Debutante Sangeeth P. Rajan’s Palthu Janwar is a hit grossing over 10 crores against a low budget.
Mr. Prasoon Krishnakumar (Basil Joseph), aka Vava to his sister, is pitted against misfortune, misunderstanding, and lack of concentration while flanked by a passion for animation. Palthu Janwar’s first shot is of a car leaving the porch of an insignificant house (any) you would find in Kerala. Prasoon’s hasty brother-in-law, Naveen, is about to drop him at a village panchayat, where he is to take charge as the Livestock Inspector on a compassionate appointment.
Image Credits: IMDB
Once they reach, Naveen is in haste to leave, evading to provide the required patience or support for Prasoon’s settling in. This hurrying shot, I believe, sets the precedent tone for the movie that follows a hasty, elusive, and evasive plot. For instance, Palthu Janwar encompasses an incident or two of guilt and repentance but is too abrupt to feel them or let them sink. The plot doesn’t give its characters enough time to grieve, accept, and repent. Instead, it precariously borders on repressing emotions on the pretense (of course, unintentionally) of moving on.
But can or should moving on be so quick without tackling the source? Can you forgo your guilt without acceptance and a bit of regret? I’m not suggesting you stick with it, but still, there might be some time window for each of us, right? Anyway…
During his training period, Prasoon confesses to Stephy that this is not the job he’s supposed to do. He tries to convince the same to his family on two different occasions. Only to be met with passive backlash for his failed animation start-up, patronized for his incompetence, and a dormant push to strive for the family selflessly.
So, Mr. Prasoon Krishnakumar is humble and meek, and his main item, as unassumingly told to Stephy, is his adapting capacity. Yet, we find he successfully fails at adapting (for no fault of his own) but persevering nonetheless. A personal finding: Stephy, portrayed by Sruthy Suresh, for me, remains the leading, heroic, and a sensible character till the end.
There might be two or three life lessons in this movie. Whether a movie should be inspiring, entertaining, preachy, or all three, I solely leave that to you. But, the life lessons here, if any, are quick. So quick that you would have to rewind and ponder. Say, if you are to follow the pattern of this movie’s life lessons, you might be in for repressive trouble.
Overall, Sangeeth P. Rajan’s Palthu Janwar is identical to Basil Joseph’s goofy and gleeful chuckle – hasty, half-suppressed, but pleasing to the eyes, ears, and soul.