The film chronicles the events in the lives of a group of Class 12 students and the lessons learnt from them. Their pains and pleasures, rivalry and jealousy, the peer pressure and the race for excellence in academics, are all brought out with a fair amount of realism. The film depicts the attitude of the school authorities and parental pressure, which sometimes leads to unfortunate consequences. In this race for the top rank, character building and other activities like sports are given a go-by, opines the director. There is a feel of honesty and sincerity in the way in which the director has handled the issue. At times the narration feels like a thriller with elements of suspense weaved in.
The plot opens with two students, Vijay and Kayal going missing after school hours. She comes from an affluent family while he is a cab driver's son. The lead characters are played by debutantes. Tejas (son of Malayalam actor Alex) plays the carefree student, the bane of his father; Aishwarya is the sensitive Kayal, the motivating factor in Vijay's life; and Dileepan essays Kumar the topper in class who cannot take it when he is displaced from his top rank in both academics and sports.
The trio fit in suitably lending a freshness and raw appeal to their characters. As parents and the school authorities search for the missing duo, Ganesh (Ganesh Venkatram) a police officer steps in to investigate the case. Tall handsome Venkatram strikes the right note with his body language and demeanour, showing a poise and maturity not seen in his earlier roles. Ganesh gets a dramatic opening scene where he is shown solving a murder-case and smartly exposing a culprit's lies through his logical reasoning prowess.
The missing students are spotted on a highway in Andhra, desperately seeking a lift from vehicles passing by. J P, a stranger who offers them a lift, is an enigmatic character and Srihari brings this aspect effectively. The narration shifts to the school where Ganesh questions the duo’s classmates, parents and the faculty, till finally the pieces of the puzzle fall in place.
While the classroom scenario in films is often depicted with teachers as caricatures, the director has handled it sensibly, giving it a natural feel. OAK Sundar makes a convincing teacher. In the pre-interval scene where Vijay’s father, distressed by his son’s poor show in academics. washes his hands off him, actor Venkatesh gets his space. How parents from economically lower strata go the extra mile to get their children admitted to elite private schools is brought out through the father.
The final scene, though a long one, is an eye opener. Though we have seen similar ones in education-related films, it is never jarring. For, it yet again re-establishes the responsibility of the parents and the school, to see that the best period of their wards life, don’t turn into a nightmare because of wrong handling and over expectation.
The dialogue is meaningful and provocative with Venkatram delivering it with conviction. Pallikoodam Pogamale is a simple small film. But it has enough packed in to make for a fairly engaging entertainer with a relevant message to boot.