Pathonpathaam Noottandu review: Siju Wilson’s impressive in action avatar as social reformer from a bygone era

3.5/5

Story: In the mid-19th century, Velayudha Chekavar (Siju Wilson) a wealthy trader and warrior, takes up the cudgels of social reform for the benefit of members of his community, fighting against untouchability, right to religious practices and the right for women to cover their breasts, among others. Chekavar’s fight and the fact that he often found favour with the ruling king of Travancore, of course, does not sit well with the upper caste members of the royal darbar and others in positions of power.

Review: Pathonpathaam Noottandu is supposed to serve two purposes – be a comeback vehicle for director Vinayan and make a star out of lead actor Siju Wilson. Does the film meet either of this criterion? Well, to a large extent it does. A period film that takes real-life instances and peppers it with cinematic creative liberties, Pathonpathaam Noottandu makes for a good watch.

I am not an expert on the subject, so, I can’t say with surety how much of the film is a fictionalised account, but for the most part it is steeped in facts. Arratupuzha Velayudha Chekavar, who was later bestowed the title Panicker, was indeed a social reformer, who spearheaded the Ethapu samaram (Strike for the right to cover their breasts by lower caste women), the Achipudava samara (strike to wear lower garments extending beyond the knee) and the Mookuthi samaram (right to wear nose studs and gold jewellery), among others. He was an affluent trader with his own fleet of ships, who also built temples for lower caste communities, at a time when such worship was forbidden to them.

Vinayan’s film builds on all the social reforms that Chekavar actively fought for. The filmmaker gets Siju Wilson to play Chekavar, for which the actor got into the best physical shape he’s ever been. Although the actor is either astride a horse or engaging in physical fights for the most part, his physical transformation means that he’s got quite the towering screen presence. It’s a look that suits him and is pleasing to the eye.

Pathonpathaam Noottandu has quite a few well-choreographed high-octane action sequences. There are kicks, jumps, sword fights and more, with just the right amounts of slow-motion shots too. Credit definitely goes to cinematographer Shaji Kumar, for the visual spectacle that unfolds onscreen, as well as to Shravan Satya for the action blocks. The background music elevates several of these sequences, although every time Siju makes an entry, it did feel like The Terminator score.

The film is, no doubt, a Siju Wilson vehicle and the actor makes the most of the opportunity. Kayadu Lohar is Nangeli, the woman who opposed breast tax imposed on lower caste women for covering their upper bodies and supposedly cut off her breasts in protest. In a film boasting a massive ensemble cast, Kayadu strikes lucky and walks away with the meatiest role and she gives it a spirited performance. Others like Deepti Sati, Poonam Bajwa, etc., are, sadly, under-utilized. Well, Deepti does get a song-and-dance sequence, which, truth be told, could have been easily discarded at the editing table.

The problem with Pathonpathaam Noottandu is that director Vinayan focused more on the visual spectacle that he was presenting. But then, he can’t really be blamed for that, can he now? Mass elevation scenes are the order of the day, if you look at most of the big commercial films that have done well at the box office. The issue here is that those pitted against Siju don’t necessarily match up to what he’s bringing to the table. Sudev Nair is the only one who passes muster here, while others like Chemban Vinod and Suresh Krishna are just too stiff and not the right fit for action sequences of that calibre. Also, the massive ensemble cast doesn’t translate to the right amount of gravitas onscreen. It almost feels as if Vinayan did an 80:20 split of the budget for making vs cast and got the most cost-effective actors on board to make up the rest of the characters. The filmmaker could have been more judicious here for better effect.

Verdict: Pathonpatham Noottandu is just shy of a two hour and forty-minute run-time, which could have been easily cut down further, if some of the songs were avoided. The film is by no means bad and makes for an engrossing one-time watch, but one can’t help but feel that it could have been so much better. Siju Wilson is all heart in his portrayal of Velayudha Chekavar and shows that he too has star qualities. The question, though, is, who will see this effort? Will a story of social injustices from many centuries ago catch the fancy of cinema-goers?