Pattas Review

Pattas review - Dhanush is the saviour of this mass entertainer

After Asuran and Enai Nokki Paayum Thotta last year, Dhanush returns on screen with his first release of 2020 - Pattas directed by his Kodi maker Durai Senthil Kumar, yet again essaying dual roles. With the promos presenting a revenge story with martial arts backdrop, let's see what's in store.

Kanyakumari (Sneha), who was imprisoned for committing a murder, gets released after nearly two decades, and arrives in Chennai, planning to kill Nilan (Naveen Chandra), a kickboxing champion who also owns an academy. Pattas aka Sakthi (Dhanush) is a petty thief and he crosses paths with Kanyakumari and ultimately gets to know that she's his mother. Sakthi is the son of Kanyakumari and Thiraviyaperumal (Dhanush again), and it was Nilan who was behind Thiraviyaperumal's death. How Pattas completes his mother's revenge mission is what the movie is all about.

It's a cakewalk for Dhanush who excels in the contrasting roles, and while his energetic, fun act as Pattas reminds of his boy next door acts in Pollathavan and Padikathavan, he delivers a subtle, composed act as the Adimurai specialist Thiraviyaperumal. Sneha gives a good performances in a role that has scope for emotions and action as well, and is impressive as Kanyakumari waiting for revenge. Naveen Chandra's character is very usual and he gives a cliched performance as the template villain. Mehreen Pirzada doesn't have anything to do other than doing crazy acts and her lip sync is a huge minus. The rest of the cast including Nasser, Munishkanth are aptly cast.

Pattas starts with the introduction of the mysterious Kanyakumari played by Sneha, and Dhanush entertains with his funny equation with his sidekick and energetic, terrific dance moves.  The scenes involving Mehreen do not have any impact, and Pattas which moves on a predictable track gains some momentum with a fine interval block.

The second half begins with a very predictable flashback reminding of Mersal, and Pattas proceeds with the routine training sequences, the only difference being mother training son, as Sakthi finally wins Nilan in style as expected to prove Adimurai's supremacy over kickboxing.

Vivek - Mervin's background score works at several places, and of their songs Chill bro, Piriyatha are good. Om Prakash's cinematography capture the action sequences well and presents Pattas as a colorful festive movie. Prakash Mabbu's could have trimmed the first half as Mehreen's episodes don't add any value.

After his 2016 political entertainer Kodi with double Dhanush, as siblings, this time director Durai Senthil Kumar is back with double Dhanush again but as father and son. As a plot, Pattas is a usual revenge drama of a son's retribution for his father, and as a unique feature, the maker has only inculcated the concept of Adimurai martial arts into the screenplay. Dhanush tries to entertain in the first half of the movie with his boyish charm reminding of his Padikkathavan days, and his scenes with his sidekick are funny, and he's equally good as Thiraviyaperumal as well, in a Mersal reminiscent flashback. The problem with Pattas is that every scene in the movie is predictable, and even the mass sequences do not have any freshness.  Barring the Adimurai vs kickboxing concept for the revenge drama, Durai Senthil Kumar's screenplay follows the routine route and it is only Dhanush followed by Sneha who make the audience sit back till the end. The songs are good, and the production values are impressive as well, but the beaten to death plot and conflict point impact Pattas heavily. All said, Pattas is Durai Senthil Kumar's version of Mersal and Silambattam, presenting a son's revenge, flavouring it with martial arts.

Verdict: Dhanush is the saviour of this mass entertainer.