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Ponmagal Vandhal

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"Ponmagal Vanthal" redirects here. For the TV series, see Ponmagal Vanthal (TV series).

Ponmagal Vandhal
Official release poster
Directed byJ. J. Fredrick
Produced bySuriya
StarringJyothika
K. Bhagyaraj
R. Parthiban
Thiagarajan
Pratap K. Pothen
R. Pandiarajan
CinematographyRamji
Edited byRuben
Music byGovind Vasantha
Production
company
Distributed byPrime Video
Release date
  • 29 May 2020 (2020-05-29)
Running time
120 minutes
CountryIndia
LanguageTamil

Ponmagal Vandhal (transl. The Golden Girl has Arrived) is a 2020 Indian Tamil-language legal drama film written and directed by J. J. Fredrick in his debut, and produced by Suriya. The film stars Jyothika leading an ensemble cast including K. Bhagyaraj, R. Parthiban, Thiagarajan, Pandiarajan and Pratap Pothen. The film premiered digitally on 29 May 2020 on Prime Video.

Plot

In 2004, a North Indian woman named 'Psycho' Jothi is convicted for the murder of 2 young men, Rohit and Diwakar, and the kidnapping and serial killing of numerous young girls, and is revealed to have been killed in an encounter when she attempted to escape. 15 years later, A resident in Ooty named 'Petition' Pethuraj (K. Bhagyaraj) reopens the case, citing that Jothi is innocent and he wishes to pose a defense for her. Venba (Jyothika), Pethuraj's daughter and an amateur lawyer, seeks to revive the case amidst oppositions. After proving that the main eye witness, Ramar, who had testified against Jothi, was in Chennai at the time of the murder, and that he was merely a character fabricated by the investigating officer DSP R. Alexander (Subbu Panchu), Venba is successful in getting a second hearing. This leads to the public prosecutor (Gajaraj) being replaced with Rajarathinam (R. Parthiban), a renowned criminal lawyer appointed by a businessman named Varadharajan (Thiagarajan), Rohit's father.

Rajarathinam is successful in proving that Venba's claims that Ramar was an illegitimate witness is false by nullifying the alibi Venba had discovered. During the next hearing, Venba reveals that Jothi was not a North Indian immigrant, but was in fact a Tamilian woman whose name was Sakthijothi. Sakthijothi had eloped with a man from a different caste and moved to Jaipur in the early 1990s, and as a result, her husband was murdered by her father and relatives in the name of honor killing. Venba asks Pethuraj to take the stand, who then testifies that a pregnant Sakthijothi had come to Ooty seeking refuge, and began to stay with Pethuraj and his wife Philomina (Rindhu Ravi). One day several years later, Pethuraj heard Sakthijothi's daughter's screams from the road outside the house, and witnessed Sakthijothi chasing after a car in which her daughter was being taken away, which is shown to have been Rohit and Diwakar's. Venba then shows another video footage of Jothi running with a young girl, saying that Jothi did not try to kidnap her, as the girl was Jothi's daughter, revealing that she is in fact Sakthijothi's daughter, Venba Sakthijothi. Upon confronting Varadharajan for hiding various details about the case, Rajarathinam is made to meet Alexander, who reveals several facts about the case that were never bought into light. It is revealed that Jothi had discovered the whereabouts of a dilapidated bungalow in Lovedale, which is said to have been a hide-out for Rohit and Diwakar, who used to kidnap and rape young girls there. The corpse of a young girl was found buried outside the bungalow, who was later identified as Angel, a girl who had gone missing during a school convention. Venba claims that Alexander had committed perjury when he testified that he had arrested Jothi in Tiruppur, revealing that the arrest was made by Sub-Inspector Suresh Pandian (Jeeva Ravi). However, when she requests to summon Suresh Pandian to testify in the next hearing, Rajarathinam reveals that Suresh Pandian had committed suicide the previous night owing to work-pressure. Venba and Pethuraj are at a loss as Suresh Pandian was the ace up their sleeve. After going through an emotional setback, Venba reveals in the next hearing that she was brutally raped by Rohit and Diwakar, going on to reveal that the conviction of Jothi and the death of Suresh Pandian was all a conspiracy by Varadharajan to save his son's and his own reputation, and that DSP Alexander and the entire investigation team were in on the plot, but says she cannot prove this. However, she receives immense support from the public after this, majority of who believe in Jothi's innocence. On the day of judgement, the judge (Pratap K. Pothen) has a change of heart and summons Varadharajan to be present at the next hearing to testify. However, the judge goes on to take a bribe from Varadharajan, promising a favorable verdict, an action which is looked down upon by the former's friend, Karpooram (R. Pandiarajan), who reprimands him.

At the next hearing, Varadharajan takes the stand, and Venba openly accuses him of being a cutthroat criminal who has been building his reputation by silencing all those of who have raised their voice against him. The judge disallows Varadharajan to leave the courtroom until Venba's interrogation is complete, implying that he has reformed. Venba then introduces a witness who she says can confirm Varadharajan's presence at the tea factory where Jothi was shot dead, and disrespectfully asks Varadharajan why he was present there. Varadharajan then mocks the judicial system in anger, saying that they cannot convict him of anything. Venba then paints a picture of the entire crime that took place in 2004. After chasing the car in which Venba was kidnapped, a distraught Sakthijothi ran across the hamlet looking for her daughter, eventually discovering the bungalow outside which she finds Venba's clothes. She goes inside to find Venba struggling for life, and finds the corpse of another girl, who is revealed to have been Angel, who she then burries outside the bungalow. While attempting to make her way back home, she is intercepted by Rohit and Diwakar, and manages to get hold of Rohit's pistol, using which she shoots both of them dead. Despite Pethuraj's reservations, Sakthijothi hands Venba over to the couple, asking them to take care of her, and surrenders herself to Suresh Pandian. Upon Alexander's orders, an oblivious Suresh Pandian brings Sakthijothi to the tea factory, where she is shot dead by Varadharajan himself. Rajarathinam does not make a rebuttal, and Varadharajan is convicted. At a memorial service for Sakthijothi, Rajarathinam reveals to Venba that he is aware that she is not Sakthijothi's daughter, but the young girl Angel. It is revealed that upon arriving at the bungalow, Sakthijothi (Vidya Pradeep) had found not Angel, but Venba to be dead. After burying her daughter's corpse, Sakthijothi had saved the distraught Angel and killed the 2 young men. Upon Rajarathinam questioning why she did so much for a woman she did not even know, Angel reveals that the pain that she and Sakthijothi suffered were the same and that she will continue to live on as Sakthijothi's daughter Venba. The end credits narrated by Suriya reveals a series of cases registed under the child abuse act in India.

Cast

Production

In July 2019, it was announced that Jyothika's next film would be titled Ponmagal Vandhal.[6] The title was derived from a song in Sorgam (1970).[7] It is the directorial debut of J. J. Frederick. The film was produced by Suriya under 2D Entertainment, videographed by Ramji and edited by Ruben.[8] While writing the script for the film, Frederick consulted legal advisors including Rajasekhar Pandian, a co-producer of the film, and visited court proceedings. The film was shot in Ooty and features five directors (namely Bhagyaraj, Parthiban, Pandiarajan, Pratap Pothen and Thiagarajan) in supporting roles.[9][10] Principal photography began in July 2019,[6] and ended in November.[11]

Soundtrack

The music is composed by Govind Vasantha.[12]

No.TitleLyricsSinger(s)Length
1."Vaa Chellam"VivekBrindha Sivakumar2:38
2."Pookalin Porvai"VivekSean Roldan, Keerthana Vaidyanathan3:49
3."Vaan Thooralgal"Uma DeviChinmayi3:29
4."Kalaigiradhey Kanave"Uma DeviGovind Vasantha3:12
5."Vaanamai Naan"Uma DeviSaindhavi, Govind Vasantha2:07

Release

Ponmagal Vandhal was released on 29 May 2020 on Prime Video.[13] It was originally set to be released theatrically on 27 March,[8] but due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the theatrical release was dropped in favour of a digital release.[14] This resulted in members of the Theatre Owners Association in Tamil Nadu threatening to boycott films produced by or starring Suriya, citing potential financial losses for theatres.[15]

Critical reception

The film received mixed reviews.[16] M. Suganth of The Times of India rated it 2 stars out of 5, saying, "For, both in its writing and making, there is a strong made-for-TV feel about this project [...] As far as courtroom dramas go, Ponmagal Vandhal is decidedly lacklustre. Instead of fiery dialogues and charged arguments between the opposing lawyers what we get are emotional statements being passed off as explosive proof."[1] Baradwaj Rangan stated, "This Courtroom Drama, Starring Jyotika, Needed To Be Much Darker, But It's Content To Remain Family-Friendly" and further go on to say "The director doesn't trust his material. He doesn't trust the audience enough to feel that this "issue" is enough, and doesn't need to be cheaply sensationalised".[17] Pradeep Kumar of The Hindu commended the film's delivery of a "powerful line of messaging" but also noted that the movie "falls prey to the Tamil cinema formula", not affording enough time for the viewers to process the emotions.[18]

Rediff.com's Divya Nair rated 1 out of 5 stars, stating "It is unfair that good actors like Jyotika and Parthiban are wasted in what could have been a spectacular courtroom drama, backed by facts and evidence rather than tears and words."[19] Firstpost rated 3.5 out of 5 stars stating "Ponmagal Vandhal fits perfectly into Jyotika's pursuit".[20]Behindwoods rated 2.75 out of 5 stars stating "Jyothika's Ponmagal Vandhal is a valuable film, that must be watched by everyone for the hard hitting message it drives home".[21] The Indian Express rated 2 out of 5 stars stating "Jyotika carries the film with her performance, but you wish she varied the mix of pain-sorrow-determination: after a point it becomes one-note".[22] News18 rated 1.5 out of 5 stars stating "There is very little novelty in Ponmagal Vandhal, except for the fact that Jyotika's Venba uses tears and emotions to convince the judge with very little hard evidence to prove her point!"[23] The New Indian Express stated "For a film about a buried crime that gets unravelled after an old case is reopened, the court proceedings feel frustratingly spurious."[24] Sowmya Rajendran of The News Minute said, "Ponmagal Vandhal is ambitious in what it wants to do and Fredrick has good instincts as a filmmaker. He only needs to trust his material and medium more."[25]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f Suganth, M (29 May 2020). "Ponmagal Vandhal Movie Review : As far as courtroom dramas go, Ponmagal Vandhal is decidedly lacklustre". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 29 May 2020. Retrieved 29 May 2020.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l J. J. Frederick (director) (29 May 2020). Ponmagal Vandhal (Motion picture). Event occurs at 4:04 and continues to 7:15.
  3. ^ a b J. J. Frederick (director) (29 May 2020). Ponmagal Vandhal (Motion picture). Event occurs at 2:00:35 and continues to 2:03:01.
  4. ^ Amazon Prime Video India (20 May 2020). Ponmagal Vandhal – Official Trailer – 2020 – Jyotika, Suriya – Amazon Prime Video (Video). Event occurs at 0:45.
  5. ^ Johnson, David (29 May 2020). "Ponmagal Vandhal movie review: Check out the audience's verdict on Jyothika's court-room drama". International Business Times. Archived from the original on 31 May 2020. Retrieved 5 June 2020.
  6. ^ a b "Jyotika's next film titled 'Ponmagal Vandhal'". The Hindu. 15 July 2019. Archived from the original on 5 May 2020. Retrieved 5 May 2020.
  7. ^ "Ponmagal Vandhal trailer: Jyotika's courtroom drama is dark, intense". The Indian Express. 21 May 2020. Archived from the original on 21 May 2020. Retrieved 21 May 2020.
  8. ^ a b "Jyotika starrer Ponmagal Vandhal to hit screens on March 27". The Indian Express. 2 March 2020. Archived from the original on 3 March 2020. Retrieved 25 April 2020.
  9. ^ Ramachandran, Mythily (27 May 2020). "Tamil star Jyotika readies 'Pon Magal Vandhal' for web release". Gulf News. Archived from the original on 27 May 2020. Retrieved 27 May 2020.
  10. ^ "'Ponmagal Vandhal' Trailer: Jyothika's Venba puts up a strong fight for justice". The Times of India. 21 May 2020. Archived from the original on 24 May 2020. Retrieved 28 May 2020.
  11. ^ "The shoot of Jo's Ponmagal Vandhal wrapped up". DT Next. 25 November 2019. Archived from the original on 28 May 2020. Retrieved 28 May 2020.
  12. ^ Sony Music South (27 May 2020). "Ponmagal Vandhal – Jukebox | Jyotika | Govind Vasantha | JJ Fredrick | Suriya". YouTube. Retrieved 27 May 2020.
  13. ^ "After 'Gulabo Sitabo', Amazon Prime Video bags Shakuntala Devi biopic, Jyothika's 'Ponmagal Vandhal'". Scroll.in. 15 May 2020. Archived from the original on 15 May 2020. Retrieved 15 May 2020.
  14. ^ "Jyotika's Ponmagal Vandhal to have digital release?". The Times of India. 25 April 2020. Archived from the original on 27 April 2020. Retrieved 25 April 2020.
  15. ^ "'Ponmagal Vandhal' to 'Penguin': Seven films confirmed for straight-to-OTT release". The New Indian Express. 15 May 2020. Archived from the original on 21 May 2020. Retrieved 29 May 2020.
  16. ^ "Will 'Thalaivi' get a digital only release? Here's what Kangana Ranaut has to say". Deccan Herald. 4 June 2020. Archived from the original on 6 June 2020. Retrieved 5 June 2020.
  17. ^ Rangan, Baradwaj (29 May 2020). "Ponmagal Vandhal On Amazon Prime Review: This Courtroom Drama, Starring Jyotika, Needed To Be Much Darker, But It's Content To Remain "Family-Friendly"". Film Companion. Archived from the original on 4 June 2020. Retrieved 29 May 2020.
  18. ^ Kumar, Pradeep (29 May 2020). "'Ponmagal Vandhal' review: Does the Jyotika film make a good argument?". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Archived from the original on 4 June 2020. Retrieved 4 June 2020.
  19. ^ Nair, Divya (1 June 2020). "Ponmagal Vandhal review". Rediff. Archived from the original on 3 June 2020. Retrieved 4 June 2020.
  20. ^ "Ponmagal Vandhal movie review: Jyotika doesn't punch hard but sincerely delivers clarion call to believe women's stories". Firstpost. 29 May 2020. Archived from the original on 4 June 2020. Retrieved 4 June 2020.
  21. ^ "PONMAGAL VANDHAL MOVIE REVIEW". Behindwoods. 29 May 2020. Archived from the original on 15 June 2020. Retrieved 4 June 2020.
  22. ^ "Ponmagal Vandhal movie review: Jyotika starrer is let down by muddled writing". The Indian Express. 30 May 2020. Archived from the original on 5 June 2020. Retrieved 4 June 2020.
  23. ^ "Ponmagal Vandhal Review: A Superb Jyotika Fails To Lift An Unoriginal Plot". News18. 29 May 2020. Archived from the original on 31 May 2020. Retrieved 4 June 2020.
  24. ^ "'Ponmagal Vandhal' review: This courtroom drama about big issues has big issues". The New Indian Express. 30 May 2020. Archived from the original on 10 June 2020. Retrieved 4 June 2020.
  25. ^ Rajendran, Sowmya (29 May 2020). "'Ponmagal Vandhal' review: Jyotika's thriller has the twists, leaves us wanting more". The News Minute. Archived from the original on 8 June 2020. Retrieved 29 May 2020.
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