' Pathinaru' (Tamil, Romance)
Director: D Sabapathy
Cast: Siva, Madhu Shalini, Abhishek, Guna, Karuppu Pandi, Kishore, Vinita, Kasthuri
Traversing through two different time periods and diverse ambiences, ‘Pathinaru’ depicts two love stories and their convergence at a particular point in the narration. The script and direction is by Sabapathy of ‘VIP’, ‘Punnagai Poove’ fame, who has returned after a long hiatus.
The film opens with the romance between college mates Siva and Indu (Siva, Madhu). Their love is strongly opposed by the latter’s parents and Indu’s mother gives them a book titled ‘Pathinaru’ (Sixteen) to read.
As the duo go through the decade’s back true story of star crossed lovers of a village, the visuals of the past flash before our eyes — of childhood playmates Gopi and Ilavarasi (Kishore, Vinita), and their romance as they step into adolescence. Facing opposition from her affluent family, the gutsy Ilavarasi takes some bold unconventional steps, which backfires on her.
The story of unrequited love and betrayal leaves Indu in a dilemma and she prepares to go with her family’s desires. But Siva is not ready to give up Indu and sets out to do his own investigation to get to the bottom of what ultimately happened to Gopi and Ilavarasi. It’s a startling end where matters are put in their proper perspective.
‘The Classic’, a Korean film, has spawned quite a few Indian inspirations like ‘Love Aaj Kal’, ‘Pokkisham’, ‘Chikku Bukku’ and its echoes can be heard here too. The emotional quotient being much stronger in the flashback episodes than the present day ones, it’s the rural love story and its actors who leave an impression.
First-timer Kishore as Gopi, Vinita as the feisty Ilavarasi and debutant Guna as her harassed father have done their part aptly. With about 100 minutes duration, and the director knowing exactly what he wants to convey, ‘Pathinaru’ is crisp and engaging, ending with a warm positive feel.