Well made historical saga

Well-made historical saga: My quick take on the Malayalam movie “pathonpatham noottandu” (Amazon).

The movie title ‘pathonpatham noottandu’ means ‘the 19th century’, and the makers did a good job in unfolding the dark pages of Malabar's history which I was not aware of. The class was divided into some horrible things like the ‘breast tax’ in Travancore. The plot moves around a social reformer Velayudhan panicker who fights against the caste and class divide and inhuman taxes like the ‘breast tax’ wherein the woman of the lower class were not allowed to cover their bodies above the waist.

What I loved about the movie was its rich production value, the recreation of the 19th-century of Travancore rule was simply awesome, and the set design & intricate drapery to compliment it was the cherry on the cake. Chariots, carts, human palanquins, costumes, and jewelry designs were simply the work of good research. Secondly, the action scenes were beautifully choreographed, it was a good amalgamation of kalaripaityu and bollywoodish stunts.

Siju Wilson shins in the role of Velayudhan Panickkar, he stands tall, his gait, his dabang physically, and his action scenes are superlative. The movie had the potential of becoming one more ‘Kantara’ had they stuck to a single storyline, say that of Velayudhan Panikkar, instead, they appended the storyline of Nageli which my view could be a solo movie subject.

Overall it's a well-made period drama, if you love such period dramas then don't miss it. However, you will have to watch it in Malayalam language but with English subtitles.