Por Thozhil Review: Taut thriller!

POR THOZHIL

Producers- Sandeep Mehta, Sameer Nair and Deepak Sehgal

Director- Vignesh Raja

Cast– Sarath Kumar, Ashok Selvan, Nikhila Vimal, Nizhalgal Ravi and Sarath Babu

Streaming on- Sony Liv OTT

Rating-

By Jyothi Venkatesh

This one revolves around an academically bright but faint-hearted rookie cop (Ashok Selvan) who needs to overcome his fears in order to succeed and compelled to team up with his mentor- a hostile and angry and reclusive middle aged reclusive senior cop (Sharath Kumar) to nab a serial killer on the loose. As someone who knows the nuances of investigation, he’s apprehensive about working with a newbie but the journey softens him.

The Mumbai based Applause Entertainment Studio is making its debut in Tamil with this film. Set in the backdrop of Chennai and Pondicherry, the film revolves around the young individual (Ashok Selvan) driven by his father’s aspirations to join the police force. However, as he delves deeper into the system, he confronts the harsh realities of corruption, injustice, and violence that exist within. Undeterred, he works under his senior and resolves to stand up for righteousness and effect meaningful change.

What I liked about the film is the way the director Vignesh Raja has tackled the theme with a realistic approach and the way each and every actor, be it a veteran like Sarath Kumar or even a newcomer like Ashok Selvan or for that matter the late Sarath Babu gets into the characters that they play with effortless ease in the film. Also the method of uncovering the truth, in Por Thozhil, is unique as it sets out to get into the psyche of the killer.

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The film is more about how the intelligent cops approach their subjects than an edgy thriller which sets out to go round and round and beat the bush. The credit ought to go to director Vignesh Raja who has made an attempt to grapple the layers of the truth that we get to see in the film. Kalaiselvan Sivaji’s camerawork is superb while, music by Sreejit Sarang is praiseworthy

As far as performances go, I should say that while Sarath Kumar gives a very good account of him with his smoldering eyes, it is Ashok Selvan who in spite of not having an author backed central role like Sarath Kumar, renders his role with effortless ease. Nikhila Vimal is not up to the mark though she shows a lot of promise when the film starts. While Nizhalgal Ravi does not have any tangible role as then senior cop, the late Sarath Babu is good as far as his role is concerned, though he looks very weak whenever he appears