An emotive ode to all the daddies

Film review

Pushpaka Vimana
Kannada (U) Cast: Ramesh Aravind,
Rachita Ram, Yuvina Parthavi, Juhi Chawla
Director: S Ravindranath

Pushpaka Vimana is a highly emotive journey. The tear-jerker is a touching tale of father and daughter told with warmth. It is a commendable debut by director S Ravindranath who impresses with a sizzling script about human relationships. Based on the 2013 South Korean film Miracle in Cell No 7, Pushpaka bowls you over. Ramesh Aravind’s 100th film is a toast with his brauvra acting. Charan Raj’s superlative score with each song, set to rarely heard classical notes, is soulful.

The heart-wrenching drama, picturised by Bhuvan Gowda, revolves around mentally impaired Anantharamaiah whose universe revolves around his cherubic and charming daughter Puttalakshmi. Their blissful relationship, juvenile pranks, singular dream of possessing a toy aeroplane, for which Ananthu, the rickshaw puller ferries passengers despite his disability, forms a thin thread to a larger social theme Ravindranath seeks to press home.

Besides the dad-daughter drama, Pushpaka spotlights on hardened criminals, who, due to circumstances, are behind bars. That they too are human and blessed with hearts of gold, is what Ravindranath seeks to highlight in Pushpaka whose entire drama takes place within the four walls of the cell housing the five criminals. How they smuggle Ananthu’s Puttu to meet him, hoodwinking the police, forms the film’s subtext.

Told in flashback with grown-up Puttu, a lawyer, Pushpaka shows her fighting to clear her father’s name for a crime he has not committed but is sent to the gallows, because a vengeful police officer forces a false admission from Ananthu.

Pushpaka still leaves you with a sour taste as a few adult scenes are unpalatable for children. This despite child artiste Yuvina Parthavi as Puttu, stealing your heart with her magical acting. Evergreen Juhi Chawala in a cameo song makes your heart skip a few beats.