Nature can be cruel, it can be mysterious and it can also be beautiful – It is all how we look at it. Some are born with flaws, we call them differently-abled and that is the law of nature for we do not have a say in that. More than just worrying about them, it is important that you accept people like that and understand their utmost needs. 

Three years after commencement, Peranbu finally sees the day of light. Ram had apparently developed this script over a decade ago, even before becoming a director and was waiting for the right chance to narrate the story to Mammootty. It was after completing his second film Thanga Meenkal, he got an opportunity to meet Mammootty and explain the script of Peranbu for 30 minutes. In January 2016, the first look poster of Peranbu was revealed and last January (2018), the world premiere of Peranbu took place in the Netherlands. The film has been screened at a few other film festivals and the response at all the events were phenomenal.

So what is Peranbu about? Does it have a tragic ending? Will it be so melodramatic? Is it a film purposefully made to make people feel sad? Peranbu has a different treatment than what Ram’s previous other films had. It is not just another film that talks about differently-abled people. There are quite a lot of films that have been made on special children in the past but what makes Peranbu different is that it doesn’t only talk about the life of such kids but also the people around them. How the society sees them and the struggle that a parent goes through to raise such a child.




‘‘Only when you learn about the life of a special person, will you know how blessed you really are’’ – Peranbu starts with this dialogue after a very lengthy title card. It is always a struggle to raise a kid being a single parent. What happens to a person who tries to provide a simple livable life to his spastic child? That is what Peranbu is all about. Though it is Sadhana the girl who plays the differently-abled kid, you feel sadder for her dad's character, enacted by Mammootty.

The film touches a lot of sensitive issues but at no place, would you think of it as being vulgar or inappropriate. Ram is easily one of the finest filmmakers that Tamil cinema has ever produced and the maturity he has shown in this film only proves that point. The dialogues, in particular, were brilliant and to the point. The pre-interval scene is one of the highlights of Peranbu, a very simple scene that makes a lot of sense. That sequence proves that you don’t have to try really try hard to make a scene work.


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One doesn't have to mention anything about Mammootty’s acting skills, for it is legendary. We have seen what an incredible actor he has been over the past 40 years but this will still go in the records as one of his best Tamil films ever. He has acted with such ease and élan. Likewise, Sadhana has lived the role, not once did we feel that she was overacting and the consistency was absolutely amazing.

There are two other pillars in the technical department – Yuvan and Theni Easwar. Incredible is the word, for both have given their best to the script without overdoing it. Yuvan reserves his best for Ram and you can see the love that he has showered on this project through his music. Excessive usage of guitars was evident in the first half – it was unconventional and quirky but fitted best for the script.




Verdict: Too good in so many of its parts that there is a temptation to forgive its slowness

Rating: 3.25/5