Palthu Janwar movie review: Great writing lends soul to this simple, rustic tale starring Basil Joseph

3.5/5

Story: Prasoon, who fails at starting his own animation company, is forced to take up the job of a livestock inspector at a village in Kudiyanmala. With his heart not in it, the disillusionment of the first job is quick to get him but with no way out, he slowly begins to see the silver lining. The trappings of bureaucracy and blame-game, however, lands him in a soup that leads to him taking a decision.

Review: First jobs are arguably always the toughest and it becomes even more difficult when you know beforehand that this isn’t what you are meant to do. But those who have been in a steady employment for several years would testify that every job will have its highs and lows, and if you stick long enough – there might come a few exciting moments where you can show your worth and you feel like you belong. In a nutshell, Basil Joseph’s Palthu Janwar is about the journey of its protagonist Prasoon, who aspires to be an animator, but fails at the venture and is pushed to take up the job of a livestock inspector in a village due to pressure from his family; it revolves around how he has love-hate relationship with the job till a series of incidents open his eyes and show him his calling.

The film has a simple story at its core but it’s so well-written by Aneesh Anjali and Vinoy Thomas and packaged by its filmmaker Sangeeth P Rajan that the runtime just of two hours, feels like a breeze; all the while peppering its audience with little nuggets of realisation that makes the hero’s journey worthwhile. The world of Kudiyanmala itself is something that evokes nostalgia, and the writers have married this setting to Prasoon, who comes from a city and frequently uses his mobile phone to get in touch with his colleague to find answers to his and the animals’ problems.

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This contrast is not in your face and the dialogues are replete with figure of speeches, probably because both the writers are also Malayalam teachers. For instance, a priest (Dileesh Pothan) asks a manipulative ward member if he wants to add water to his alcohol, to which the latter cheekily replies, ‘Isn’t water just a belief?’ These elements ensure the story progresses in a steady and simple manner, without too much drama but just enough delight to keep you hooked. The final stretch especially works as a metaphor for so many things – motherhood, death, faith, humanity and most of all, life, which just finds a way.

While the first half lays down the struggles that Prasoon has to face and also the people he meets in his professional life, the second half has him trying to solve a problem. It’s a rather too basic structure for a screenplay but what makes Palthu Janwar is that its characters are people you would meet every day in a village and the problems you would encounter in any corner of the world. There’s a blame-game that consistently plays out with Prasoon and his superiors. The audience is also shown different perspectives of the quandary that Prasoon has to face and none of them justifying him. It’s a nice touch that instead of just redeeming its protagonist, the writers also add a dose of realisation that makes his arc complete, even though much is left unsaid.

Also read: Exclusive! Through Palthu Janwar, we wanted to tell a story with familiar faces and incidents: Sangeeth P Rajan 

Basil Joseph is earnest in his role as Prasoon, who doesn’t have dramatic outbursts and plays it with the restraint of a man who is trying his best to adapt but can’t. The best dialogues in the movie, however, go to Indrans, who plays a silky ward member with an alcohol-use disorder, and Shammi Thilakan, who is hilarious in his over-the-top act as the senior veterinarian, who is also moonlighting as a pyramid scheme agent. Johnny Antony shows he can handle sombre roles too with his character Davis in the film.

The film’s cinematography by Renadive puts the audience straight in Kudiyanmala among the villagers, their animals and their daily problems. Justin Varghese’s music seamlessly blends into the pace of the story.

Verdict: Basil Joseph’s Palthu Janwar has humour laced throughout its simple, rooted story. Earnest performances and some great writing make the film a breezy watch.