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Padavettu
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| Padavettu | |
|---|---|
Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Liju Krishna |
| Written by | Liju Krishna |
| Produced by |
|
| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Deepak D. Menon |
| Edited by | Shafique Mohamed Ali |
| Music by | Govind Vasantha |
Production companies |
|
| Distributed by | Century Release |
Release date |
|
Running time | 145 minutes |
| Country | India |
| Language | Malayalam |
Padavettu (transl. Battle) is a 2022 Indian Malayalam-language political action thriller film written and directed by Liju Krishna.[1] It was produced by Yoodlee Films in association with Sunny Wayne Productions. The film starring Nivin Pauly, Aditi Balan and Shammi Thilakan depicts the story of the oppressed section of society in northern Kerala.[2]
The film was released theatrically on 21 October 2022.[3]
Plot
[edit]Ravi is a jobless guy living with his aunt Pushpa. He just sits at home all day and fights with everyone including his aunt and neighbors. His house is in a bad shape now since they do not have money to repair it. They have given an application in the Panchayat for money to repair it. Despite Pushpa always complaining in the Panchayat meetings, they don't seem interested to consider her request.
A local politician named Kuyyali hears this and sees it as an opportunity. He rebuilds their house for them without their permission and keeps a plaque in front of their home advertising his party. Everyone who passes by in front of their home starts noticing it and that irks Ravi and so he breaks it at night. When Kuyyali hears about it, he tries to take advantage of the situation and accuses the opposition party of the wrongdoing. Ravi tells the police that it was he who did that. Kuyyali rebuilds the plaque and threatens Ravi that if he breaks it again, it will be bad for Ravi.
Ravi's neighbor Mohanan's dad gets killed by a wild boar one night when he was supervising his field. To take revenge, Mohanan goes to the field the next night to kill the boar but boar attacks him and he gets injured. Ravi turns up at the scene and kills the Boar instead.
Ravi decides not be lazy in life anymore and starts farming at his home. Meanwhile, Kuyyali through his shoddy schemes tries to take control of all farmer lands. Ravi objects. In revenge, Kuyyali decides that the end location for his election rally will be Ravi's home and they will destroy the home and farm land. Ravi starts destroying the plaque they kept at his home. The party workers starts to fight with Ravi. Ravi wins and then tells Kuyyali never to step on his home again. Ravi proclaims that the farm land belongs to the farmers.
Cast
[edit]- Nivin Pauly as Ravi Koroth, an ex-athlete
- Aditi Balan as Shyma, Ravi's love interest (voice over by Nikhila Vimal)
- Shammi Thilakan as Kuyyali, a political leader
- Shine Tom Chacko as Mohanan[4]
- Remya Suresh as Pushpa, Ravi's aunt[5]
- Manoj Omen as Manoj
- Vijayaraghavan as Coach Yohannan
- Indrans as Raghavan Mash
- Sudheesh as Govindhan
- Kainakary Thankaraj as President Vijayan
- Subeesh Sudhi as Sasi
- Sunny Wayne as Pradeep, Shyma's ex-husband (Cameo)[6]
Production
[edit]The film was shot at Maloor in Kannur, which is the native village of Liju Krishna. Around a thousand people from the village were trained through crash course in acting for the film.[7]
Principal photography began in December 2019 in Kannur district.[8] First schedule was wrapped in February 2020. Second schedule was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic in India. It was wrapped up on 15 March 2022 in Kannur.[9]
Release
[edit]The first trailer was released on 7 October 2022 at Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, Kochi in front of Manjappada before the opening game of the 2022–23 Indian Super League season between Kerala Blasters and East Bengal.[10] The film was released theatrically on 21 October 2022.
Critical reception
[edit]Anna M. M. Vetticad of Firstpost praised the cinematography and score but found that the film lacked cohesion: "Great camerawork and music require scripts on which to pin themselves. Sadly, the writing of Padavettu is too defused to serve this purpose." Rating the film 2.5 out of 5 stars, Vetticad wrote, "The first half is solid, but leads into a second half clouded by mixed metaphors and hazy philosophising...".[11]
References
[edit]- ^ "Rape accused director Liju Krishna's name retained in the credits of Padavettu". The News Minute. 3 September 2022. Retrieved 28 October 2022.
- ^ "Nivin Pauly's next film is political drama 'Padavettu'". The Hindu. 20 October 2021. Retrieved 24 May 2022.
- ^ "'ഇതെന്റെ മണ്ണാണ്, ഞാനിവിടെ കിടക്കും വേണ്ടി വന്നാൽ കിളയ്ക്കും'! തീ പാറും പ്രകടനവുമായി നിവിൻ പോളി; 'പടവെട്ട്' ടീസർ" ['This is my soil, I will lie here and I will cut it if I want it'! Nivin Pauly with fiery performance; 'Patavet' Teaser]. Samayam Malayalam (in Malayalam). 2 September 2022. Retrieved 2 September 2022.
- ^ "Malayalam star Nivin Pauly's political thriller Padavettu to release in September". The Economic Times. 24 May 2022. Retrieved 24 May 2022.
- ^ "Nivin Pauly-starrer 'Padavettu' to release in September". Mathrubhumi. 24 May 2022. Retrieved 24 May 2022.
- ^ "'Padavettu' movie review: Ambitious on paper but middling in execution". The New Indian Express. 23 October 2022. Retrieved 28 February 2023.
- ^ "What makes Nivin Pauly's 'Padavettu' special?". The News Minute. 3 December 2020. Retrieved 24 May 2022.
- ^ "Manju Warrier has made 'Padavettu' more magical, says Sunny Wayne". The News Minute. 24 February 2020. Retrieved 24 May 2022.
- ^ "Nivin Pauly's Padavettu: Team wraps up the shoot, shares a video from the sets". Times of India. 15 March 2022. Retrieved 24 May 2022.
- ^ "'പടവെട്ട് കേരള ബ്ലാസ്റ്റേഴ്സിനൊപ്പം'; ട്രെയ്ലര് ആഘോഷമാക്കി ആരാധകര് | Padavettu". Kairali News | Kairali News Live. 8 October 2022. Retrieved 8 October 2022.
- ^ "Padavettu movie review: Nivin Pauly and the case of the vague wanderings". Firstpost. 29 November 2022. Retrieved 30 November 2022.
External links
[edit]Padavettu
View on GrokipediaPadavettu (transl. Battle) is a 2022 Indian Malayalam-language political action thriller film written and directed by Liju Krishna.[1]
The narrative centers on Ravi Koroth, portrayed by Nivin Pauly, a seemingly apathetic youth in a rural North Kerala village who mobilizes against local political enforcers seeking to expropriate communal farmlands amid systemic oppression.[2][3]
Released theatrically on 21 October 2022, the film features supporting performances by Aditi Balan, Shammi Thilakan, and Shine Tom Chacko, with music composed by Govind Vasantha.[1]
Despite ambitions to explore themes of personal redemption and grassroots resistance, Padavettu garnered mixed critical reception for its pacing and execution, achieving an average user rating of 6.8 on IMDb.[1][4]
Its promotional momentum and post-release visibility were substantially hindered by prior legal proceedings against director Liju Krishna, who was arrested in March 2022 on rape allegations leveled by a female associate, prompting calls from the accuser to excise his credits from the production.[5][6]
Development and production
Script and pre-production
Padavettu was written and directed by Liju Krishna as his feature film debut, with the script drawing from themes of rural oppression and socio-political exploitation in northern Kerala villages.[7] The story is set in the fictional village of Maloor in Kannur district, reflecting real-world issues of farmer struggles against land usurpation and political interference faced by marginalized communities in the region.[7] [8] Krishna, who had previously directed an award-winning play titled Moment Just Before, crafted the screenplay to portray the awakening of an ordinary villager against systemic corruption, blending elements of political thriller with character-driven drama.[9] Development of the project gained momentum around late 2019, when principal photography was announced to commence under Krishna's direction from his own script.[9] Funding was secured through Plan J Studios, the production banner of actor Sunny Wayne, in collaboration with Yoodlee Films, enabling pre-production planning focused on authentic depiction of village life and escalating conflicts involving local power dynamics.[10] [11] Script refinements during this phase emphasized the protagonist's transformation into a reluctant revolutionary, prioritizing narrative tension over overt didacticism to highlight causal chains of exploitation from political manipulation to community resistance.[12] By early 2020, behind-the-scenes materials indicated progress in conceptualizing the film's visual and thematic structure, aligning with Krishna's intent to convey unvarnished realities of agrarian distress without sensationalism.[10]Casting
Nivin Pauly was cast as the protagonist Ravi, an ex-athlete, in a role described by director Liju Krishna as unlike any the actor had previously undertaken, necessitating intense physical transformation including a deliberate potbelly appearance and dedicated immersion into the character.[13] Pauly's selection aligned with the film's demand for a performer capable of evolving from lighter commercial fare to a gritty, revolutionary archetype rooted in northern Kerala's socio-political landscape.[14] Aditi Balan was chosen for the female lead Shyma following outreach in 2019, based on her critically acclaimed debut in the Tamil film Aruvi, marking her entry into Malayalam cinema without a formal audition process; she confirmed after script narration by Krishna and prepared by spending a week in Kannur to master local slang and cultural nuances under language coaching.[15] Supporting roles featured Shammi Thilakan as the political figure Kuyyali and Shine Tom Chacko as Mohanan, selected alongside other ensemble members for their demonstrated aptitude in embodying rural and antagonistic political personas drawn from Malayalam cinema's character-driven traditions.[16] To ensure authenticity, the production scouted nearly 1,000 residents from Krishna's native Maloor village, casting several locals—including a Thozhilurappu worker—in pivotal parts after evaluating their natural fit. Krishna emphasized a deliberate approach: "We found people who are apt for our characters and then started giving them training," culminating in a six-month crash course for the cast that incorporated biweekly improvisational campfire sessions and cinema theory instruction.[16]Principal photography
Filming for Padavettu took place predominantly in Maloor village, Kannur district, Kerala, the director's birthplace, to authentically portray rural village life and agricultural settings central to the narrative.[17][18] On-location shoots prioritized natural environments, involving local participation to enhance realism in depicting community dynamics and confrontations.[19] Production schedules faced disruptions from the COVID-19 pandemic, which delayed initial filming phases planned in Kerala villages like Kanjileri in Maloor panchayat.[19] Resumed shoots focused on action sequences featuring sports biking and physical altercations, executed with an emphasis on grounded, realistic portrayals of violence through on-site choreography rather than extensive studio reliance.[20] In March 2022, principal photography entered its final stages in Kannur but was temporarily suspended following the arrest of director Liju Krishna on rape allegations leveled by a female crew member.[21][22] The arrest occurred directly at the shooting location, prompting a brief halt before production recommenced and wrapped by mid-March.[23]Post-production
The post-production of Padavettu encompassed editing, visual effects integration, and sound finalization following principal photography. Editing was handled by Shafiq Muhammad Ali, who assembled the film's narrative structure to maintain its thriller elements alongside thematic depth.[24] Visual effects were supervised by Mindstein Studios, focusing on select action sequences such as the wild boar confrontation to enhance realism without extensive digital augmentation across the production.[25][26] Breakdowns of these effects highlight practical integration with on-location footage, prioritizing grounded depictions over stylized enhancements.[27] Sound design was led by Renganaath Ravee, who served as both designer and editor, with re-recording mixing by Kannan Ganpat and additional contributions from Mohammad Shoaib.[28] This phase incorporated location-specific audio elements to align with the film's rural Kerala setting, culminating in a finalized cut ahead of the October 21, 2022, theatrical release.[24] Digital intermediate color grading was performed by Prasath Somasekar to ensure visual consistency.[26]Cast and characters
Nivin Pauly stars as Ravi Koroth, a former athlete and resident of the village of Maloor who transitions from idleness to actively resisting political exploitation of local farmlands and villagers.[28][20] Aditi Balan plays Shyma, Ravi's love interest whose role involves narrative elements conveyed partly through voice-over.[28] Supporting characters include Shammi Thilakan as Kuyyali, a local figure amid the village's socio-political tensions; Shine Tom Chacko as Mohanan, an antagonist linked to the oppressive forces; and Remya Suresh as Pushpa, contributing to the ensemble depicting rural struggles.[28] The cast collectively portrays the dynamics of an oppressed community in northern Kerala, emphasizing themes of resistance against systemic bullying.[3]| Actor | Character |
|---|---|
| Nivin Pauly | Ravi Koroth |
| Aditi Balan | Shyma |
| Shammi Thilakan | Kuyyali |
| Shine Tom Chacko | Mohanan |
| Remya Suresh | Pushpa |
