Papanasam

Amir Khan once said about Kamal Haasan, "There are some things he can do that others can but there are many things Kamal can do that no other actor can." Once again, this film stands as a testament, particularly in witnessing that this same film is being remade in several Indian languages, showcasing the talents of several lead actors, since its conception as the Malayalam film; Drishyam, with Mohanlal.

I've heard many people say that they are partial to the original malayalam version - perhaps because they saw it first? But there is another side to this story. A filmmaker rarely gets the chance to do the same film twice, and if he is still as passionate about the story the second or third time, each time he makes it, he perfects the telling just a little more... I often hear stories about writers/directors lamenting about how they would look back at their work and notice mistakes they made that they would love to do-over had they been given the chance.

With Papanasam, what I see is the director, Jeethu Joseph, having improved upon himself. Of all the versions of the film I have seen, the tamil film comes across by far the most subtle - and that is in particular due to Kamal Haasan's sensibilities and energy permeating and influencing the cast, I feel.

So, personally, yes, the tamil version is the best! I understand that people who are sentimental towards 'originals' might not agree, but I think if you were willing to be impartial and unbiased, it is difficult to miss the perfection of this film in the tamil version.

Great thrills in the second half - a real roller-coaster ride!

Yes it is remake, but that doesn't mean it's any lesser. In fact i believe making a remake is a difficult job. For all the people who say the original movie was better, of course you would believe that as this concept and movie did not exist before the original script so you will like it more. But now that you have a frame of reference, doing a remake of a successful movie is very difficult as you have cater to the demographic who know what the movie is about.

Yes people might say it is hit only because of a remake, but i would strongly disagree, it is a delight to watch because the remake is done just right. Kadhalaku Mariydhai, Nanban are prime example.

Leave aside all those controversies, from the premise till the end, this is one movie that paces really well. Though a simple concept of saving the family, the actors have brought their A-game, fantastic performances from everyone. Needless to say anything about Kamal Hassan, he makes everything looks so easy and so realistic, he has always been best in any role that he plays and even here he just steals the show. Having said that, it would be easy for the director to be tempted to keep Kamal in all frames and make the movie a success, but not to be. Everyone has been given a fair share of the screen space and they have given a scintillating act every time.

Although i know the movie was long, i never felt bored at any point, a feel that i get from a Tarantino movie. The screenplay was perfect, the actors were placed in the right place at right time. The plot twists were great and just when you thought you know everything the movie creeps with something new, i really loved that.

In a intriguing movie like this, you have to feel for the characters and you really do. That's a exceptional win-win for the actors in the movie. Even though ethically what they are doing are wrong, you understand what will happen if only you were truthful at all times, and you totally buy that. Frame by frame the movie passes with wonderful continuity and even when it ends, it just does not snap, it is a thorough and clear closure, which says a lot about the director It's easy for movies such as this to be absurdly stupid and leave many plot holes for the audience to explore but the director covers all plot syncs and when you backtrack what went on, you can easily connect the dots and agree to the fact though the hero is selfish, you have to be selfish at some times to survive in this world.

What happened was a accident, but in a perfect world you could come out with the truth and people will look at 2 sides of a coin and take the right judgment, but we are not in a perfect world. At the end when Kamal explains what would happen if the tables were turned, it is a right explanation. How a Mother would handle would be different from what a Mother with power would handle a situation.

A Small negative would be that the premise about the Hero could have been shortened a bit, maybe less 15 minutes, his love interest for his wife was totally unwarranted, looks like Kamal's personal choice than anything else. But that does not affect the movie in anyway and can be easily overlooked.

You will like every character, you could relate to the fear in their eyes, the plot was simple and understandable, the connectors were very well used and screenplay was paced just right. A movie for everyone in the family and through entertainer

The title represents a small town where the story takes place. An opportunity to see the old Kamal Haasan. It was like been ages, seen him in this kind of attire, especially Tirunelveli accent was phenomenal. As usual, his performance and expressions stole the show and none others were matched his par in the movie. Nothing wrong to call it was his show. Kind of addicted to 'Yeya En Kottikkaara' song. A typical Tamil song, if you are, you might feel the deep.

It was a remake of the Malayalam movie 'Drishyam', which was inspired by the Japanese novel 'The Devotion of Suspect X'. I have not seen the original movie, but seen the Japanese version based on the same book. There are no major comparisons, except the crime, the rest was completely rewritten to suit the Indian audience. But the writer denies, by saying neither book adaptation nor inspired.

I have heard that the narration was very emotional and the characters were more guilt feel than the Malayalam. Initially Rajnikath was considered for the main role, but happy it went to Kamal Haasan. None other than him would have suited better to portray Suyambulingam. He would definitely bring the emotions out of you easily. After Sivaji, he's the king of those roles. At the plenty of the scenes I was amazed by his execution, especially in the end scene when he finally breakdown with guilt.

I don't believe when people say the original version is a must watch. Every film industry in India has fine actors, especially this film recruited their best as of I have heard. So I recommend your native version or the closest one to opt. The advantage in the remakes are, a chance to fix if there were any flaws in the original. Since it was directed by the same filmmaker, I strongly suggest the neural audience to pick between the original and this one, because of the naturalistic portrayal of the rural family. But if you prefer stylish, especially for the non- Indian, there's always Bollywood.

9/10

The movie starts with an apt intro detailing the nature of Suyambulingam , a honest and hard working family man. But his peace is short lived after a very disturbing derogatory event . The Story then catches fire taking us through journey of trickery deception and deceit.

Kamals acting is top notch , makes us think whether there is anyone alive who is even remotely as talented .The entire cast delivers. Excellent work by Jeyamohan (Writer) gives us an even more intense and tight movie compared to the original version ! The movie hits the bulls eye in every major spot you would like a movie to - Story , Direction , Writing , Acting etc.

Expect a Fast paced thriller ride to experience with your family .

A Solid 9/10

Edge of seat thriller! Super realistic film with awesome plot twist and eye catching scenery!