Language: Tamil
Director: J.J Fredrick
Writer: JJ Fredrick
Cast : Jyotika, Parthiban, Bhagyaraj
Genre: Courtroom drama
Streaming on Amazon Prime.
The movie had garnered sufficient attention before release owing to the fact that it was directly released in the streaming service platform Amazon Prime without a theatrical release. Touted as a courtroom thriller J.J Fredrick’s Ponamgal Vandhal starring Jyothika falls short of its target as it fails to harness the potential of the storyline.
15 years after its closure a man named ‘Petition’ Pethuraj reopens a case of kidnapping and murder to the shock of the entire court and victims of the aforementioned crime. The plot progresses as the drama in the court unravels making the viewers curious about his intentions. A reveal just before the intermission sets a perfect tone for a courtroom thriller only to meander away from it in the next half.
Even with all the thrilling elements that were included at the beginning, the movie loses its charm after the first half causing it to fall into an emotional drama plagued by cliches. There are some moments that try to make up for the shortcomings but eventually, they do not succeed in their attempt. Overall the movie could have tapped into its underlying potential to deliver a stellar thriller, instead provides a slightly above average flick.
Verdict: 3/7 Stars.
Watchable.
Trivia:
With the coronavirus pandemic and the lockdown bringing business of entertainment to a standstill, a few movies had announced a direct OTT release. Tamil actress Jyotika’s Ponmagal Vandhal was the first among those to directly release on Amazon Prime Video, on May 29, skipping a theatrical release.
