Pourudu Review

A father who is a dedicated sidekick of a leading don and a son who aspires to be an IAS officer - naturally, it is bound to lead to tensions. 'Pourudu' is a story that takes you through the story of father Pandu (Suman) and son Ajay (Sumanth). Though it does feel like you have watched it before, Raaj Aditya manages to hold the attention of the audience with tight screenplay. Of course, the film goes a full circle and shows that the only way to fight the unsocial elements is by staying out of the system.

The film starts off on a regular note where Ajay is happy after finding his name among the top ten, who get through the Civil Services examination. On the other side of the spectrum is Pandu, who bashes up all those who are against Bhai (Nazir). Despite all the love between the father and son, Pandu's affinity towards Bhai results in a series of misunderstandings between him and Ajay. Time and again, Ajay ends up being humiliated due to his father's blind belief in Bhai. One such incident leads to both Pandu and Ajay landing up in jail. From here on, the story moves forward and the awaited twist in the tale comes.

In between the bash ups and lock ups, Ajay falls in love with Samyukta or Samyu (Kajal Agarwal), which lead to dream song sequences in exotic locales. Thankfully, the locations are new, though two songs look almost similar. Samyu's parents too surprisingly understand Ajay's plight and support him, unlike the usual filmi parents who end up creating a fracas.

'Pourudu' is not what you would call a mass entertainer. It is a straightforward plot told with sincerity, minus the thrills and frills. But Raaj Aditya does manage to hold the story tight without adding too many unnecessary elements. He tries comedy through the character of Ali, which does not work always. The introduction of Brahmanandam is really good though. Nazir is good, but has nothing much to do actually. Kota as Kasi is his usual self. It is Subba Raju, who is the attention grabber, as Inspector Hussain. He has almost similar screen space as Sumanth and Suman. While on Suman, that he acts well as Pandu, comes as no surprise. But it is good to see him in a well-fleshed character after a long time. He perfectly suits the role of the father who is caught between his son and his master. Last but not the least, the lead pair Sumanth and Kajal, play their parts with conviction and look good as a couple.

Raaj Aditya leaves a mark with his directorial debut. He keeps his film simple and clean and that's what works for a film like 'Pourudu'. The music is not a strong point of the film, like in most action films.

'Pourudu' is not your usual masala mix. But if you like something simple, then try it. Be warned though, it gets a tad too bland at times.

Cast: Sumanth, Kajal Agarwal, Suman, Naseer, Subba Raju

CREDITS:

Director: Raaj Aditya

Producer: D Supriya

Music Director: Mani Sarma