Pa Paandi review: A formulaic film with affecting moments

The plot centres around 'Power' Paandi, a popular stunt choreographer who, post retirement, lives with his son.

Film: Pa Paandi

Cast: Rajkiran, Revathi, Dhanush, Madonna Sebastian, Prasanna, Chaya Singh

Director: Dhanush

The plot centres around 'Power' Paandi, a popular stunt choreographer who, post retirement, lives with his son. The relationship between the two and their constant misunderstandings is the core of the film. Paandi's innocent acts cause much embarrassment to his son, and force the former to find his own calling. In his debut directorial effort, Dhanush has gone for a formulaic pattern in the first half.

The aged Paandi (Rajkiran) gets to sing and dance, the fight scenes feel forced, and a drunken scene too where Paandi vents out his angst against his son, Raghava (Prasanna).

There is also a sense of deja vu about the father-son interactions. With their natural performances, however, Rajkiran and Prasanna infuse realism into their roles. Paandi, at a point, feels neglected and takes up a job as a gym trainer, only to realise he's a misfit. In one scene, he is called to choreograph a stunt scene for a film and while doing so, soaks in the adulation and respect showered on him by his colleagues. This scene shows how the morale of a person, who's low on self-confidence, can be boosted by a vocal display of appreciation. Meanwhile, the camaraderie that Paandi shares with his geeky young neighbour makes for some amusement.

Paandi's travails in the second half as he begins "soul-searching", has touches of The Motorcycle Diaries. When the story changes track and shows Paandi trying to look up his fi rst love, Thendral, it feels a bit jerky. One gets reminded of director S A Chandrasekhar's fi lm, Touring Talkies, and George Wolfe's Nights In Rodanthe. The backstory shows Dhanush playing the younger Paandi. The setting turns rural, with the love affair going through all the usual cliches. Velraj's camera captures the rural fl avour and ambience effectively. Some of the best moments in the fi lm are when Paandi and Thendral meet after decades of separation.

Both the veterans, Rajkiran and Revathi are splendid, their handling of these delicate moments eminently watchable. It’s a fi ne blend of emotion and humour as Paandi tries to resurrect the old love, while Thendral points out the impracticality of it all. It is these cute moments that lift an otherwise ordinary fi lm. And it's also in these situations that Dhanush truly reveals his potential as a director. Comparisons are odious, but inevitable. Selvaraghavan, Dhanush's brother, had revealed a far better understanding of the medium in his debut effort, Kadhal Kondein. Dhanush, however, seems more infl uenced by the commercial aspects of a fi lm. A more original screenplay and lesser dependence on cliches could be to his advantage when he decides on his next venture.

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