‘Pathonpatham Noottandu’ movie review: A package with some punch, despite its failings

Huge price range, larger-than-life cinema from the South has been making the waves throughout the nation in recent times. In comparison with these, Vinayan’s Pathonpatham Noottandu could also be smaller in price range, scale and ambition, however the two protagonists that the movie holds up are a pointy distinction to the heroes of these greater movies, who proudly showcase their poisonous masculinity.

One is Arattupuzha Velayudha Panicker (Siju Wilson), the 18th century social reformer who fought for the rights of decrease caste ladies to put on higher garments and ornaments and constructed a temple the place folks of all castes might worship. Nangeli (Kayadu Lohar), the opposite, is believed to have lower off her breasts in protest towards the practise of levying breast tax in erstwhile Travancore. With these two personalities as his peg, Vinayan makes an attempt to painting a bigger image of the atrocities that the decrease castes needed to endure in nineteenth century Kerala.

With historic data of the interval being minimal, the filmmaker, who has additionally written the script, has taken fairly just a few liberties in bringing in fictional components to refill the gaps. However the choice to position Arattupuzha Velayudha Panicker on the centre is laudable, for he stays an ignored determine in standard tradition regardless of the pioneering function he performed in questioning regressive practices. The truth that he was additionally a wealthy service provider additionally helped him on this endeavour, and in gaining the help of the ruler of that point. Siju Wilson’s transformation from a neighbourhood boy to a formidable warrior in manner and physique is without doubt one of the highlights of the movie.

The one noticeable, and disappointing, shift from standard myths is the extremely damaging portrayal of Kayamkulam Kochunni (Chemban Vinod Jose), the Robinhood-like thief, who’s proven as showering the poor with goodies solely to cover his wrongdoings. The well-conceived motion sequences are one of many mainstays of the movie, regardless of the over-reliance on slow-motion. The larger price range at his disposal this time appears to have enabled Vinayan to realize one thing nearer to his imaginative and prescient in manufacturing design too.

The script, because of the intent to speak concerning the many atrocities of the interval, lacks focus at instances because of which a few of the sufferings fail to maneuver the viewers. Though the narrative stays participating for many elements, evidently the eye was extra on the motion sequences relatively than the script, which has fairly just a few one-dimensional characters. The digicam’s gaze in direction of ladies is problematic at instances, particularly contemplating the topics that the movie is tackling. Even Nangeli doesn’t escape this gaze.

There would definitely be debates on the quantity of fiction in Pathonpatham Noottandu, however the movie does an essential job in putting the troubling historical past of the interval within the mainstream, at a time when regressive practices are hailed within the title of ‘custom’, a phrase the movie mocks successfully. Regardless of its failings, it packs a punch and stands a notch above a few of the overhyped interval movies from the Malayalam trade in recent times.