Spoilers ahead…
Read the full review on Film Companion, here:
For the second time in as many weeks, we get a lead character that’s new to Tamil cinema. The protagonist of Pa Paandi, written and directed by Dhanush, is introduced like a ‘mass’ hero. The camera assumes his vantage as he strolls down his neighbourhood and greets a number of people. Then it turns 180 degrees and reveals his face. Later, he gets a ‘mass’ song-and-dance sequence (Sean Roldan’s rousing Oru soorakathu; the entire album is sensational). He gets an action sequence where he lays waste goons half his age. And when push comes to shove, he slips into a leather jacket and takes off on his Bullet. So what’s new, you ask? He’s 64 years old. Meet Pa Paandi (Rajkiran), our first sexagenarian biker dude.
Copyright ©2017 Film Companion.
Baradwaj Rangan 
San
April 15, 2017
I saw the movie yesterday and was eagerly waiting for your review ever since. I completely agree with you. There were a lot of cliches in the movie but the final stretch made me completely ignore the flaws. I came out of the theatre with a satisfied smile.
The moments created around Paandi and Poonthendral were absolutely brilliant. I couldn’t stop myself from grinning sheepishly throughout the portion between Rajkiran and Revathi. I was completely drawn into the movie.
You have spoken about Rajkiran. He was amazing, no doubt. The only person who could have carried this film so brilliantly. There is an instant connect with him and the audience.
But may I know what you felt about
Revathy? I felt she took the movie to another level. She was so effortless. Her expressions were extremely beautiful. The final scene between her and Rajkiran was magical. Without much words spoken. With just expressions conveying so much. Dhanush had staged it so beautifully in a subtle manner.
But there is one thought constantly bothering me. Why Dhanush didn’t show the same sensibilities while etching out the relationship between Paandi and Raghavan? I wish so very much that he had scripted their conflict and the transformation of Raghavan in a more subtle manner. Other flaws aside, it would have elevated the movie’s quality tremendously.
But definitely, this is going to make everyone sit up and take notice of the director in Dhanush. I feel that he can create magical emotional moments like no one has done ever before.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Amit Joki
April 15, 2017
What a well articulated review! That venting the anger scene had Dhanush writ all over it no? I was kinda reminded of the confrontation he has with Samuthirakani in VIP.
The film felt like those feel good animation films of Hollywood but with real persons playing the part.
Also notice how when the Dhanush cameo is ending, he so wants to have a look at Madonna but can’t. Rajkiran gives it back to Revathy by greeting her with a bye without looking at her.
My favourite scenes are the Dhanush cameo of course, but also that remarkable stretch that plays when Rajkiran knocks on the door of Revathy for not replying and the following scene on the rooftop. 😁😁😁😁
The way Venpani Malare was visualised was just so so awesome! I was blushing a bit seeing Revathy which seemed a bit awkward to me, but it was that well shot with those charming moments.
Madonna was way too cute no? Her Mani Ratnam kind of dialogue delivery – to the point – suited her very well. I cannot stop gushing when she’s on screen!
Vidyu Raman was subjected to no fat-jokes, a thing which got her emotional in the audio launch press meet.
Dhanush’s sleepwalk performance is THE best. He emotes way too well when love fails. The stretch of him aching to have a peek at Madonna before her departure has no dialogues for him, just peek and look but he makes sure that it crushes our hearts to see his plight, oh my!
And don’t know it was visceral, but I kinda sensed an uncanny resemblance between Madonna and Revathy, does anyone feel the same?
And launching talents is what Dhanush does as he claimed in the interview. Aniruth was a blessing he gave to the industry. Sean’s talent was accentuated when he worked with Dhanush. Dhanush had no inhibitions to call him the next big thing, I doubted it first having Aniruth in the purview, but I was proved wrong once Sean’s BGM kicked in. He’s definitely making it big. And that iPad buddy of Paandi and that yellow-color-baniyan-wearing-guy in Dhanush cameo both are from the talent hunt platforms of Vijay TV.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Honest Raj (formerly 'V'enkatesh)
April 15, 2017
Waiting for MANK to say, ‘Dhanush and MTV, only you brangan’. 🙂
LikeLike
Venky
April 15, 2017
It felt like TV serial than a film, boring one at that. Very artificial
LikeLike
harish ram
April 16, 2017
@BR when was the last time you gave so much writing space to praise the bgm and how it is intertwined with the narrative? Is the decision to do so based on how much the filmmaker wants the audience to notice and take home?
LikeLike
brangan
April 16, 2017
But I am also saying it was a bit much at times, no?
LikeLike
brangan
April 16, 2017
Is the decision to do so based on how much the filmmaker wants the audience to notice and take home?
No part of a review is a “decision.” One does not decide “I will write about this aspect and not this aspect.” It’s whatever strikes you while watching the film, good or bad — whatever sticks out as important enough to comment on.
In the sense that the way the review is written is a series of decisions — what to open the review with, etc. But the content itself is whatever the film throws at you that’s interesting enough to talk about.
LikeLike
harish ram
April 16, 2017
Certainly not an overkill, but yes a bit much. Yet, I see this as a great example of how you can be melodramatic in approach to bgm and yet not be cliched. When I say that, I exclude the IR songs usage as a directorial decision than a composer’s.
PS: thanks for giving us a peek into the procedure.
LikeLike
The Ghost Who Walks
April 17, 2017
I agree with you on the final stretch.. I would have happily watched 2 hours of Revathi and Rajkiran just talking to each other. That bitter-sweet last scene.. I don’t think you can end the movie on a better note..
@AmitJoki
Strangely, when the flashback started i didn’t feel like she resembled a younger Revathi, but as soon as the flashback ended and Revathi walked in, I totally bought her as the older Madonna. Either way, it was a great piece of casting indeed.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Ramchander Krishna (@ramctheatheist)
April 17, 2017
Tamil cinema needs more such films! I see this as a first step. Yes, the father-son relationship could have been better. Why should the son fall at the father’s feet and apologize? Are parents always right? Couldn’t it be that Pa Pandi has some flaws too? How is it that Pa Pandi and his grandkids are always happy without any differences of opinion? You could nitpick and ask such questions. But it’s okay. Only if you start with a Pa Pandi, you can gradually move on to other type of films like About Schmidt, Bucket List and Driving Miss Daisy.
I was reminded of a Tamil short film I had watched earlier, which I liked a lot! It’s a slightly different take on an old man going in search of his first love. The difference is that his wife is still alive when he embarks on this quest.
LikeLike
Ram
April 17, 2017
First half was too shallow for us to connect with the movie. Prasanna’s charater was not villain enough for us to feel for Pa. Pandi. But the movie comes to life in the second half and Dhanush redeems himself. Narrative arcs, upon meeting, make me awe and awed at the meeting of arcs when Revathi presents the group photo and in return Rajkiran presents her with the Poonthendral’s love letter! Wow!
LikeLiked by 1 person
dagalti (@dagalti)
April 18, 2017
Why was all the meat in the butcher’s shop pixelated?
Is that a new norm to be followed these days?
LikeLiked by 4 people
Aadhy
April 19, 2017
The movie didn’t work for me, for the most part. A fresh premise squandered by clichéd scenes and cardboard characters. The entire first half seemed straight out of a toned down Sun TV serial. This is not about the pace, but the one-dimensionality of characters. The insensitive, cold and workaholic son who puts on a grumpy face all the time, who doesn’t have a normal conversation with his dad, ever . The docile housewife who apart from helping her husband get over his problems with his dad, doesn’t get ONE scene where she reflects on her relationship with her own parents. In fact, we don’t know anything about her other than the fact that she makes dinner for the whole family. Maybe should thank Dhanush for not making a Villi out of her, for stopping one step short of making this a full blown TV soap. The naïve, gold-hearted Paandi ends up finding trouble only because others don’t care about the issues they actually should, not because he’s a nosy parker who never minds his own business.
I thought the film was taking off once Paandi takes off on his bike. But then we see random old men prompt him into telling a trite, boring love story, that’s also infused with sufficient fan-appeasing machismo. The overblown score was a big turn-off, cloying the scenes with a pretentious epic-ness, not to mention the wannabe Ilayaraja-esque songs. Sean Roldan’s independent compositions (Refer: Kappa TV) or even his earlier film albums are much more liberated and original. Only after Revathy’s entry did the film finally take off, brimming with a casual light-heartedness and some genuinely moving moments. Rajkiran and Revathy ace these scenes with an old world charm. But still, too much family values for me.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Rahini David
April 20, 2017
So what is the name of the Visu movie in which Visu is the annoying nosy retired old man and Prathap Pothen is the son who loves him dearly and can take it no more?
LikeLiked by 1 person
The Ghost Who Walks
April 20, 2017
So what is the name of the Visu movie in which Visu is the annoying nosy retired old man
Isn’t that all of his movies?
LikeLiked by 1 person
Rahini David
April 20, 2017
I knew someone would say that. I want the one that has Prathap Pothen as the son.
😀
LikeLike
Madhu
April 20, 2017
Rahini: Penmani aval kanmani.
LikeLike
bart
April 20, 2017
Penmani aval kanmani
LikeLike
sridharraman
April 20, 2017
@Rahini, most probably, it’s Penmani Aval Kanmani.
LikeLike
nari9488
April 20, 2017
penmani aval kanmani is the movie
LikeLike
nari9488
April 20, 2017
The market fight scene in the first half was cringeworthy. For a stunt master it was badly staged.
I could not really feel the bonding in the love of madonna and dhanush for rajkiran to really go back and search for her.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Karthikunleashesself
May 14, 2017
Interesting arcs all over the movie which otherwise is another cilched old values for new generation story.
son misunderstands father and then realises, cries blah blah and then falls to feet. Grandson gets angry that pandi posted on FB. So grandpa is cool as long as he is grandpa, once the person sheds the role and has some fun… Pandi 2 might be about grandchildren invalidating grandparents! But again the director accepts that as normal? As per the BGM cues at least
climax underwhelmed me. Why did Pndi and Poonthendral not get together? Spare me the melodrama
Revathi tick. Chaya Singh tick. Neighbour dude tick.
Alternate ending. Son falls to feet, Pandi thanks him (same arc Revathy play for Pandi’s success). Continues with gi ing flowers to Revathy and sets forth for journey seq 2. Midcredits you see that Pandi and Poonthendral travel while keeping in touch qith Prasanna and grandkids on skype.
LikeLiked by 1 person
v.vijaysree
December 1, 2017
I just saw this movie on the flight in. It was, as one of the other commenters said, seriously underwhelming.
Why did you like it this much?
I thought the Paandi character could
have lost some weight after he got the part at least. He doesn’t have
to be spry to be stunt master — I suppose.. But they are trying to
say this guy works out every morning. Shouldn’t his physique/ fitness/ aliveness level indicate that??
What business did the son have to take the ‘errant’ dad home?
Why did the dad have to go home anyway? He could have apologized for
having left so abruptly but other than that…
Could Revathi not have texted the guy
and warned him there were some surprise visitors?
Did she just choose the easy way out — he would be forced to leave and she
didn’t have to make any tough choices? I would’ve felt so betrayed if someone did that to me, someone I was texting all the time..
I can’t even believe that Mona Lisa grew up to be Revathi!
And the joke about “Dhruv” — fell so flat.
That is how she proves she is more sophisticated? Whatever man…
LikeLike