Purampokku Engira Pothuvudamai (2015) Movie Details

Once in a blue moon comes a film whose maker has the courage to take up and drive home a relevant social message to the audience. Purampokku Engira Podhuvudamai is one such film which director S.P.Jananathan uses as a powerful medium to talk point blank about the relevance of communism, India becoming a dumping ground for nuclear and radioactive waste and the abolishment of capital punishment

Vijay Sethupathis kuthu song and the Arya-Karthika duet are major sore points of the film and can be done away with. The second half is in need of major trimming. Balus escape plans by both him and Kuyili seem all too easy with very little ingenuity and due to this what could have been an edge of the seat thriller fizzes out into a film with a good social message.

Art Director Selva Kumar N scores big in this movie as all his sets are unbelievably real especially the prison set which is the heart of this movie. Cinematographer NK Ekambaram has done a fantastic job as well. The last one hour gets as racy as it can get and the cameraman has stood up to the challenge by capturing the beautiful snow filled place which is a gift to the audience. Relatively slow paced first half is one of the low points of the movie, the other is its songs; not that the songs are unbearable, but they actually seem out of place in the entire plot.Background score is gripping and adds substance.

Purampokku received much hype before release for its massive prison set erected at Binny Mills, all of which is justified for how well the set is used in the film, and how much screen time it gets. It was refreshing to note the little details as Balu is brought into the prison by Macaulay (Shaam), an upright inspector. Balu removes his clothes, affixes his finger prints, and shows a bullet scar above his chest and a birthmark on his back to prove his identity. He does this all so nonchalantly, like the chore it is. Such details are all across the film and add so much reality to the setting. There are also cute, clever concepts used: phishing, trojans, conveying secrets through Sanskrit shlokas, and QR code scanning are a few. All these keep you on your toes.

Arya is the go to man for multi-starrers and he is one of the very few artists who doesnt care about his on screen image even after being around for a long period. He should be credited for constantly encouraging multi-starrer films. As a revolutionary fighter, he has underplayed his role and has served just what is required for it. The man looks convincing as a leader. Vijay Sethupathi is a powerhouse of talent, he has proved it earlier and he has shown it again through Purampokku. There is much variety in his facial expressions and the stress that he exhibits of a hangman is exemplary.

Shaam makes a profound comeback with Purampokku. He plays a tough, honest cop; a very interesting character who doesnt go by the book always but wants justice to prevail and stands by the quote law is above all. He is a surprise powerhouse. Karthika is apt as the strong revolutionary.