LUBBER PANDHU Review

Most South Africans shrink away from rural entertainers, especially those that don’t have huge stars in the cast. However, those who have seen Lubber Pandu would agree that this film finds favour with anyone from anywhere. Harish Kalyan, who recently wowed audiences with the critically acclaimed film, Parking, plays the lead role with Attakathi Dinesh playing the second lead. Swasika plays the female lead, with a supporting cast that includes Sanjana Krishnamurthy, Kaali Venkat, Bala Saravanan and Devadharshini.

The film tells the tale of aspiring cricketer, Anbu (Harish Kalyaan). An innocent observation by Anbu on the unorthodox batting style of Poomaalai (Attakathi Dinesh) sees the spark of enmity between the two. This soon grows to be an uncontrollable battle that sees them become bitter rivals. When it is revealed that the girl Anbu loves – Yasodha (Swasika) – is actually the daughter of Poomaalai, the audience cringes with anticipation that the rest of the story would be a clichéd series of clashes between these two – but director Thamizharasan Pachamuthu is far too smart for this.

There are many positive aspects of this film, the first of which is the strong attention to characterisations. The characters are well-rounded, credible and realistically flawed. The women are portrayed as strong but feminine, with a lovely balance that comes through a well thought-out script. The pace of the first half could be faster, but the wit and humour that laces the events of the first half makes it easy to overlook the slower pace.

With such a powerful script, director Thamizharasan Pachamuthu manages to extract only the best from his cast. In the clash between Harish Kalyaan and Atakathi Dinesh, it is my opinion that the latter emerges victorious.

Powerful expressions and appropriate body language and gait characterise both performances.  Swasika and Sanjana Krishnamurthy take over the screen each time they appear while Bala Saravanan and Kaali Venkat do an excellent job of their supporting roles.

To further sweeten the experience, Dinesh Puashothhaman’s cinematography takes creative light and angle usage to a new high. There are many stunning shots throughout the film, making this film a visual wonder.

Sean Roldan’s music is adequate, as is his handling of the film’s background score.

Lubber Pandhu is a delightful and heartwarming film. The rich characterisation, believable dilemmas and a willingness to experiment with the medium make this film a treat – despite its somewhat slow start.

Lubber Pandhu scores 8 points out of 10.