Peranbum Perungobamum

Peranbum Perungobamum Movie Synopsis: A nurse seeks revenge against three powerful men whose caste-based violence destroyed his family years ago.

Peranbum Perungobamum Movie Review: For a film about burning injustices, Peranbum Perungobamum never quite catches fire. Director S. Sivaprakash's revenge drama splits its time between past trauma and present scheming, following nurse Jeeva (Vijith Bachan) as he targets three men who've risen from village bullies to political bigwigs. The film opens with body parts scattered across the place like a grisly treasure hunt, then spends half the time explaining why through a series of flashbacks that would make Christopher Nolan dizzy.

The backstory unfolds predictably: honor killings, forbidden love, more honor killings. Jeeva helps an inter-caste couple elope, they die. He falls for Sara (Shali Nivekas), a Christian woman, his casteist mother orchestrates her death too. The cornfield sequence, where pregnant Sara flees her pursuers, could have been a powerful centerpiece but struggles to find the right emotional register.

The revenge plot itself, switching babies at birth to undermine caste purity, is good on paper. But the film treats this revelation like a mic drop moment, apparently forgetting we've seen variations of this plot device since Shakespeare.

Vijith Bachan brings sincerity to Jeeva, though the script could have given him more shades beyond victim and avenger. Shali Nivekas has done the flashback portions well. The supporting cast, including Mime Gopi and Aruldoss as the antagonists, fulfill their roles adequately. Also, what's up with Ilaiyaraaja's music?

Peranbum Perungobamum desperately wants to say something profound about caste violence but gets lost in its own convoluted plotting. With fewer narrative detours, it could have delivered its message more powerfully. By the time the courtroom finale arrives, you're hardly interested in justice anymore.

Written By: Abhinav Subramanian