Padikada Pakkangal

“Padikada Pakkangal” is a 2024 Tamil thriller film directed and written by Selvam Mathappan under the production house Smoviepark and Pournami Pictures. The movie features Yashika Aannand in the heroine role, alongside Prajin, George Maryan, and Muthu Kumar.

The plot revolves around “Sreeja” (Yashika Aannand), a famous actress, who accedes to an interview with a journalist at her hotel room. But soon enough, the pseudonymous journalist is an imposter with a hidden agenda. An otherwise simple interview soon becomes an edge-of-your-seat battle of deception, threat, and survival. When Sreeja struggles to understand what's on his agenda, she falls into the web of his deceit and death threats that push her to meet danger at the end of it all.

Director Selvam Mathappan builds suspense through tight narration and dramatic sequences. The film begins on a mysterious note: a frightened woman entering a building under construction, establishing the tone for the ensuing drama. The courtroom is rich in depth, providing a legal fight where women hold commanding roles as judges, lawyers, and accused. These elements are an interesting backdrop to Sreeja's battle.

Yashika Aannand delivers a solid performance, and she brings Sreeja alive as a spirited and vulnerable woman. Her development, from being a confident actress to a woman struggling for her life, is believable. Prajin and George Maryan, in their secondary roles, add depth to the story, and the tension feels real.

The movie tries to have empowered women characters and empowerment themes, but sometimes the effort comes across as forced. Although it presents the emancipation of women, there are certain scenes present within it that contradict its message, which makes the feminist content seem shallow. Several of the lines in dialogue also lose their impact feeling a bit of a cliche.

“Padikada Pakkangal” may be flawed, but it is still a very good nerve-racking/terror with twists and suspenseful sequences. Mystery, courtroom drama and psychological suspense in combination ( mostly for female thriller fans ) give you an interesting watch.