Puthan Panam Review - movie has less to do with its title

The new Ranjith film Puthan Panam seemed like a film that addresses the recent demonetization issues and related things through its trailer and of course the title. The curiosity was obviously there as the idea got executed very quickly. But Puthan Panam looks like a very hastily made film that has no real business with demonetization. The swagger of Mammootty and the coolness of slang is the only thing that makes this movie a little bit lively.

Nithyananda Shenoy has this negative backdrop of being a mafia man. The November 8th demonetization created problems for Shenoy as some people tried some foul plays which caused loss for Shenoy. His journey to meet these people in person and how some unfortunate unplanned incidents happen in that journey is what Puthan Panam talking about.

Don’t fall for the trailer and title of this movie. The movie has very less to do with its title. It is almost like a shelved subject got rebooted with the element of demonetization, just to capitalize on the temporary excitement. The film is actually a quest to find a gun. You will realize this after half an hour or so in to the movie. The agenda shifts from currency to a murder case. With no real conviction, Ranjith wanders around a wafer thin idea. Towards the thread of this movie, Nithyanada Shenoy is projected as a humongous negative persona, but when you back track what he has been doing for the last few days, it looks a bit funny. Mammootty has always handled slangs very effectively and this movie also has that charm of this actor. The problem with Puthan Panam is that it isn’t using Mammootty beyond slang and swagger. The climax fight sequence was really a shoddy work. Swaraj Gramika is indeed a promising talent. The elaborate cast of Puthan Panam has names like Iniya, Baiju, Mamukoya, Indrans, Hareesh, Nirmal, Siraj, Joy Mathew, Niranjana, Ganapathi, Siddique, Saikumar and many others who have very less to do on screen. Ranjith has a reputation of being a writer who creates great characters in films. Here also he has etched out an attractive character. But when it came to flushing out a genuine script, he fails. He relies hugely on the occasional humor and heroics to keep the film lively. The wandering feel of the screenplay and the fact that it has nothing to do with demonetization only increases the discomfort. The frames have style factor, but the coloring at times looked awkward. Background score lacked energy. The one song in the film looked like a misfit.

If you expect a film that has something to do with the economic situation and its repercussions, Puthan Panam will disappoint you hugely. Even without that expectation, the chances of this movie pleasing you is highly unlikely.