'Pada' review: A gripping political thriller

Pada

Malayalam (Amazon Prime Video)

Director: Kamal K M

Cast: Vinayakan, Joju George, Kunchacko Boban, Dileesh Pothan

Rating: 3.5/5

Take a stand. Raise a fist.

‘Pada’’s simple message is delivered in two crisp hours of storytelling, which points a finger at the rotting system. The stink has been around for so many decades that no one bothers to cover their nose anymore.

‘Pada’ (a small army here) is powered by four men protesting against a legislation that would displace adivasis from the forests. The movie is based on true events that shook the corridors of power in Kerala in 1996. A district collector is taken hostage so that the ‘Ayyankali pada’ can negotiate their demands for the indigenous communities.

The beauty of ‘Pada’ lies in its resolve to revolt without making much noise. The men are methodical and get down to business with great precision. There is no paraphernalia associated with political thrillers, yet the gang makes it a gripping watch with realistic performances.

There are no heroes here, only inconspicuous activists who blend into the crowd. They rise only when the time is ripe.

Vinayakan, Joju George, Kunchacko Boban and Dileesh Pothan are lessons in minimal. But their attention to detail gets them to the negotiating table fast. There are clear instructions on the exact time a phone should ring (memorising numbers was a virtue in the no-mobile phone era). A father of two is good at talking quarrelling children out of it and also striking a deal with a judicial officer. An activist, who has had run-ins with police, knows how to wriggle out with a bag of explosives. A teacher is confident that the presence of NSG commandos will fetch them good media coverage.

Director Kamal K M keeps emotions in check as he raises a socially relevant issue. Laws over the years have watered down the rights of tribal populations. The movie may not make your blood boil. But it definitely kindles a flame.

The film’s greater point: Silence isn’t always golden. So fight even when a solution is not in sight.