A Fun But Slightly Flawed Fantasy Comedy Thriller

Padakkalam, directed by debutant Manu Swaraj, is a fun film that sneaks up on you to become something else altogether.

- VIVEK SANTHOSH

What begins as a familiar college caper quietly morphs into something far stranger, folding in fantasy elements with ample amounts of emotional weight. At the centre is Jithin, a soft-spoken engineering student surrounded by a gang of like-minded nerds. It is refreshing how the film's focus is not on the usual backbenchers in a class, but on the front-benchers who obsess over superheroes, technology, and comic books.

The film takes its time to reach the central conceit, but the journey is peppered with humour, heartbreak, and some student life quirks. While Jithin is struggling with a recent breakup, his gang provides the laughs and occasional chaos. Just when you're settling into what seems like a typical campus comedy, the story pivots into fantasy territory, introducing a strange and intriguing element involving a character mysteriously controlling someone else.

Then, right at the halfway point, something even more unexpected happens that flips the narrative on its head. The concept might not be novel, but the execution is clever and packed with energy. The second hour convincingly embraces the fallout from this surprise. Instead of trying to explain the technicalities of the twist, the makers believe in the viewer's ability to be engaged. Even if there are more questions than answers about a pivotal aspect of the film, it manages to train the focus on the proceedings rather than its logic.