to meet... And it happens with both going to the same school and staying in the same apartment. Once they join hands, their parents and neighbours have double trouble handling them. Their pranks draw attention of the apartment association, after which their parents decide to leave them in the hostel. We can get glimpses of Taare Zameen Par, but Pasanga 2 has more to offer. Will the hostel atmosphere change the kids? Pandiraj's answer is No. Then, how? That forms the rest of the story.

Ramadoss (better known by his character Muniskanth), Karthik Kumar, Vidya Pradeep and Bindhu Madhavi look apt in their roles as parents. However, Bindhu Madhavi doesn't impress with her expressions. Karthik Kumar underplays his role and his performance needs to be lauded. Ramadoss - Vidya duo evoke laughter with their exchanges, one more memorable performance from Ramadoss. Along with them, Surya and Amala Paul provide an extended cameo which definitely adds strength to the movie. Surya gives a full fledged supporting role, keeping aside his stardom, a bold decision and an incredible gesture for a good cause. Guest appearances galore throughout the movie with Samudhirakani, Imaan Annachi, Soori, Delhi Ganesh, Jeyaprakash making an appearance. Soori as Sanjay Ramasamy is disappointing. Samudhirakani's dialogue delivery always makes a great impact with his tone itself questioning the society. Imaan Annachi and Delhi Ganesh provide some lighter moments.

The movie takes on the Indian education system, privatization in education, attention seeking kids, the mentality of teachers and parents during its course. However, the movie never deviates from what it is intended to convey. There are some commercial elements sprinkled all over which are much needed ones to prevent the movie from becoming preachy. The screenplay is predictable and slows down the pace of the movie. 

Cinematographer Balasubramaniem wields a magic on-screen and the picturization is well complimented with Arrol carolli's bgm. Especially, the "chotta bheema" song is brilliantly picturized with 360° views. Arrol's songs are a big plus for the movie. 

Pandiraj's immense level of patience handling kids and making them emote is amazing and he does it for the third time. His dialogues are the biggest strength to the movie. His script is honest and questions the society boldly. One such scene is Samudhrakani's conversation with a govt school teacher outside a private school. The dialogues are simple but hit you hard. Pasanga 2 is technically strong and the final output is neat. Though the presntation is neat, it feels like the plot takes a lot of time to convey the intended message. 

Pasanga 2 is a "Pasanga" in the city. Watch it with your kids, a perfect holiday treat for the kids and must watch for the parents!

Bottomline - The film does not preach, it makes you think...