After having binge watched various web series during the lockdown period, the news of a movie finally hitting the screens certainly put a smile on the lips of movie buffs like me. However, it wasn't on the 70mm screen but rather on Amazon Prime which was a unique experience for the industry and the audience. It happened to be Fredrick's "Ponmagal Vandhal" which had Jyothika as protagonist & bankrolled by her husband, Suriya. Im pretty sure that the title would have reminded most of us of the song from Vijay's "Azhagiya Tamilmagan", though it is actually inspired from Sivaji Ganeshan's "Sorgam". Anywaz it's been almost three weeks since I watched this flick, but didnt quite have time then to pen down my opinion about it.
Close to two decades back, Ooty was rocked by the spine chilling deeds of Psycho Jyothi who apart from killing two men was also believed to be responsible for the kidnap and murder of numerous small children. However, before she could be tried in a court of law she was killed in a police encounter. In the present day, 'Petition' Pethuraj (Bhagyaraj) reopens the case as he believed that Jyothi was framed while the actual culprit roamed free. His daughter, Venba (Jyothika) takes it up as the first case of her career & as expected she faces a lot of flak from the public for trying to relieve the murderer of the charges that was proved rather convincingly according to them. But when Venba proved that the main eye witness in itself was unreliable & fabricated, it became evident that there was more to the case that what met the eye.
The topic of child abuse, rape & the ordeal that the survivor has to go through to get justice is what Frederick narrated in his debut venture. Along with Lakshmi Saravanakumar, he has penned this impactful and relevant subject,but there is evident lack of tautness in their script. The biggest flaw is the lack of legal validity in the arguments presented since for some reason the whole case is fought on the basis of statements rather than compelling evidence. However, the manner in which the core subject is picturised makes it worth watching as it didn't make it gross & also gives us a lump in our throat in some of the sequences. As far as the technical aspects were concerned, it was aptly done.
Ever since Jyothika has made her comeback, her choice of movies has been well thought making sure that she was either the protagonist or had a substantial role. As Venba, she has given an earnest performance with some stand out sequences inside the court room. She was adequately supported by Bhagyaraj while Parthiban also makes his presence felt though Thiagarajan's role could have been far more impactful if it had been etched well.
Verdict: Frankly speaking, it was a movie that could have been far better if more attention was invested in the details. Instead Frederick seemed content to convince the audience through Venba's emotional discourses rather than systematic investigation and proof to substantiate her claims. It is an ideal situation that all of us want to see played out in the courts as many a time justice is denied and the survivor's character is tarnished & shamed in front of the public eye by the opposing lawyer due to lack of compelling evidence. In short, falls well short of expectations despite having the premise for it!!!
Rating: 2.25/5
Regards...Ben
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