Pizhai film review: A film with good intentions, but lacks execution

CAST: Charlie, Mime Gopi, George, Ramesh, Nasath, Gokul

 DIRECTION: Rajvel Krishna

 Pizhai is centered aaround three school kids and the troubles they face (and give) in their village life. Mayilu (Gokul), Vedi (Ramesh) and Kodi (Appa Nasath) are three errant children who do not like to study. Their parents (played by Charlie, Mime Gopi and George) are labourers at a granite pit, and their aspirations are for their kids to study hard and make a good future for themselves. By eighth grade at a government school, the kids fail and drop out.

Facing strict parents and a stricter teacher, the trio comes across a young man who returns to the village after running away himself when he was a child. He’s a well-off hotelier now, and the boys take his success story as their cue to flee to the big city. Chasing money, they lie their way into various odd ends and get into a whole load of trouble.  How they learn their life lessons and whether they get back to their village forms the remainder of this film.

Veterans Charlie, Mime Gopi and George Maryan prove their versatility. The boys are also decent, especially Nasath impresses with his witty banter. Pizhai has good intentions but the execution is found wanting. Some of the scenes are rather disjointed and lack continuity. Subplots and a moralistic tone mar the flow of the film. Perhaps if the director had stayed on track without getting involved in one too many issues, Pizhai could have made for an interesting tale.