Pathinettam Padi movie review: Neither Mammootty nor Prithviraj can save this film

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Pathinettam Padi movie cast: Chandunadh, Ahaana Krishna, Akshay Radhakrishnan, Ashwin Gopinath, Wafa Khatheeja Rahman
Pathinettam Padi movie director: Shanker Ramakrishnan
Pathinettam Padi movie rating: 2 stars

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Pathinettam Padi, which means the 18th step, has a religious significance in Hinduism. The uphill trek to Sabarimala temple in Kerala is only complete when a pilgrim climbs up the final 18 steps to reach the sanctum sanctorum. The belief is the final climb helps pilgrims to undergo a spiritual cleansing, which makes them eligible to see Lord Ayyappan atop the hill.

Director Shanker Ramakrishnan, who has also written the film, has invoked this religious reference to tell an ambitious coming-of-age story. But, Shanker has clearly bitten off more than he can chew while making his first feature film. The film has a huge star cast – Mammootty, Prithviraj, Arya and Unni Mukundan. Interestingly, the biggest names of the Malayalam film industry play supporting roles in the film that is led by a slew of newcomers.

The story is set in the 1990s, and it revolves around the rivalry between two schools. The main source of bottomless hatred between the two schools in question is a classic class struggle between haves and have-nots.

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The government school students are hard-working, well-meaning but ill-tempered, flawed but righteous, and represent all the honourable values of the working class. On the other hand, the students of an international school are drug abusing, tantrum throwing, disloyal bunch of spoiled brats who are synonyms for all things rotten in the capitaRead More – Source