South Indian film industries have no shortage of movies that depict the rivalry between a daring cop and a feared gangster. However, what truly makes a film stand out in this genre are the events and incidents that unfold, bringing the audience closer to the characters' world. Pathu Thala, the official Tamil remake of the hit Kannada film Mufti, has some memorable moments, however, the film's attempt to constantly engage the audience sometimes comes across as forced.
The narrative follows undercover policeman Shakthivel (Gautham Karthik) as he looks into the disappearance of Tamil Nadu's chief minister. (Santhosh Pratap). He suspects notorious criminal AGR (Silambarasan TR) of being accountable. Shakthivel struggles to collect evidence against AGR due to his dominance in the sand mining industry. Shakthivel discovers shocking revelations that make him question his resolve as he attempts to win AGR's confidence.
Similar to the original movie, Pathu Thala's second part is where STR is primarily seen. The plot, however, starts to tighten up and get more interesting at this point. The opening scenes in which Shakthivel discovers AGR's influence and strength fall short and fail to make an impression on the viewer. However, the post-intermission scenes—in which STR gives a standout performance—are where the heart of the movie resides.
Even though the cliché of a gangster acting as a good guy for his neighbours while being a criminal in the eyes of the law isn't novel, the staging and drama in the movie's second half make it more interesting. As is characteristic of gangster movies, Pathu Thala includes betrayal and graphic violence, but it is unable to make an impression or forge a strong bond between the audience and the main characters.
Despite its faults, the movie is a gangster movie that will mostly please STR fans. A powerful background music by AR Rahman enhances the impact of the movie's climactic battle scene by connecting with the viewer. A song with Simbu in the second part of the movie would have been preferable, as it doesn't significantly advance the plot. Although Priya Bhavani Shankar does a respectable job in her role as district collector, her flashback scenes with Gautham Karthik could have had more of an effect.
The compelling performances of Silambarasan and Gautham Karthik allow us to ignore some of the writer's logical errors. In particular, Gautham succeeds in appearing like a covert police officer. The film's technical elements are quite effective, with only a few out-of-focus shots, and Gautham Vasudev Menon gives a strong performance as the Deputy Chief Minister.
For those who have seen the original, Pathu Thala may not be a particularly good movie overall, but it is still worth seeing for the main actors and a few memorable scenes.
