Ponmagal Vandhal Movie Review

With the whole of India being locked at home due to the Corona virus, watching a brand new film on OTT platforms seemed like a whiff of fresh air. Ponmagal Vandhal breaks barriers in Tamil cinema to come alive as a film from a big production house, with a well-known star, hopping onto the OTT bandwagon.

Ponmagal Vandhal is the story a woman who stands up for justice, by reopening a case that has been put in cold storage for the past 15 years. Jyotika plays Venba, a lawyer who looks to uncover the truths behind an accusation which took place where an infamous incident affected many in the surroundings. The film follows the generic format of a courtroom drama in the first half, but there are some nice leads and tools that the director Fredrick uses to put across his plot points. Until the interval, the film manages to keep us interested though there are some turn-offs with bad casting choices and needless characters coming in the frame. After the midpoint, Ponmagal Vandhal turns towards the basic requisites – where it concentrates more on the messages that need to be conveyed, rather than the plot itself. Though the performances try to hold it through, the film’s foreseeable stretches bring it to the equator.

Jyotika once again delivers an earnest performance, with very good work in the courtroom scenes where she has to recite long pages of dialogue.

The film’s best however, comes from R. Parthiepan, who rules the roost with his dialogues, ripostes and body language. The rest of the cast do not add up much, even though they are packed with well-known names.

Ramji’s camera captures the beauty of Ooty with memorable airborne shots, while Govind Vasantha’s music is a fine addition overall. The technical qualities of the film are decent, to say the least.

On the whole, Ponmagal Vandhal is a watchable courtroom drama that could have been better, but still manages to come together as a film. The predictability aside, it brings the positives in the form of Jyotika and Parthiepan’s performances, along with some good dialogue writing in the first half. Read Ponmagal Vandhal Movie Review by Only Kollywood

Ponmagal Vandhal Movie Review Rating: 3/5

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