Purampokku Engira Podhuvudamai -  An Interesting core that takes time to warm up

Bharath Vijayakumar

There are certain filmmakers who see cinema as a medium to dwell on important social issues and try to impart a sense of social responsibility to the public.  Socially relevant films themselves belong to diverse types. There are those that almost hold you by the collar and try to sermonize. There are those that alternate between a serious theme and an item number and leave you in a fix. Then there are those that throw light on a serious issue in a subtle or hard hitting way, not by preaching but by ensuring we invest our time with the characters on screen.

Plot:

A crusader Balu(Arya) who has been awarded capital punishment is under the custody of a strict police officer Macaulay (Shaam), who prefers to play by the book most of the time. Throw in a hangman Yemalingam (Vijay Sethupathy) with a troubled past in the mix. Each one has a different need but each of those is tied to the capital punishment that has been awarded to Balu.

Cast:

Arya hugely underplays. In a film that actually tries to impart messages through voiceovers and dialogues, this underplay is a welcome surprise. The climax portions where he is proud and yet filled with gloom is portrayed really well.  Shaam who could have easily been dubbed as a villain in any other film has done a meticulous job. Among the three it is Vijay Sethupathy who has scenes that play to the gallery and he once again comes on top. As the guilt ridden slum dweller he reinforces the faith that he is more concerned about being an actor than a star.

Direction:

The film with a runtime of almost 160 minutes tries to fit in more than one theme. While capital punishment might seem the core it also has a few things to say about communism, the judicial system, governance and India being a dump yard for wastes from foreign soil. It starts of almost like a documentary with a voiceover depicting the plight of some underprivileged. The focus soon shifts to each of the 3 principal characters and it does take time to get accustomed as the scene of action keeps alternating. The songs do not help either. They do in fact bring a sense of boredom.  Post interval the proceedings are definitely gripping and lead to an interesting climax. S.P Jananathan has tried to make important observations on the judicial system and capital punishment.  For instance there is a scene where a convict is declared innocent and released after 12 years. These type of scenes scattered throughout the film do impact us. But it is more like the feeling you get on watching a news item about such an incident on TV. It does not feel like a cinematic experience. But maybe the intention of the maker itself is the former and we cannot really complain as such.

Bottomline:

Purampokku Engira Podhuvudamai definitely gets our attention on the basis of an interesting plot. It gives you the feel of having read an interesting story but a little steam is let off in the cinematic translation on screen.

Rating: 2.75/5

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