Pani story: Two young mechanics – Don and Siju – try to make a name for themselves by taking up a ‘quotation’ in Thrissur, which sees a sudden spike in goons. As they complete their first assignment, their paths cross that of Giri and his family, who are ruling the city. As the two fearless novices outsmart the veterans, who have chosen to stay away from getting their hands dirty, Giri is forced to enter the arena for vengeance. But at what cost?

Pani review: It’s easy to burden a noted actor’s directorial debut, which he has also dared to script, with unnecessary expectations. But the actor-filmmaker would also want to justify the reason for taking the plunge, even if it’s for his or her creative satisfaction. After the first half of Pani, which Malayalam actor Joju George has scripted and directed, you would feel it has all the trappings that comes with an actor who wants to ensure that his first directorial is different. Some of it work, some of it doesn’t; but it does stand out. And in the case of Pani, it’s the second half that truly lets the filmmaker shine with his craft.

Right from the first few scenes, Joju has ensured that the audience feels that there’s some thought gone into the making --- be it define the setting, a crowded Thrissur city and its famous Swaraj Round, its people, the police authorities trying to control an impending chaos due to the city’s rise in goons and some of its wayward youth, who are determined to make a name for themselves and go up the pecking order (of crime).

As the film’s antagonists, two youngsters Don (Sagar Surya) and Siju (Junaiz VP) carry out their first hit, their main aim was to make enough money. But these aren’t just goons, Joju has written two characters, who are motivated by more than the moolah; they have a mind that’s twisted and yet driven with a purpose to see them rise to the top – no matter what it takes. The twisted aspect, makes them cross paths with that of Giri (Joju George), who along with his friends and family are on top of this criminal empire but stay clean enough that the cops don’t incriminate them. It’s the sense of planning and purpose that make these two novices lock horns with those on top of the food chain and wound them enough to feel the pain and loss; so much that Giri and his famiy have to get their hands dirty; even as their sense of security slips away.

While the first half of the film sets up as a standard revenge drama, where Giri and his family are expected to go after the two goons who broke into his house and committed a crime that Giri can’t forgive, it’s the second half that drives the knife deeper into the central character. That’s what also makes Pani exciting and intense.

Throughout the script, Joju builds characters; for instance, even while Giri is shown first, he lets the audience wait for another supporting character David, before introducing him. The latter is then straddled with his set of goons, the chief among them Suni – an intimidating figure. And yet he tosses them aside, à la Luca Brasi in The Godfather, probably breaking that false sense of security that people on top of the criminal pyramid have. This chain of crimes also makes us side with Giri, who is a gray character himself.

While the trauma of a woman who is sexually harassed might not be entirely masked by a character’s dialogue, urging her to consider rape as an accident, some of the lines especially featuring Siju and Don are effective. Especially, the one about their hunters not being able to track them down because they are small fish and yet they can see where the hunters are. The film is especially buoyed by a second half that is intense and thrilling, with the duo, outwitting their counterparts at every turn, and extracting pain.

The performances in Pani are top notch – led by Sagar Surya and Junaiz as the novices trying to make it big. With Kuruthi, Sagar has already proven that he’s a talent to look out for and with Pani, he just shows that he has more levels. Junaiz’s naive looks might fool you at first, but he is the man with the plan. Joju has also assembled a brilliant cast of supporting characters – from Prashanth Alexander, Bobby Kurian, Abhaya Hiranmayi, Sujith Sankar and Ranjith Velayudhan who plays the commissioner; all of whom are also given notable parts in the film.

Credit goes to Joju, for not just daring to pick a subject as this for his directorial debut, but also often resisting the urge to play to the masses. This is also what works in the second half, when Giri strikes back with full force. Also, the film has a few violent scenes that will be disturbing for some.

The film’s cinematography by Venu and Jinto George, as well as the music by Vishnu Vijay and Sam CS, keeps Pani pacy. The car and bike chase sequence is a highlight. Once the movie establishes the setting, it never slows down and sucks the audience into a thrilling ride – where you are invested in the villains as well as the hero; maybe more in the case of the former.

Pani verdict: Actor Joju George aces the directorial test with Pani, which turns into a thrilling ride once it gets going. Backed by solid performances and good writing, Joju makes a confident debut as a director.

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