Welcome return of Vishal in fine form
PANDIYA NAADU (8/10)
VISHAL and award-winning director Suseendran work together for the first time in Pandiya Naadu, an action movie that also stars Vikranth, Lakshmi Menon and Suri.
Veteran director Bharathiraja also plays an important role in the film, which is produced by Vishal’s production company, Vishal Film Factory.
Sivakumar (Vishal) is a meek pacifist who would do anything to avoid violence and confrontation. His father, Kalyanasund haram (Bharathiraja), is also a peaceloving man.
In the Madurai district where they live, a fierce gang war is raging as two aspirant leaders fight for control of the local underworld.
Sivakumar’s brother, Nagaraj (Guru Somasundharam), crosses paths with the gang and is brutally killed. Unbeknown to the other, Sivakumar and his father plot to avenge the slaying of Nagaraj.
Vishal, who had of late been stagnating with one-dimensional characters in mindless action films, returns to quality acting with a credible portrayal of Sivakumar. This is a return to the form he showed in Chellamey and Sandakozhi.
Menon handles her role with style, finesse and charisma, and Bharathiraja and Suri ensure that their characters are memorable. Vikranth shows tremendous improvement in his acting skills.
Although there is little that is new in the story, it is the fresh directing of Suseendran that elevates the film above others in the same genre. The screenplay is laced with humour.
R Madhi’s cinematography and the world-class editing by Anthony Concalves combine to create stunning visual effects.
D Imaan’s music oscillates from brilliant to cacophonic in the songs, but he is effective in the background score.
Suseendran again shows how a simple story can be transformed with a realistic outlook. His versatility is obvious in the way he handles this action thriller.
Pandiya Naadu is an intelligently crafted action film, but it cannot boast the fastest pace. It also holds no claim to having an unpredictable ending, but it is nevertheless an absorbing and entertaining film.