Director Ram is one of the finest directors working in the Tamil industry today. His debut feature film, 2007’s ‘Kattradhu Thamizh,’ is in contention for one of the best debuts in Tamil film history. He expanded the themes of his first film into a trilogy commonly dubbed ‘The Globalisation Trilogy’ with 2011’s ‘Thanga Meengal’ and 2017’s ‘Taramani.’ He followed this triptych with his best film yet, 2021’s ‘Peranbu.’ Before releasing his long awaited and highly anticipated next project ‘Yezhu Kadal Yezhu Malai,’ Ram has released his latest feature ‘Paranthu Po,’ a road trip family comedy.
The film follows the father-son duo of Gokul (Shiva) and Anbu (Mithul Ryan). Bored of being stuck at home during his school holidays, Anbu drags his father out of the house, and the two embark on an adventure. The film is told and seen primarily from the point of view of Anbu. It is a coming of age tale of a boy piecing together the world around him as well as the tale of a father who rediscovers the joys the world has to offer through his child. The film suggests many deeper issues, however it also deftly skims over them to maintain Anbu’s childlike wonder and comprehension. The film most obviously is in conversation with Ram’s 2011 film ‘Thanga Meengal’ as it explores the relationship between a father and child. However, the film also feels like a complete inversion of Ram’s last film ‘Peranbu’: ‘Peranbu’ is a heavy drama which plucks a child out of the freedom of nature and traps her in an urban jungle, whereas ‘Paranthu Po’ is a lighthearted comedy that sees a child escape the trappings of the city and becoming liberated by nature.
The performances in the film are excellent. Shiva is a fantastic comedic actor whose brand of comedy is completely unique to him. Ram twists his usual deadpan delivery to work wonders in this film. Grace Anthony plays Glory, Anbu’s mother and Gokul’s wife, who has a wonderful subplot weaved into the tale. Mithul Ryan plays Anbu well too, with many moments of fantastic dialogue delivery and physical comedy. Anjali plays Vanathi in a supporting role – a Ram film regular – and her cameo is another highlight.
The film is a joy technically too. The script and screenplay are brilliantly wrought – there are punchlines aplenty, comedy setpieces and recurring gags that work very well. The film does not take itself too seriously at any point, which is reflected in the filmmaking style. The camera wheels about freely, there are many drone shots, bird’s eye view frames and many more. The crew work together excellently with a shared vision to create this whimsical tale.
This whimsical tone is accentuated through the omnipresent score and soundtrack provided by long time collaborator Yuvan Shankar Raja and Santhosh Dhayanidhi respectively. The film is filled with over twenty song snippets, with childlike lyrics courtesy of Madhan Karky. Submerging the film in music works massively in its favour - a very bold decision by Ram to follow this approach.
Overall, ‘Paranthu Po’ strictly plays by its own rules throughout, and it is a joy if you allow yourself to be swept along with it. Both superficially delightful and containing enough to unpack for those who search beyond the surface, ‘Paranthu Po’ is a great time for all the family. If you enjoyed ‘Paranthu Po’ for its wholesome outlook on life, I would recommend watching M Manikandan’s 2015 film ‘Kaaka Muttai.’ However, I would highly recommend watching all of Ram’s filmography in its entirety, and consider it essential viewing in the Tamil cinema canon.
Krishna's rating: 3.5 stars
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Official trailer for film below.