Pennum Porattum Review: Rajesh Madhavan marks brilliant debut with thought-provoking yet hilarious drama

Pennum Porattum Review - Rajesh Madhavan marks a brilliant directorial debut with this satirical drama. Its performances complement a thought-provoking plot that is centred on mob justice & morality.

Posters of Pennum Porattum

Pennum Porattum Story - A young woman named Charulatha and her dog, Suttu, exposing the hidden cruelty of their villagers in unexpected ways. A humorous and unexpected trip into the realm of morality and the perilous pleasure humans derive from violence then starts. Will Suttu and Charulatha manage to escape this situation?

Pennum Porattum Review - Actor Rajesh Madhavan certainly deserves appreciation for his outstanding directorial debut with this film, which incorporates a number of alarming topics into a straightforward plot set in the fictional village of Pattada. The creator crafts an entertaining satirical drama that conveys a lot in a limited amount of words in under two hours duration. For Malayalis, comedy that arises from havoc is nothing new, but Pennum Porattum's inclusion of pertinent subjects rather than merely concentrating on causing mayhem for the sake of humour enhances the enjoyment of watching it.

Under the tutelage of Gopalan Master, Pattada residents have long resorted to suppressing their violent instincts. Years later, a young man named Kumar foolishly approaches Charulatha for sex. Meanwhile, Suttu, her pet dog, escapes her boyfriend Baburaj's residence after being falsely accused of being violent. This causes a lot of confusion and mayhem in their village, which stokes their underlying urge for mob justice, disorder, and moral policing.

Rajesh and writer PT Ravishankar's ensemble of eccentric characters in this movie will seem hilarious and frightening at the same time. Without deviating from its central idea of satirically dissecting the problems of moral policing and street justice, the story is presented from the perspectives of a dog and the villagers, making it an engaging watch. As films like Senna Hedge's Avihitham examined the male gaze against the backdrop of a small town full of simpletons, Pennum Porattum takes a different approach in showing how a woman's decisions are continuously scrutinised and how men are free to fantasise and pass judgement even when their actions are morally dubious.

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In a humorous yet thought-provoking way, the town's frenzied celebration of violence demonstrates how, despite one's professed civility, his/her violent tendencies can always emerge at inappropriate occasions. For example, the character named Sugathan Maashu, who seems well-educated and in high demand in the community to handle any problem. Meanwhile, Suttu's character sets the stage for the film's most rewarding ending with an emotional illustration of loyalty, freedom and boundaries.

Every single performer in this movie never fails to make the audience laugh, especially the female characters. One would want to see them and listen to their conversations with Palakkadan slang more since their performance is so organic. Another highlight of the movie is Suttu, whose voiceover by Tovino Thomas, creates the ideal tone. The movie also benefits greatly from Chaman Chacko's editing and Sabin Uralikandy's cinematography.

Pennum Porattum Verdict - Rajesh Madhavan marks a brilliant directorial debut with this satirical drama set in a fictional village of Pattada. Its performances complement a thought-provoking plot that is centred on mob justice, morality, and the male gaze.

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