In
a
list
featuring
films
that
tug
at
your
heart
strings,
debutant
Arun
Kumar's
Pannaiyarum
Padminiyum
deserves
to
be
right
on
the
top.
An
emotionally
uplifting
work,
the
film
steers
away
from
the
commercial
zone
by
constantly
rewarding
us
with
characters
that
not
just
entertain
but
stay
with
us
hours
after
we
leave
the
cinema
hall.
A
slice-of-life
story
of
four
characters
set
against
a
village
backdrop
featuring
a
Padmini
car
in
the
centre.
Even
with
a
dawdling
narrative,
the
film
never
ceases
to
amaze
you
with
heartwarming
performances
and
music,
laced
with
humour
at
regular
intervals.
A
village
landlord
(Jayaprakash)
falls
in
love
with
a
Premier
Padmini
car
at
first
sight.
He
gets
to
look
after
the
car
when
its
owner,
his
close
relative,
leaves
town
to
visit
his
pregnant
daughter.
Pannaiyar,
as
the
landlord
is
called
by
his
village
folks,
hands
over
the
car
keys
to
his
driver
Murugesan
(Vijay
Sethupathi),
who
falls
in
love
with
it
too.
The
car
becomes
a
lifeline
of
sorts
to
the
villagers,
who
use
it
to
transport
a
dead
body,
pick
up
stranded
people
on
the
road,
carry
goods
from
neighbouring
village
and
even
compete
with
a
government
bus,
which
happens
to
be
the
only
motorized
vehicle
besides
the
car
in
the
village.
Before
you
know
it,
the
entire
village
falls
in
love
with
the
car.
But
the
rightful
owner
of
the
car
is
Panniyar's
relative,
who
is
likely
to
take
away
the
car
sooner
or
later.
It's
not
the
relative
who
takes
the
car
away
from
them
but
a
very
close
family
member.
Will
the
car
return
to
Pannaiyar,
who
has
been
looking
after
it
like
his
own
son
and
bring
back
joy
in
his
life?
Rating:
4.5/5
Originally
made
as
a
short
film,
Pannaiyarum
Padminiyum
gets
wonderfully
transformed
into
a
feature
film.
While
the
sluggish
pace
of
the
narrative
may
turn
off
a
few,
it
is
backed
by
probably
the
best
screen
performances
in
Tamil
cinema
in
recent
times.
(IANS)
Audience
Swept
Off
Be
it
Jayapraksh's
endearing
love
for
the
car,
his
wife
and
daughter
or
Vijay
Sethupathi's
yearning
to
always
hold
the
steering
of
the
car
or
Thulasi's
dream
to
see
her
husband
(Pannaiyar)
drive
the
car,
the
audience
is
swept
off
its
feet
because
of
their
flawless
acting.
Editing,
Not
Tight
The
events
weaved
around
the
car
shows
us
the
importance
of
the
vehicle
in
the
story.
We
get
to
understand
each
character
inside
out
because
of
the
car
and
the
role
it
plays
in
their
lives.
For
instance,
the
car
is
just
a
luxury
for
the
Panniyar's
daughter,
but
for
Pannaiyar,
his
wife
and
Murugesan,
it
is
an
important
part
of
their
lives.
For
the
little
boy,
who
saves
up
Rs.
5
for
a
ride
in
the
front
seat
of
the
car,
it's
about
never
giving
up
on
dreams.
Editing,
Not
Tight
With
tighter
editing,
the
film
would
have
undoubtedly
appealed
to
all
sections
of
the
audience.
The
romance
between
Vijay
and
Iyshwarya
appears
included
to
please
the
hero
image
of
the
former
since
every
hero
needs
a
heroine
in
Tamil
cinema.
It
could
have
been
trimmed
by
good
15-20
minutes,
but
that
doesn't
change
the
fact
that
it's
one
of
the
highly
entertaining
films
of
the
year
so
far.
Thankfully,
the
constant
use
of
humour
born
out
of
the
character
played
by
Bala,
keeps
audiences
entertained
throughout.
Performances
Jayaprakash
and
Thulasi
as
a
couple
give
career
best
performances.
Their
love
and
camaraderie
is
adorable,
funny
and
emotional
from
the
get
go.
Vijay
Sethupathi
was
at
his
usual
best,
playing
the
character
of
a
driver
with
ease.
Bala
as
the
loyal
sidekick
to
the
landlord's
family
evokes
laughter
with
his
slapstick
presentation.
Music/Cinematography
Justin
Prabhakaran's
soothing
tunes
breathe
life
into
the
emotional
narrative
while
Gokul
Benoy's
cinematography
aptly
presents
the
rich
montage
of
rural
milieu.
Comparision
Hollywood
enthusiasts
are
likely
to
compare
the
film
with
Clint
Eastwood's
critically
acclaimed
Gran
Tarino,
but
Pannaiyarum
Padminiyum
is
very
much
original
in
many
ways.
As
we
celebrate
little
moments
in
our
lives,
here's
a
film
that's
reminiscent
of
one
such
moment.