202. Pathu Thala; movie review

 

PATHU THALA

Cert 15

151 mins

BBFC advice: Contains strong bloody violence, suicide

Crikey, there are a lot of twists in Pathu Thala.

Just as the audience is settled in one clear direction, it heads off in a different, completely unexpected one.

Some of the tangents make it more compelling but some don't seem to make a heck of a lot of sense.

Obeli N. Krishna's movie is a Tamil adaptation of the acclaimed Kannada film Mufti and stars Gautham Karthik as an undercover cop who has inveigled his way into the close-quarter team of a ruthless crime lord (Silambarasan).

But throughout the movie, his true identity is on the cusp of being unveiled,

Indeed, an unhinged and deadly rival (Teejay Arunasalam) has the goal of proving he is more than he seems.

Inevitably politics and police corruption - two mainstays of Indian cinema - play key roles here.

Gautham Vasudev Menon is a political kingmaker who ruthlessly disposes of those who either oppose or double-cross him.

And he is at the centre of a political kidnapping which sparks a major police investigation into the crime lord's activities.

Meanwhile,  not only is Silambarasan's character literally allowed to get away with murder, he is almost lauded for doing so.

Added to the mix is the inevitable tinge of romance - in this case with one of the undercover officer's former flames (Priya Bhavani Shankar) turning up with political ambitions and threatening to expose him.

Pathu Thala may appear like a bog-standard cop versus villain tale but, as said, it moves in mysterious ways.

I enjoyed it despite jumping too quickly from scene to scene and the characters being rather stereotypical. However, I doubt I will remember it much past next month.

Reasons to watch: Tense, twisting thriller

Reasons to avoid: Jumps too quickly from scene to scene

Laughs: None

Jumps: None

Vomit: None

Nudity: None 

Overall rating: 6.5/10

Did you know? Silambarasan was honoured with a doctorate by Vels University last year for his 'distinguished excellence in the field of cinema'.

The final word. Gautham Karthik: "Most people know, originally it was a Mufti remake. Then Krishna sir decided to revamp it. Now it is not a remake, it is an inspired by." Movie Crow

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