Pattathu Arasan HD Released

 

Believing to reach wider section of audience, filmmakers here either make their heroes run with swords and sickles or let them play an ancient sport that's been popular in TamilNadu. Director Sarkunam, in Pattathu Arasan, opts for the latter.

Atharvaa and his grandfather Rajkiran are Kabbadi players in the film and we get to witness an interesting Kabbadi tournament in the climax. While all these works to a certain extent, infusing family emotions in sports drama and the tendency to reuse all the cliché associated with rural based films makes it an average outing.

Patthathu Arasan begins with Chinnadurai (Atharvaa) educating a Kabbadi player about his grandfather Potheri (Rajkiran) and the laurels that he has brought to the hometown. We are also given a glimpse of his hay days and how powerful Potheri was as a Kabbadi player. Though Chinnadurai (grandson of Potheri's second wife) is not in good terms with his grandfather, Potheri and his immediate family members, he never let people disrespect the latter.

Meanwhile Chellaiya, one of the grandson's of Potheri, gets selected for pro-Kabbadi league - a dream of sorts for many players in the town. One of his team members, plots plan to disrupt Chellaiya's peace and defame Pothari who is still a pride for many. The guy succeeds and even villagers brand Chellaiya as a traitor. This forces Chellaiya to take up a drastic decision by ending his life.

Chinnadurai, who is very close to Chellaiya, decides to find the real culprits behind his brother's death. He along with his grandfather Potheri also challenges the entire village to play Kabbadi against their family members to prove a point.

Can Potheri's family win against all odds and prove the entire village that Chellaiya is not a traitor?

Director Sarkunam would have probably written this film only with aspirations to win the hearts of the family audience and nothing else. Pattathu Arasan is definitely not a bad film but then simply rehash of multiple films which we have been witnessing in recent times. A grandfather who's angry with his grandson, a hero who falls in love with a girl during a bus journey, a family that decides to embrace an estranged member who is not in talking terms for years - all these plot ideas sounds familiar isn't it?

However, the director's idea of making an entire family play a Kabbadi tournament is laudable. It was refreshing to watch Rajkiran, Singampuli, Atharvaa and even Ashika performing inside the arena. There are a couple of interesting moments which could have actually elevated the script to another level. However, it looks like Sarkunam intentionally decided to down play it without being over-dramatic. The problem here is that, being a commercial entertainer, we have the responsibility to make the viewers emote. Either make them smile or make them cry but it's definitely a sin to make them keep a straight face throughout.