Pakalum Pathiravum review: Cinematic gimmicks play the spoilsport in Ajai Vasudev’s latest thriller

Director Ajai Vasudev is back with yet another crime thriller — Pakalum Pathiravum. Well, all his previous films — commercial flicks — had the same routine formulae: fights, loud background music and dance numbers.

Though his Masterpiece and Shylock were murder mysteries, Pakalum Pathiravum is a different attempt.  The film, which is based on the Kannada play “Aa Karaala Ratri“, didn’t get much pre-release hype due to a lack of a star cast.

Now, let’s see how the movie fared:

The plot

To start with, the film showcases the basic human instincts of greed, love, sex, and the criminal mind.

The plot revolves around the family of Vareed (Manoj KU), his wife (played by Seetha) and their daughter Mercy (Rajisha Vijayan). It portrays their struggles to lead a decent life amid poverty and debts.

The family stays in the Wayanad district near the Karnataka border. One day, a stranger named Michael (Kunchako Boban) enters their life. What happens next forms the crux of the story.

Uninspiring and tedious

All through the first half, the director sets the atmosphere for the story by giving out details about the lead actors, police officer Janaki Raman (Guru Somasundharam) and other characters.

The script by Nishad Koya offers entertainment only in the second half, thus making it a tedious job to watch.

Also Read: 19.20.21 Kannada movie review

Though the movie has good twists and turns, they fail to inspire any thrills.

The story mostly focuses on the life of Mercy who is very unlike the heroines we get to see in every other film. Mercy is self-made, rebellious and fed up with the problems she is facing.

She believes she is a victim of her parents’ misdeeds and her insecurity makes her take severe decisions. When Michael enters their house, she gears up for a mission.

Good performances

Rajisha Vijayan is brilliant as a stern woman (Mercy) who is ready to face anything for her well-being.

However, till the interval bang, we keep wondering why she chose Mercy’s role because Rajisha is known for taking up bold and performance-oriented characters. But things get cleared in the latter half.

Manoj KU, who rose to fame with Thinkalazcha Nischayam, is really good as Vareed. He recently appeared in Iratta and Pranaya Vilasam which won him appreciation.

Also Read: Ayothi Tamil movie review

Guru Somasundharam gets a meaty role to play and takes the accolades towards the climax. However, his avatar as a womaniser police officer offers nothing new.

Kunchako Boban as Michael didn’t have much to do though. His role isn’t challenging enough.

It’s a welcome change to see a director who usually doles out commercial films to give importance to the women characters in Pakalum Pathiravum.

Drawbacks

Pakalum Pathiravum mesmerises the audience with the scenic beauty of the Wayanad district.

Nevertheless, the special background music for each character sounds unnecessary.

Sam CS scored the background music, while Stephen Devassy composed the music. The songs are not bad but not worth remembering.

At one point, the story mentions that Maoists have entered the forests of Wayanad. But the forest officials and the police don’t investigate the matter, thereby leaving the track incomplete.

The film also shows that a gun has been seized by the cops but fails to explain it.

However, the climax, though open-ended, is intriguing.

Verdict

Pakalum Pathiravum is a half-baked movie. The post-interval parts give goosebumps though.

If it weren’t for the cinematic gimmicks, the movie would have been better!

(Views expressed are personal.)