| Directed by | Liju Krishna |
|---|---|
| Written by | Liju Krishna |
| Produced by | Vikram Mehra Siddharth Anand Kumar Sunny Wayne |
| Starring | Nivin Pauly Aditi Balan Shammi Thilakan |
| Cinematography | Deepak D. Menon |
| Edited by | Shafique Mohamed Ali |
| Music by | Govind Vasantha |
| Production companies | Yoodlee Films Sunny Wayne Productions |
Gist of the Story
This is the tale of politicians who steal from people’s lives, property, and resources before giving something back to them in the name of charity. One individual fights to alter the system as farmers suffer and politicians continue to play dirty games.
Plot
Former athlete Ravi is now psychologically and physically wrecked. Others, particularly his aunt with whom he resides, have further denigrated him because of his sluggish and apathetic behavior. Ravi’s life changes when a political party decides to restore his home as part of their service program, albeit having self-serving intentions. But in order to take a position and speak for his people, he must first mend his damaged self-esteem. This is Ravi’s tale in Padavettu. Many such Ravis have stories like this. Every person whose ability to express themselves is stifled and whose right to individuality is under jeopardy is represented by Ravi.
Performance
Powerful performance from Nivin Pauly. Nivin Pauly is a perfect fit for Ravi in terms of demeanor, build, and attitude, and in those heated situations, he holds the audience’s attention with his command of the screen. Aditi Balan, who plays Nivin’s love interest, has very little to do, and the supporting actors Shine Tom Chacko, Indrans, and Vijayaraghavan also excel in their roles without detracting from the main character’s acting abilities. Shammi Thilakan did a great job with his minimalist acting as the antagonist Kuyyali.
Direction / Technical Side
The drama Padavettu combines sociopolitical elements with character studies. Understanding Ravi’s psychology takes up the most of the first half. An explosive, action-packed intermission bang where Ravi lets all of his frustration out appears around the close of the first half, continuing with the tradition of a typical mass entertainer. The attention then changes to Kuyyali and his deceit. Liju Krishnan keeps the spectator engaged without making any compromises by presenting a visual narrative of the events. Even the comical parts of the movie fit in with what is happening in the plot, and the characters and their manner of speaking seem quite real.
The wide range of themes in Govind Vasantha’s music correspond to the situations in the movie. The community and its numerous conflicts are brilliantly depicted in the cinematography of Deepak D Menon. The film’s length and excessive description of Ravi’s character were drawbacks. The movie may have soared if the editing had been sharper.
Verdict; Padavettu, is no doubt a beautifully filmed and well-made film. The film is fairly blunt in its criticism of various apolitical attitudes prevalent in the contemporary society. The movie is fairly forthright about criticizing some apolitical attitudes in the modern world. Through the use of the commercial underdog linguistic pattern and a power packed performance from Nivin Pauly, Padavettu pays homage to the spirit of political & social revival.