PATHU THALA (2023)

Critic No. 313

Director: Obeli N. Krishnan

Written by: Obeli N. Krishnan, R.S.Ramakrishnan

Produced by: Studio Green, Pen Studios

Casts: Silambarasan, Gautham Karthik, Gautham Vasudev Menon, Priya Bhavani Shankar, Teejay Arunasalam, Anu Sithara, Santosh Prathap, Redin Kingsley

Music: A.R.Rahman

Language: Tamil

Genre: Action, Crime, Drama

SYNOPSIS: 

An undercover cop Sakthi (Gautham) sets out to find a feared gangster AGR (Silambarasan) in Nagercoil after a bigwig goes missing, but discovers that things may not be as they seem.

REVIEW:

After giving a decent romance flick, Sillendru Oru Kadhal (2006) director Obeli N Krishna makes a comeback after 17 years with the remake of Mufti, (2017) a celebrated gangster film in the Kannada industry. Personally I have not watched the original version but generally the Indian cinema have seen tons of films that depict the rivalry between cop and gangster with the undercover cop. So how does Pathu Thala stands out in this pool of films?

The film follows Shakthivel (Gautham Karthik), an undercover cop, as he investigates the disappearance of the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu (Santhosh Pratap). All eyes are on AGR (Silambarasan TR) and the police uses Sakthi to hunt for the evidence. However, AGR's stronghold in the sand-mining business makes it difficult for Shakthivel to reach his goal. As Shakthivel works to gain AGR's trust, he uncovers shocking revelations that shake his resolve.

The first half of the film mainly shows Shakthi trying to get hold of the evidences and get a glimpse of AGR. The weakest point of the film lies there as well. All the scenes look very dated and the entire mash up between the political agenda, villain and investigation looks messy. The engagement level remains low despite some good action set pieces and foot tapping numbers until the entrance of Silambarasan as AGR in the gritty interval point. From then, the film picks up. 

Silambarasan is a sheer delight to watch and though he speaks many ‘punch’ dialogues, his acting remains grounded and natural. Gautham too excels in his big role but sadly his character doesn’t feel that deeper than intended. Though the film is woven quite tightly, none of the characters or emotions stand out. Gautham Menon who is supposedly the main villain is not set up as menacing as AGR, therefore the audience are left to see a strong protagonist taking on a weak antogonist. The romance between Priya and Gautham Karthik falls flat even with A.R.Rahman’s ear worm of track, Ninaivirukka. 

The emotional episodes between AGR and sister, which is supposed to be the central anchor of the story, feels a little inconsistent as well and lacks depth especially for their drastic actions in Act 3 (withholding the spoiler). Pathu Thala is also a reminder that it is high time that Tamil directors stop overplaying the Nayagan-ish Robinhood-figure trope which gets messy and predictable when overdone. 

That said, Pathu Thala has a stellar technical team that constantly wants us to invest in each of the frames. Be it the polished camerawork, large scale sets or A.R.Rahman’s thumping score, Pathu Thala compensates greatly for its middling screenplay. The casting by Krishna is on point but sadly except Silambarasan who transcends the weak writing and owns the character, others are left to participate in a half baked, emotionally cold gangster world.

VERDICT:

‘Pathu Thala’ is heavily lifted by Silambarasan’s strong screen presence and technical team which is otherwise a predictable, generic gangster drama that engages in parts. 

CELLULOID METER- 3/5: