Pani: Immersive crime and revenge saga so dexterously crafted (2024)

[00:00:12] Hi, welcome to Onmanorama Movie Podcast, Start, Action, Cut. Today we are discussing the Malayalam movie, Pani, written and directed by Joju George. And we have here Swati and Ashwin. The movie stars Joju Abhinaya, Sagar Sudhya, Junai's VP in lead roles.

[00:00:29] So we have been seeing the rise and growth of Joju as a senior artist, then as supporting actor, and then as a lead actor. Now he's here with a directorial debut.

[00:00:40] In fact, it came so silently and I think the promotions were so less. And there was a few teaser and trailer.

[00:00:50] And it seemed actually, in fact, when I heard about the movie, it seemed like, yes, it's just another movie. And it's by Joju, an actor. And there are so many actors who have tried their hands at direction.

[00:01:04] So I thought it would be a simple movie, could be an average or another flop. But after watching it, everything reversed.

[00:01:13] From the title to the climax and credits, everything turned out to be astoundingly intrigued. It's now the talk of the town. And Joju proved he knows Pani. Pani in Malayalam, in the ordinary sense of the term, is actually work.

[00:01:30] But it's now very widely used as a euphemism for violence unleashed out of revenge.

[00:01:37] So, as for the making, the movie follows a pattern that blends realistic and cinematic mode of treatment. I would say it's a realistic cinematic.

[00:01:45] And it tells the symbol theme of crime and revenge and travels through a diverse terrain of time, location, people, moods and occasions.

[00:01:55] And Joju has left no stone unturned for making every moment perfect. Swati, how was Joju George's directorial debut?

[00:02:06] Well, Patma Kumar, I went in with zero expectations. Initially, I thought that this movie was going to be really mediocre for some reason, I thought. So I was not really impressed with the trailer.

[00:02:15] But one thing I can surely say is that the movie is really intriguing. It will have your attention from the beginning to the very end. It will have your attention.

[00:02:25] But having said that, I think we've had very serious discussion about this before the podcast also. I found the movie's plot extremely predictable.

[00:02:34] But does that take away the viewing experience? No, it does not. Because it has what it takes to grab your attention in the right amount, I would say.

[00:02:42] And more than violence or action as the main genre, I would say it is the unpredictability factor that drives the movie forward.

[00:02:50] Because we don't know what is going to happen next, what sort of violence is going to happen next.

[00:02:54] And I think Joju really taps on it and works around it.

[00:02:58] Because until the very end, we'll be guessing what is going to happen to the villains.

[00:03:03] And what will these people do and to what extent the violence can go.

[00:03:08] So in that sense, for me, the unpredictability factor really worked.

[00:03:12] But having said that, there are elements in the movie which I thought gives out a few wrong impressions or ideas.

[00:03:20] Like some of the scenes, including the rape scene that is portrayed.

[00:03:24] I thought it was extremely violent. And that's another discussion altogether.

[00:03:28] But as a viewer, I think the movie did justice.

[00:03:31] And I think as a debutant, Joju did a very commendable job.

[00:03:35] Because you'd never tell that this is his first movie.

[00:03:39] Because it really intrigues you and it's a fun watch.

[00:03:41] It's actually a mass entertainer.

[00:03:44] But yeah, that is what I felt.

[00:03:45] Yes.

[00:03:46] What I found most interesting was the way the crowd scenes were crafted.

[00:03:51] And you are there right in the middle of the town, Trishoor.

[00:03:56] And that place is very crowded all the time.

[00:03:59] And how it had been difficult for a movie maker to do such scenes there.

[00:04:05] And it takes a lot of time and money as well.

[00:04:08] So, Ashwin, what were the elements that interested you in the making of the film?

[00:04:13] Yeah, Patan Agumar, before I get to that, what kind of hooked me, I'd like to compliment you.

[00:04:19] Because this was the longest, most optimistic intro you have given in recent times about a film.

[00:04:26] So, it kind of shows how much you were kind of bowled over by this film.

[00:04:31] So, coming to this, I think it's a very, very simple storyline.

[00:04:37] So, Swati said, it's predictable, but the way it is told, it engages you.

[00:04:44] A man is wronged in the most horrible way imaginable.

[00:04:48] And he goes hard at those responsible.

[00:04:51] I like the pace of this film.

[00:04:52] And what I liked about this film is, Jojo doesn't try to overdo things as a director.

[00:05:00] I mean, he does what is needed to arrest the attention.

[00:05:02] Maybe he has for years served as assistant director.

[00:05:05] He has work behind the camera.

[00:05:07] So, he knows the trick.

[00:05:09] As you rightly said, Jojo no pani arya.

[00:05:12] So, he knows how to, you know, arrest the attention of his audience.

[00:05:16] So, if we have to feel for the characters' loss, we must like them.

[00:05:20] So, this being a thriller, it was wonderful to see Jojo set the rhythm

[00:05:25] and establish a closely knit group of people.

[00:05:28] Be it the birthday party scene, that leisurely night drive,

[00:05:32] or the way they finally take care of each other.

[00:05:34] So, we are being told that if one of them gets hurt, they would be devastated.

[00:05:39] And as for the villains, I like the first shot.

[00:05:44] When we see them for the first time at night, it's eerily quiet.

[00:05:49] They are atop a building which looks like a worn-out lodge.

[00:05:53] We see them through a long shot, like two small minuscule figures

[00:05:57] in the middle of flickering lights under the night sky.

[00:05:59] And they are talking about heights.

[00:06:01] It's almost as if they are talking about their own towering desires deep inside them.

[00:06:07] They talk about which church is bigger, like how they can see the whole world

[00:06:11] from atop one of the churches.

[00:06:13] I thought it was a perfect staging for the scale of havoc

[00:06:16] two unknown, insignificant individuals can unleash on others' lives.

[00:06:21] I mean, there are superbly timed, well-shot action sequences,

[00:06:26] chase scenes, set pieces which work incredibly well for the film.

[00:06:30] So, I liked it. I liked it very much.

[00:06:33] As you rightly said, Ashwin, the pace of the movie, the way it has been crafted,

[00:06:39] we can see there are fast-paced action sequences, car chases and all.

[00:06:44] And then there are moments in which they enjoy their leisurely talks and joys

[00:06:51] and caring and sharing and all those things.

[00:06:54] So, apart from that, the movie rests heavily on the performance of the actors.

[00:07:00] Each and every character in the movie has a recognizable role to play.

[00:07:06] And I need not speak about Sagar Surya, who played Don Sebastian and Junai Svipi.

[00:07:12] They have dwarfed the towering presence of Jojo in the movie.

[00:07:17] Of course, Jojo is meticulous and he builds up the pulsating appeal.

[00:07:22] But I'm sure that people who don't know Sagar Surya,

[00:07:26] he's already there in Takti Mutim serial in Madhapal Manorama.

[00:07:31] And Junai Svipi is already an established social media influencer.

[00:07:35] But those who don't know them, if they find their first reaction would be to hand them over to the police

[00:07:41] or give them a punch.

[00:07:43] So, that is the way they have executed their characters.

[00:07:46] So, from the beginning to the end, they have been right on track.

[00:07:51] And Jojo is also, as he rises to the occasion, he doesn't do much of actions.

[00:07:59] There are only a few of them.

[00:08:01] But that's quite enough to establish his charisma and charm and his heroic presence.

[00:08:08] So, Ashwin, what do you have to say about Don Sebastian in the movie?

[00:08:12] How venomous was he and how invincible was he in the film?

[00:08:17] I like the way you put it.

[00:08:19] Like, the first time you come across these kind of people on the street,

[00:08:22] you feel like actually hitting them.

[00:08:24] I mean, such is a kind of hatred they radiate.

[00:08:30] But for me, it was like an interplay of power dynamics, a conflict of the class in a kind of a wild manner.

[00:08:37] Because this is one film where we see primly dressed people with gleaming outfits

[00:08:42] versus two unimportant youths with weather-beaten faces and scraggly hair.

[00:08:47] And it's like termites slowly nibbling their way up a stupendous rubber,

[00:08:51] which they thought it was impenetrable.

[00:08:53] And these people could actually reduce it to a rubble in no time.

[00:08:56] I thought the choice was spot on.

[00:08:58] I read from one of the interviews that Jojo had done an acting workshop

[00:09:03] because he had approached many actors for respective roles in this film.

[00:09:08] Many said no before.

[00:09:10] And there are so many new faces in this film.

[00:09:12] And it kind of adds that element of freshness and raw touch to the narrative.

[00:09:19] And talking about Sagar Surya and Junai's played by Dawn,

[00:09:24] like who plays these characters, Dawn and Siju.

[00:09:26] I don't think you can hate these characters more because their faces are always stained or scarred,

[00:09:32] amplifying the villainy they have.

[00:09:35] At the same time, they have this chilling sense of comradeship about them

[00:09:39] because no judgment is ever passed.

[00:09:41] Like if one of them feels like buying a new bike, the other says, why not?

[00:09:45] Yes, we have the cash.

[00:09:46] If another guy feels like groping a woman in public, yes is the answer.

[00:09:51] I mean, there is no stopping, no second thoughts.

[00:09:54] I mean, they are what they are.

[00:09:57] Bad, reckless, remorse-less.

[00:09:59] There is a primal touch to the way they move around,

[00:10:03] the way they breathe, the way they feel the anger, the hurt, the pain.

[00:10:07] And they have this overpowering sense of invincibility they feel from being unknown, being nobody.

[00:10:15] Because after they have done a heinous act, they kind of tell themselves,

[00:10:19] it is easy to find them, but it is not easy for them to find us.

[00:10:23] Because such is the sense of, as I said, invincibility they feel about themselves.

[00:10:29] So Jiu-Jiu presents these characters with so much clarity.

[00:10:32] And there is a scene where a boy comes to the workshop to get his punctured tire repaired.

[00:10:36] And these characters are about to leave.

[00:10:39] They guide the boy to another shop.

[00:10:41] The boy's reply is extremely rude.

[00:10:43] The next thing we hear is Don talking about bashing up his head.

[00:10:46] I mean, you can't sum up a character in a better way.

[00:10:49] Yes, that sums up the nature of the two characters.

[00:10:52] I mean, Don Sebastian and Jiu in the film.

[00:10:55] So what do you have to say about them and other characters as well in the film, Swati?

[00:11:00] I think, Patma Kumar, for me, the real driving factors of the movie were definitely the villains.

[00:11:08] That is, the characters played by Sagar Surya and Junai Sweepy.

[00:11:12] And before that, when I mentioned that there is a predictability in the film,

[00:11:16] that is there in the plot line.

[00:11:18] But the unpredictability factor that I was talking about was to what extent these people will go.

[00:11:23] Like in terms of violence, like what are they capable of?

[00:11:26] Because, and also, I don't know, I shouldn't have this violence.

[00:11:29] I didn't know where he has said, if you see them, you'd go on to hit them.

[00:11:34] Yeah, but actually it is true because these are people you'll stay away from.

[00:11:39] When you look at them, you would not feel safe.

[00:11:41] And that they rightly captured.

[00:11:44] And I think when you look at Sagar's character, we actually feel like, okay, this guy is not right.

[00:11:49] You'd want to stay away from him.

[00:11:50] And I don't know, I was actually thinking while watching the movie, is it absolutely possible for actors to play a character so convincing that you'll actually feel so irritated by them?

[00:12:02] So that you just not want to see them again.

[00:12:04] That is the kind of aura that these two characters gave me and especially Sagar Surya.

[00:12:09] And I like the way you put it, like it actually, their performance actually dwarves Jojo's character because he's this towering force.

[00:12:15] He's playing this local kingpin and he has this whole set of people around him, covering him, covering up for him.

[00:12:23] But these two people come into his life and they create this chaos.

[00:12:26] And it almost seems as if he's not able to stop it.

[00:12:30] And we'd be thinking, okay, if these people are actually the people who has power in Trishur, then how are these two youngsters able to do all these things?

[00:12:38] How are they entering all these places?

[00:12:39] How are they actually doing this?

[00:12:41] You'd actually think that.

[00:12:41] But even then, it seems possible because maybe we think in reality, it might just be possible because even the powerfullest of powerfullest people, they might just go through all this.

[00:12:52] And that was the convincing element in this movie that you'd actually feel that kind of hatred towards them.

[00:12:58] And it's not like you would relate to Jojo's character or you'd want good things or you'd want him to good things for these people.

[00:13:04] But it's just that because you have this so much hatred against these two characters, you'd actually side up with other characters.

[00:13:10] That is what I felt.

[00:13:11] Also, I think there are all the other characters like you see the Bobby Kurian who played Devi and Abhinaya who played Jojo's wife.

[00:13:22] So brilliant actors in the film.

[00:13:24] The realistic scenes in the movie actually had some similarity with some other movies, the similar kind of movies like Satya.

[00:13:33] The scene in which the two characters are in the bedroom of Devi.

[00:13:41] And then it was actually so mind-blowing to see Dr. Abhinaya playing the role of Jojo's wife.

[00:13:50] And we know that she's a specially abled woman.

[00:13:54] She cannot speak or hear.

[00:13:56] Yet, she executed the character so convincingly.

[00:13:58] And there are some places where the lip-sync goes wrong.

[00:14:03] But yet, she has made the character emotionally engaging throughout the film.

[00:14:09] And also, there are so many other characters.

[00:14:11] So, if we name it, it will go on.

[00:14:13] So, yes.

[00:14:14] The performance of the whole actors and how Jojo mixed the whole thing in a very artistic and engaging manner is so marvelous.

[00:14:23] And even when you say the camera work, the music and the BGM.

[00:14:29] Like, there are two cinematographers in this film, Venu Ayese and Jindo George.

[00:14:35] And you can never make any distinction between the two different cameramen doing the work.

[00:14:41] But the seamless, agile editing conjures up the magical flow of the story.

[00:14:46] And anything about the technical brilliance, Ashwin?

[00:14:49] Nothing much.

[00:14:50] But I thought those chase and action sequences that hospital scenes, not in recent times have we witnessed anything of this scale in Malayanan film.

[00:14:59] Especially that chase sequence.

[00:15:01] The scenes that build up to that particular scene where they kind of, Jojo goes after Dawn and Siju, who has this brand new sports bike.

[00:15:12] So, that was really well shot.

[00:15:15] And especially the tension really amps up.

[00:15:17] We actually feel it.

[00:15:18] The night scene, the light.

[00:15:20] Everything was nicely done.

[00:15:22] I thought that scene was really brilliant.

[00:15:24] And especially that hospital scene where a set piece is created to divert the attention of the police.

[00:15:31] I'm not giving away much of the story.

[00:15:33] But still, those scenes were brilliantly done.

[00:15:35] And what I liked the most was BGM.

[00:15:38] So, the way it mixes the traditional music based on percussion instruments and then fusing that with Western orchestration and then back and forth movement produces an enigmatic charm.

[00:15:53] That is what I feel.

[00:15:54] It was the climax, right?

[00:15:55] Yeah.

[00:15:56] And it was the climax.

[00:15:56] And that piece of music was there in many places of the many, many parts of the movie.

[00:16:03] That's how, that's what I recollect.

[00:16:05] Swati, what do you say about the music and BGM?

[00:16:09] But, like you said, rightfully said, because the movie is set in Trishwur, I think they went for the fun element of Trishwur.

[00:16:17] But that was shown in a very intense way.

[00:16:19] So, that really amped up the powerful scenes and the other scenes as well.

[00:16:24] I really like the background scores and even the music as well.

[00:16:26] I'd like to disagree with one thing.

[00:16:28] I think you were talking about Apinaya's character.

[00:16:30] Her performance was not really convincing to me because, first of all, the lip-sync was extremely off.

[00:16:36] And that sort of took away the genuinity of that character.

[00:16:39] And I felt like she did not come off completely as a Malayali housewife to me.

[00:16:44] I don't know.

[00:16:44] I just did not feel that vibe from her.

[00:16:47] I felt like somebody else could have done a better job.

[00:16:50] I'm just saying this is my opinion.

[00:16:51] And that could have been more convincing because there were many scenes in the movie where the camera angles were set so close that you'd actually feel like she's being something else.

[00:16:59] And the dubbing was something else.

[00:17:01] So, I thought that was not nice at all.

[00:17:04] Because then you'd feel like this person is acting and this is the story.

[00:17:08] And that sort of takes away the fun aspect of it.

[00:17:11] But, yeah, coming back to the music, I really like how the climax scene was going and how the music really made a powerful impact there.

[00:17:20] Because something so triggering or something so explosive in literal terms was going to happen.

[00:17:26] And the background score and the music really played off well in that part.

[00:17:31] Okay.

[00:17:32] Now, what I think is there has to be a definition of politics in movies.

[00:17:38] Because I believe politics, if you talk about politics, the movie should have a politics.

[00:17:43] If the movie talks about the politics, which has some implications on the general public or a community or society, it has to be pointed out.

[00:17:54] Like any crime, anything that is bad for society, that's shown.

[00:18:01] Because if all these things are removed from a movie, there won't be a movie.

[00:18:05] So, the movie, the story, if it says, if it makes a statement, a strong statement which is going to have on people, it has to be pointed out.

[00:18:15] That's what I feel.

[00:18:16] And such political statements.

[00:18:19] I don't think that there are some such strong political statements in this movie.

[00:18:24] Do you find any, Swati?

[00:18:26] Well, Patma Kumar, I think everything is political and everything has politics.

[00:18:29] And every movie has a politics also.

[00:18:31] And this movie, I think that is the first thing I told you about after coming back after watching the movie.

[00:18:36] Is that I did not like the politics of the movie because the movie heavily leans on the fact that somebody is getting violently attacked.

[00:18:44] Like all of this happens because, this might be a small spoiler, but a rape happens.

[00:18:48] And then everything, all the chaos unleashed is after that happens.

[00:18:53] But why is it that somebody, a woman has to get attacked so violently?

[00:18:57] And the way it is shown, it is so provoking.

[00:18:59] And it is so provoking.

[00:19:00] I feel like it was an extremely difficult thing for me as a woman to watch in the theater.

[00:19:04] Because I was actually not even looking because it was so provoking.

[00:19:08] Maybe their intention was to provoke us.

[00:19:10] But why show it in such graphic detail as like taking off their clothes and doing such violent acts?

[00:19:16] It is so, I feel, I felt like it was so demeaning.

[00:19:19] And that aspect, like a scene such, so violent as rape can be portrayed in many other ways.

[00:19:25] But if you show things like that, it actually messes up with you.

[00:19:28] And because the violence stems from this, I don't think that is the right message to put across.

[00:19:34] I mean, why is there a need for rape in every other movie that it will grab your attention?

[00:19:40] Or you would actually feel so strongly against that character?

[00:19:43] Why is that technique used so often?

[00:19:46] They say something I don't understand.

[00:19:48] And maybe it's the fact that something so triggering or so emotionally devastating has to be put there.

[00:19:55] So that we actually pay attention.

[00:19:57] But if that is the logic, I still don't understand.

[00:20:00] Okay, so that was the politics I was talking about the other day.

[00:20:03] I mean, like, and also there is this very off-putting line that Seema says, like,

[00:20:08] you have to forget this.

[00:20:10] And after one bath, you have to forget this.

[00:20:13] How can somebody forget something as horrible as rape after one bath?

[00:20:17] That is something I don't know if that was put there for some mass effect or for a punch dialogue effect.

[00:20:24] I don't know.

[00:20:24] But I do not agree to any of those things.

[00:20:26] And in that aspect, I do not agree to the politics of the movie.

[00:20:29] Yes.

[00:20:30] If you say that everything is politics, by that statement,

[00:20:34] you are diluting the concept of politics in movies.

[00:20:38] Everything cannot be politics.

[00:20:40] Each aspect of the movie has its own merit.

[00:20:43] So how do you read the politics in this movie, Ashwin?

[00:20:46] For me, more than the politics, yeah, I agree to some extent what Swati said,

[00:20:53] because she recently, for our listeners, she did a fantastic in-depth analytical piece

[00:20:59] on rape being used as a plot device or catalyst for emotion.

[00:21:02] You can read it on Onuman Arama.

[00:21:04] But in that article, Onuman Arama goes in-depth about how rape has become a familiar trap to stir up emotions.

[00:21:13] So I can understand why Swati voices her concerns again now.

[00:21:19] But for me, of course, more than this politics of rape or violence, as I said earlier, it was all about power dynamics.

[00:21:26] I mean, these are not good men you're talking about.

[00:21:29] I mean, from the start, you are told that they are part of the mafia syndicate.

[00:21:34] They have worked their way up through horrible things, doing horrible things.

[00:21:39] We get a hint of that.

[00:21:40] So such is the cloud they have built.

[00:21:42] They can now afford to delegate it to their subordinates or someone.

[00:21:46] But we also see them brokering deals.

[00:21:49] So we get hints of the power they exert over people around them, over the place they live.

[00:21:54] So if they feel like killing people, they harm them.

[00:21:57] Such is the way they are.

[00:21:59] So politics becomes relevant only in the context of characters on screen.

[00:22:02] So for me, this was also about the unpredictability about life and people around you.

[00:22:07] What any stranger can do to append your comfortable lives.

[00:22:10] So when you think that you are untenable, you are in for a shocking surprise.

[00:22:14] It could come from the most unexpected people.

[00:22:17] It's also a conflict of the class.

[00:22:19] So even when we witness the ceaseless ways of cruelty being meted out to one family,

[00:22:24] we also see the sense of their hubris, the sense of the security and comfort,

[00:22:29] which of course they had earned through not so acceptable ways.

[00:22:34] It all comes crumbling down.

[00:22:36] So more than the politics of violence,

[00:22:38] I was intrigued by the way Jojo was trying to tell us about these power equations.

[00:22:44] The class difference, the crude thoughts,

[00:22:47] the sense of refinement that suddenly peels off.

[00:22:50] And I mean, at one point you even feel that there is no difference between them.

[00:22:55] Both of them want to harm each other with the most animalistic instincts.

[00:22:59] That's what I felt.

[00:23:00] As for the flaws, I think there are not many for me.

[00:23:03] But still, the slap scene initially,

[00:23:06] the scene in which Jojo, the character of Jojo slaps a receptionist in a textile showroom,

[00:23:15] that was a bit of exaggeration of the character.

[00:23:18] That's what I felt.

[00:23:18] And then the police is made to look like a soggy inactive bunch of people.

[00:23:23] And one more thing, how these culprits enter the houses of the developed people,

[00:23:32] whose premises are so well fortified,

[00:23:35] So how they entered there, that could have been shown.

[00:23:38] So we are, I don't know how they come in,

[00:23:41] for what purpose that's not displayed in the movie.

[00:23:45] But these are the things that I found quite difficult to agree with.

[00:23:52] So Swati, what's your take on that?

[00:23:55] Well, Patmumar, I think I agree to what you said.

[00:23:58] And also, coming to the predictability factor again,

[00:24:02] violence is another thing.

[00:24:03] But the way the plot progresses was actually really,

[00:24:06] you'd actually know what is going to happen.

[00:24:09] Because I think they give a little too importance to certain characters

[00:24:13] and how they're going.

[00:24:14] And then you'll be like, okay, the next person is this.

[00:24:17] The next target is going to be this person.

[00:24:18] That factor was completely there throughout the movie.

[00:24:21] And also coming to the addition of another character,

[00:24:24] like the girl who plays Sagar Suria's girlfriend,

[00:24:27] that girl's character was also completely out of place.

[00:24:30] I don't know why she was there or her purpose in the movie.

[00:24:34] And I think that, again,

[00:24:35] this comes to the pleasure factor for the audience.

[00:24:38] And I think that was a completely unnecessary addition to the story.

[00:24:42] The movie is a perfectly paced action-revence drama.

[00:24:45] And the highlight of it is its immersiveness.

[00:24:48] You sit there through the film from beginning till end

[00:24:52] without just even batting your eyelid.

[00:24:55] So that brings us to the end of this episode.

[00:24:58] Thanks for listening to Start Action Cut produced

[00:25:00] and hosted by me, Pat Mahmoud.

[00:25:02] Follow www.onmanorama.com for more podcasts and movies.

[00:25:06] And be sure to come back for the next episode of Start Action Cut

[00:25:09] out on Mondays.

[00:25:10] Thank you.

[00:25:11] Thank you.