Pakkiri Review
Star Cast : Dhanush, Erin Moriarty, Berenice Bejo, and Barkhad Abdi
Director : Ken Scott
Pakkiri is a watchable feel-good drama which could be your movie on a lazy Sunday afternoon with kids in the family. The subtle moral message and the breezy treatment along with the charming performance of Dhanush will surely entertain kids and also cultivate some good thoughts in their minds.
The cheerful songs and background score of Amit Trivedi have given the Indian spirit to the film which was originally made for the English speaking audiences. The Tamil dialogues are in sync with the overall mood of the film and that's the biggest highlight. Thanks to Dhanush’s own voice, the film establishes an instant connect with the audiences.
Just like any other moral tale—Rajakumaraguru Lakshmipathy aka Raja (Dhanush), the protagonist of the film narrates his life story to three juveniles so that they can understand the real happiness in life and how material gain alone is not as important as people think.
Raja is the only child to his mom who does all kind of jobs in the slums of Mumbai to raise him. As soon as Raja goes to school, he understands the poor financial background so his only motive in life is to earn money. Raja uses magic to steal money from innocent foreigners and the general public. After his mom passes away, Raja comes to know that his dad lives in Paris and wishes to meet his mom at the Eiffel Tower.
Now, Raju takes the ashes of his mom to Paris but the situation makes him a refugee that he visits England, Spain, Italy, and even an African refugee camp. This adventurous journey teaches life’s real meaning to Raju who is now teaching moral values to small kids in Mumbai.
It’s Dhanush and him alone who diverts your attention from the film’s little flaws and spellbinds you with an endearing act that Pakkiri's biggest strength. He shines in every frame and his innocent eyes, infectious energy and ability to melt our hearts with his emotionally moving performances uplift the average film made by director Ken Scott.
The director should have ideally worked more on the writing part. Besides Raja, the other characters just doesn't stay in our minds mainly because of the lack of depth in their characterizations. Performance wise Erin Moriarty and Barkhad Abdi are okay whereas the rest of the actors are not up to the mark.
As this a fairly tale feel-good drama, one can’t expect logic and moreover, in the end, Dhanush even tells us that he added a few bluffs here and there to inspire the three adolescent kids.
Overall, Pakkiri is definitely watchable feel-good drama for Dhanush, the effervescent music by Amit Trivedi and the underlying positive message of the film.Watch it, and be awestruck by Dhansuh.
