Film- Puthiyathor Ulagam Seivom
Director- Nithyanandam
Cast- Aajeedh, Anu, Yazhini, Santhosh, Pravin, Imman Annachi.
A film centred on children is a rarity on screen. So, when a team of debutantes decide to make a film with kids essaying lead characters, it’s a welcome move. Puthiyathor Ulagam Seivom revolves round the lives of four children who are on a mission to correct the wrongdoings of their parents. The knot had the potential. But it could have been crafted and presented in a better way.
The quartet who take on the elders includes two girls and two boys. Their mentor and guide is their music teacher Pravin, whose performance seemed very self conscious. There is Robinhood Ranga, who helps the kids to achieve their aim.
One of the kids is disturbed about his mother neglecting his paternal grandma and his father accepting bribes. Another boy’s father is an unscrupulous cop. Most actions of the kids revolve around stealing their fathers illgotten money and giving it to the needy.
The screenplay is too simplistic and the treatment amateurish. The children, all freshers, have played their parts adequately. While the first half is passable, the second half meanders and loses focus. Imman Annachi, who plays Ranga, gets more screen time in the latter half, though having nothing substantial to do. Watching Puthiyor Ulagam Seivom, one gets reminded of children-centric films like Pasanga and Goli Soda. The scripting and style was such that it engaged adults as well. But the film seems to target the pre-teens, given its simplistic presentation. Ulagam Seivom is a good effort, but it could have been crafted in a more appealing way.