Pada Review…such a learning experience!

Year: 2022
Genre: True Story, Politics, Tradition, Social Justice, Thriller
Cast: Kunchacko Boban, Vinayakan, Joju George, Dileesh Pothan, Prakash Raj, Arjun Radhakrishnan, Indrans, Salim Kumar, Jagadish, Unnimaya Prasad
Director: Kamal K M
Writer: Kamal K M
Cinematographer: Sameer Thahir
Summary: 4 members of the Adivasi community take a government official hostage in order to demand the abolition of a land acquisition law

Overall Rating: —
First of all, let’s start by saying a HUGE THANK YOU to Kamal K M for underlining the issues faced by the Adivasi community. This was such a learning experience for us, foreign viewers, who weren’t aware of this history.
Pada has no ratings due to its extreme sensitivity; it was so striking that the film went beyond the need to be graded
~So Worth Watching~

Delicious
—What stood out in Pada was that Kamal K M really sought to bring awareness of the injustice done to the Adivasi people.
In the beginning, we were provided information on previous laws passed; during the movie, crucial messages were communicated, and at the end, we saw actual footage of the incident
—The screenplay was pulling us into the story, we felt so sorry for the Adivasi men holding the collector hostage.
We literally wanted to enter inside our TV to help them strategize better in order to successfully carry out their mission. We were rooting for them.
Additionally, Kamal knew when to increase and decrease tension to keep us engaged
—The sound design team needs to be applauded! They worked efficiently to establish the thrilling atmosphere of the film
—Always a pleasure to see Unnimaya Prasad (playing one of 4 Adivasi members’ wife) and Vinayakan (Balu, one of the 4 members), they never disappoint 😀
First time seeing Arjun Radhakrishnan (playing the collector) and frankly, he was impressive. He added a special composure and calmness during the hostage segment that was just remarkable. Looking forward to more of his movies
—Let’s also celebrate the lighting crew. Especially the night scene where the collector’s office was only lit by cars’ headlights through the windows. Wow… They effectively guided our eyes to specific actors and props
—The dialogues were rich, providing us with a vast understanding of the plight of the Adivasi people

Bland
—A teeny weeny note concerning the color grading which tended to have too bright colors rather than toning them down in certain scenes.
Moreover, the editing, at times, was a bit confusing, particularly the transition to the scenes involving comrade Kannan; it didn’t flow well with the film’s mood