Review: Pandianadu is impressive

What makes Pandianadu remarkable is the director’s realistic approach and the right amount of commercialism supported by a well-written script, good dialogues, great music and excellent all–round performances, says S Saraswathi.

Actor Vishal turns producer with Pandianadu, directed by Suseenthiran. The film is produced under his home banner, Vishal Film Factory, and distributed by S Madhan of Vendhar Movies.

Vishal also plays the lead role along with Lakshmi Menon, ace director Bharathiraja, Soori, Sharath Lohithaswa and Vikranth in a special role.

Pandianadu, as the name suggests, is based in Madurai. The film opens with the death of a dangerous mobster who had the city under his control.

His death triggers a spate of violence and bloodshed across the city as his aides fight among themselves to take over command. The ruthless Ravi (Sharath Lohithaswa) emerges victorious and becomes even more powerful than his predecessor.

Bharathiraja and his two sons, Nagarajan and Sivakumar (Vishal) live in this city. Sivakumar is shy, stammers when stressed and prefers to stay away from trouble, as he believes that violence only begets more violence.

Nagarajan is a bold and honest government official who is not afraid to confront Ravi.  When repeated deaths are reported at one of Ravi's granite mines, Nagarajan intervenes and gets the authorities to shut it down.

Angered by this, Ravi has Nagarajan killed.  The rest of the story is all about how a helpless father and a meek and timid brother avenge the death of a loved one.

Though the story does sound like your average revenge drama, it definitely is not so. The film has a beautiful blend of commercialism and reality that is so unique to all Suseenthiran’s

films.

Vishal, who is known for his action-oriented roles, has undergone a complete transformation at the hands of the director.  He plays a regular normal guy caught in a vulnerable situation.

His character does not suddenly acquire superhero qualities that help him to destroy his enemies overnight. This image has been cleverly maintained till the end by the director.

Parotta Soori, too, has done more than just provide laughs.

Veteran director Bharathiraja has given an excellent performance as the grief-stricken and powerless father. Sharath Lohithaswa appears intimidating, aggressive, and is perfectly cast as a violent and feared gangster.

Lakshmi Menon, who plays Vishal’s love interest in the film, is well known for her girl-next-door roles and as usual, she plays her part to perfection. D Imman is very impressive with the background score as well as the songs; Otthakkada Otthakkada Machaan and Fy Fy Fy Kalachify are the pick of the lot.  Almost the entire film has been shot in Madurai, and choreographer R Madhie has effortlessly captured the look and feel of the city.

Director Suseenthiran has proved himself many times in the past with films such as Vennila Kabadi Kuzhu, Naan Mahaan Alla and Azhagarsamiyin Kudhirai, a film that won him the National Award.  His films are ordinary but compelling and are known for their hard-hitting content.

With Pandianadu, Suseenthiran has proved that he is still at the top of his game. He seems to have the knack of choosing a perfectly ordinary subject with everyday characters and emotions and makes it appealing by keeping it as simple as possible.

Pandianadu is totally worth it, definitely a must watch.

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