Pallikoodam - Old Memories
Like Cheran’s ‘Autograph’, Thankar Bachan’s ‘Pallikoodam’ (adapted from his own novel) too is a nostalgic trip to the past, of school buddies who meet after years. But the similarity ends there. For, while the earlier film was nothing more than a personal experience re-visited, here the concept has much more social relevance.
For, Kumarasmy, one of the film’s three protagonists has set out to persuade his old buddies Vetrivel , a district collector, and Muthu a popular film director, to make a trip to the village. The village school where they had studied is in desperate need of financial assistance. And if some of its former alumni could pitch in their bit, it could be saved from closure. An interesting concept and well-intentioned.
But somewhere along the way the film loses out on its seriousness and focus. If only the script was tighter, the narration crisper, and the characters more well-defined! Scenes like Kumarasamy’s tryst with a film unit, and the breaking-off into song and dance at inopportune moments robs the film of its seriousness. ‘Meendum Pallikku…’ is the one song that is catchy and fits the mood.
Seeman plays Muthu straight and simple, unlike Narein’s Vetrivel, whose actions and frequent emotional outbursts in public not quite going with the dignity of the character. Bachan fits in well as Kumarasamy, a country bumpkin, bringing out the character’s naivete and simplicity. He excels in the scenes of the character’s initial interaction with his two buddies.
Sneha’s Kokila is lacklustre, not helped by the character’s ambiguity. After the heavy build-up on the reason for the Kokila-Vetrivel estrangement, the director forgets all about it when the duo meets again. Shreya Reddy as Jensy the school teacher catches your eye, despite her episodes being loosely etched.
The movie is a concept that had the potential to but didn’t quite transform into a celluloid classic.
Cast & Crew:
Producer: Vishwas Sundar
Cast: Naren, Sneha, Shreya Reddy, Seeman, Thangar Bachchan
Direction: Thangar Bachchan
Music: Bharadwaj
Verdict: Watchable
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Tags: Naren, Pallikoodam - Tamil Movie Review, Seeman, Shreya Reddy, Sneha, Thangar Bachchan | Filed in Kollywood
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