Star Cast: Tovino Thomas, Kayadu Lohar, Prithviraj Sukumaran
Director: Dijo Jose Anthony
What’s Good: Music and Tovino Thomas, Kayadu Lohar’s romantic track.
What’s Bad: A good idea taken and made predictable in a lazy manner.
Loo Break: Anytime you want.
Watch or Not?: Not bad for a single watch with a little fast forwarding.
Language: Malayalam
Available On: SonyLIV
Runtime: 125 Minutes
User Rating:
Dijo Jose Anthony collaborated with actor Tovino Thomas for the first time for Pallichattambi. The title translates to church rowdy, and it is a period drama. The film was initially released in theatres on April 17 and starts its streaming journey on SonyLIV from today (July 24). The director, known for the power-packed Jana Gana Mana starring Prithviraj Sukumaran, came back with another political drama, so naturally it seemed like an exciting prospect, coupled with Thomas, who is known to experiment with his characters. The excitement and anticipation were there despite Dijo’s previous film, Malayalee From India, tanking at the box office.
Sadly, Tovino Thomas’s film, too, did not have a good run at the box office despite a good opening. The film’s theatrical run outside Kerala lasted less than a week. With mixed reviews and other Malayalam films gaining love at the box office, the political drama failed to garner attention. But films often get a completely different reception when they begin their streaming journey. Is that the case with this one? Let’s find out.
Pallichattambi Movie Review: Script Analysis
Pallichattambi sets its fictional story against the backdrop of Kerala’s socio-political movement in the 1950s. It begins in 1930, where landowners brutally kill people from the lower caste. A wealthy few own all the land, and even the British fear one such powerful landlord, Pattelar Kunjambu Nambiar (Prithviraj Sukumaran). While the film establishes the landowner’s dominance, it simultaneously introduces its protagonist, Krishna Pillai (Tovino Thomas), who is born and grows up under the care of an adoptive family and a church priest.
It is a town where there is no divide on the basis of caste and creed but on the basis of haves and have-nots. We are then taken to 1957, when the Communist Party forms the government for the first time in India, in Kerala. There is a Liberation Struggle against the ruling party during this timeline. This is when a church in the small town of Kaaniyaar feels threatened by the Communists and believes they are teaching people not to believe in God.
To take down the Communists, the church hires Krishna Pillai, aka Pothan, as the head of the Christopher Sena. The aim of the Sena is to teach young boys and girls the art of self-defence and save the town from the Communists. Does the Pallichattambi succeed in taking down the Communists, or does he himself become one of them? That is how the narrative unfolds and attempts to explore Communism as a whole.
Pallichattambi Movie Review: Star Performance
Tovino Thomas has been the face of the film since the start; let’s address him first. He plays a man who grew up under the influence of his adopted Hindu family and a church priest. The character does not know how to differentiate people based on their caste and creed and only looks at them as humans. He is a man who does not question much because of the limited knowledge passed on to him. This is a period when there is no internet or easy access to education. You learn everything through human interaction. Tovino fits the role perfectly as an innocent man who also needs to have a strong physique, as he has invested his time in learning martial arts. Because of his skill and knowledge in teaching self-defense, he gets hired by the church. The actor does his part to perfection and shines during the action sequences.
In Pallichattambi, Kayadu Lohar has very limited screen time but makes an impact. She plays a theatre artist named Rebecca, whose beauty makes all the men in the town forget about everything else. She is also a staunch Communist and plays a role in changing Tovino Thomas‘ mindset, almost like a teacher introducing him to Communism. Vijayaraghavan is a delight to watch as the church head of Kaaniyaar. Prithviraj plays the antagonist, but despite giving his best, the character’s extravagance proves to be a spoilsport.
Pallichattambi Movie Review: Direction, Music
One of the biggest issues with the film is its predictable plot. If you are even remotely familiar with Kerala politics and its films, you know that Communism will not be shown in a bad light, even though it seems that way at first. From the protagonist changing his mind to his past connection with the film’s primary villain, everything can be easily anticipated.
The film’s treatment is also quite familiar. From having a villain who exhibits his power by stabbing a fork into a dog’s neck to the hero initially being rejected by the village before being accepted as their saviour, the film does not have any element that can surprise you.
Subtlety has never been Dijo Jose Anthony’s strong suit, which we have seen in films like Jana Gana Mana. While it largely worked for that film, Pallichattambi could have worked wonders with subtlety instead of spelling out every single thing. The audience today is more informed, and it would have been desirable to leave some things for them to mull over instead of spoon-feeding everything.
While the predictability of the Pallichattambi’s plot kills the charm of the film, it still has some redeeming qualities. Tovino and Kayadu Lohar‘s romantic track, even though fast-paced, seems quite natural. Apart from their bond, however, the film does not focus on nurturing and developing the relationships between the other characters. Therefore, when the climax battle ensues, the audience feels the lack of empathy towards the good guys as well.
Pallichattambi Movie Review: The Last Word
Tovino Thomas and Kayadu Lohar are in great form in the film. The setting is quite convincing. However, the film would have been far more engaging if the story had felt a little more convincing with a bit of subtlety. But it is not as bad as dismissing the film in its first week in theatres. Maybe the film suffered because of other new releases, but there is no harm in watching it one time on OTT.
Pallichattambi Trailer
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