While being formulaic and lacking in freshness, the Tamil version of Shivarajkumar's popular Kannada film Mufti remains enjoyable. The movie plays out just how you would expect it to, but there are some twists like just another spy in AGR's fort. The claimed emotional exchange among AGR & his sister—who are not friendly—is theatrical and out-of-date. In a cold and violent movie, even the parts that show people's affection for AGR come out as corny. Until now, these are not Pathu Thala's main issues.
Pathu Thala has a serious political and logical flaw. AGR argues that if he doesn't engage in violence and sand mining, someone else will. It's past time for Tamil cinema to stop portraying vigilante Robin Hood. The concept of a vigilante hero who resolves the problems of the whole nation and its state is one that Tamil cinema has misused for decades (especially by director Shankar). Such flimsy politics serve solely as an excuse to elevate the hero and all the violent content in the movie. Also, it's become popular in Tamil movies to portray the hero as a member of a lower caste or class. AGR warns his adversary Naanjilaar Gunasekaran (Gautham Vasudev Menon), a minister, to stop pursuing him in a scene from Pathu Thala, but Naanjilaar responds that he won't since he is a member of the ruling class. "I am the clan that deposed the ruling elite," AGR says. Since Pa Ranjith's films and politics have been so successful, mainstream movies have begun to superficially capitalise on the concepts.Caste and class politics are used in such a schematic way that it dilutes the real issues.
Silambarasan does appear credible as this strong man who can depose or elect the chief minister of a state because to his all-black attire, beard, and impressive filmography. In terms of acting potential, I believe Gautham Karthik received the better role. Gautham Vasudev Menon has the opportunity to experiment with various lingo in a single film because he is the primary adversary. It was a character that didn't register aside from that. In terms of the main plot, Priya Bhavani Shankar's performance as Leela Thompson was essentially irrelevant. Although though Teejay Arunasalam played the hot-headed bad guy in a gang, his part as AGR's henchman is one that grabs your attention.
Each gangster drama's ability to create a compelling universe and give key characters nuance directly affects whether the film will be a success or age gracefully. Pathu Thala begins with a concept that seems reasonable and then deviates into a sideways examination of its lead character. The Silambarasan starrer falls short of the heights one would anticipate because the much-anticipated second half is crowded with tired heroic tropes.
