Papanasam (Tamil, 2015)

For Tamil audience who have been used to seeing the protagonist having a upper-hand in all his antics, this might be a clear surprise – Kamal Haasan, as a responsible father and husband demonstrates how an commoner who in spite of being illiterate, can go to any extent to save his family. He clearly outlines the fact that underplaying can still win the day, if precisely executed. The climax dialogue is indeed a Kamal special, bringing back memories of his performance in Mahanadhi.

Gautami complements Kamal Haasan in a completely flawless manner which almost recreates the same flair they shared in Kuruthipunal. Their excellent chemistry within the confines of their roles of a middle-class couple remain the cynosure of this flick. If you are someone who thinks romance is only for young couples; you need to watch this pair relive their real life romance onscreen. This evergreen couple can undoubtedly give their younger counterparts of the film industry a run for their money.

One challenge with remakes across languages, has always been to serve it to the audience in a way that they can accept it and director Jeethu Joseph scores massively in that aspect. By making all the characters to speak the ‘Nellai’ slang, increasing the emotional content and leaving out the dragging scenes from its original Malayalam version, he has made it more palatable to the Tamil audience.

For a fresh pair of eyes, Papanasam is a story that has all the elements needed for a crime thriller in the correct proportions. The simplicity of the subject and elevating the central character via a modest but shrewd approach is a huge bonus. It is boosted further by Sujith Vaassudev’s cinematography that paints a vivid picture set against the backdrop of the towns of Papanasam and Thenkasi.

Nivedha Thomas and Esther Anil sizzle in their roles. While Nivedha comes across as a simple but lovely adolescent, Esther Anil leaves a mark on the audience with her charming expressions. Asha Sarath, as the imposing IG and a grieving mom does make her presence felt and is ably supported by Anant Mahadevan who revels in the single-shot climax monologue. Kalabhavan Mani, Ilavarasu, M.S.Bhaskar and Delhi Ganesh play out effectively, the roles assayed to them.

Being a remake of Drishyam, one cannot help but draw comparisons to Mohanlal’s & Venkatesh’s performances. Even though the movie has been well-presented and keeps the audience engaged till the end, in a bid to stay loyal to the original there are quite a few scenes filmed in a manner that will evoke reminiscence of its predecessors.