Pathu Thala Movie Review: Obeli N Krishna's Pathu Thala has, in my whole history of watching movies, the longest buildup for revealing its protagonist. The first half of the film keeps heralding Silambarasan TR's AGR and we see brief, shadowy or back glimpses of him, but it is only near the interval mark that we get to properly see him and figure out why he is someone you shouldn't mess with. That's quite a risky move for a film that relies on a star-power of STR, who is also easily the best thing about it, towering tall even when Pathu Thala struggles to keep up with him. Pathu Thala Movie: Review, Cast, Plot, Trailer, Release Date – All You Need To Know About Silambarasan TR and Gautham Karthik’s Film!

Pathu Thala begins with the CM of Tamil Nadu (Santhosh Pratap) who goes missing after launching a vaccine welfare programme in Tamil Nadu. The missing is attributed to AGR, a powerful ganglord in Kanyakumari who is feared and respected by the police and the politicians. The case goes cold in a year but the CBI is adamant about figuring out the truth.

Meanwhile, Guna (Gautham Kartik) a youngster working for one of AGR's gangs in Hyderabad, wins the trust of his leader and is sent to work in the inner circles of AGR in Kanyakumari. However, Guna has hidden motive that is revealed soon enough.  The rest of Pathu Thala is Guna doing his best to win the trust of AGR, while a corrupt DY CM Naanjilaar Gunasekaran (Gautham Vasudev Menon) is determined to destroy AGR by any means.

Watch the Trailer of Pathu Thala:

Pathu Thala is an official remake of the Kannada film Mufti, which I admit I haven't seen. However, the plot of the film is very familiar, a Donnie Brasco-storyline that has been oft repeated in films and shows. In Pathu Thala, we see the perspectives of both the infiltrator and the infiltrated. And when done right, it shouldn't matter if the material feels very familiar.

Pathu Thala only occasionally works around the previous sentence. It is thrilling in parts, engaging when it is about the espionage and extracts fine performances from STR and Gautham Karthik. However, Pathu Thala is also bloated and predictable and stumbles quite a few times thanks to its convoluted screenplay that sets up stuff only to abandon them mid-way. Like the subplot involving illegal sand-mining that ends with a silly excuse.

Or Priya Bhavani Shankar's honest tehsildar Leela Thompson, whose straightforwardness is seen more of a punchline for a joke in a film that glorifies its anti-hero protagonist. Even her romance with Guna feels like an afterthought rather than something this film even needed. Also what's that flashback portion involving Guna trying to scare his lady professor into thinking he is about to sexually assault her? That's utterly problematic no matter what the circumstances make him do so.

Interestingly, I found Pathu Thala better when it builds up the protagonist's image in the first half through Guna's eyes. The roar heard is so powerful that we are curious and eager to see where it came from. And when we finally see AGR, the scene has him behead a man and it sets up for an interesting duel between a man who is doing all wrongs with a man who is trying to take down from inside. Pathu Thala: Chennai Theatre Denies Entry to Commoners for Watching Silambarasan's Film Despite Flashing Tickets, Video Goes Viral – WATCH.

Sadly, the second half, while engaging in parts, becomes less captivating when it sheds the baddie image of AGR - something I predicted long back, but hoping that won't be the case here - and give him nobler intentions. Yes, it is a treat to see Silambarasan in top form here, and he makes many scenes work with his mere presence (his getup reminded me of Rajinikanth in Kaala, though). But the shallow writing does him in, and the impact of some of the mass scenes do not work out the way they intended to. Seeing even his staunchest opponents fall so easily for him, including even Guna, even though he is still a criminal is just lazy writing.

All this leads to a bloody climax where hands and heads get chopped off, blood is sprayed around and the hero continues to dominate over his innumerable foes, because he can. Less said about the tepid ending, the better.

Pathu Thala has some good visuals though, and the direction isn't bad. AR Rahman's music, however, passes muster. The only piece of score that I somewhat connected with is the music played when AGR and his estranged sister Samudra (Anu Sithara) run towards the courtyard to protect her daughter's clay statue.

Final Thoughts

Pathu Thala is engaging in parts and has mesmerising performances from Silambarasan STR and Gautham Karthik. But this could have been a more powerful movie if the writing wasn't so shaky and convenient.

Rating:2.5

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Mar 30, 2023 04:04 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).