Kallan Pavithran

The best element of Kallan Pavithran (Pavithran the Thief) is the suspense that it manages to keep intact till the last minute just before the trademark moral of the story appears. In the drama, Nedumudi Venu plays the titular character whose clandestine meeting with a merchant upends his life forever. The story then revolves around his actions as he gets involved with a woman despite having two wives and three children. The village setting adds shades to writer-director Padmarajan's extraordinary story that also talks about polygamy in the 1970s and menace of thievery in remote parts of Kerala. Comedy is promised but there is hardly any in Kallan Pavithran which aches along in the middle with possible potshots at the ways of life of rich moguls in small villages. Venu is terrific, and is amply supported by Bharat Gopy, Dhanya, Adoor Bhasi, and Subhashini.

A cult classic for its content, Kallan Pavithran is essential watch despite its inability to excite you. TN.