Tamil answer to the legendary Malayalam blockbuster Drishyam by its mentor Jeethu Joseph is an emotionally uplifting pulse riser that has a prize boxer in Kamal Haasan delivering a knockout punch that explodes with family values, togetherness, morality, upbringing and much more.

Papanasam doesn’t deviate from the original structure but there is a conscious effort to explain the strategy of Drishyam’s understated intelligence. The ploy more or less works because the events look convincingly premeditated in context of the alibi and as a result the characters better fleshed out.

‘Papanasam’ is a faithful, if not better remake. It’s an exhilarating cocktail of family, emotions, crime and redemption. It’s not a whodunit or a ‘howdunit’ because we know both. It places the viewer in a moral dilemma. Jeethu Joseph’s watertight script would have got a nod of approval from Hitchcock. He may have found the filial sentiments silly but that’s Jeethu’s masterstroke.

“Papanasam” is the best and the most faithful remake of the original. It shows what Kamal Haasan is capable of doing when he’s at his best.

Papanasam is a gripping tale that is unpredictable and ultimately leaves you stumped.

Don’t miss it

…is the best and the most faithful remake of the original. It shows what Kamal Haasan is capable of doing when he’s at his best.

It is a welcome relief to see an edge-of-the-seat thriller in Tamil without resorting to hurried screenplay, unnatural dialogues, forced characterization, abrupt editing, loud background scores to list a few among many other commercial compromises. The director deserves credit for making a nail-biting crime drama with no action sequences or unwanted songs.

In a scenario, where the young Tamil cinema is busy experimenting rapidly on the unexplored variety of genres, Papanasam comes as a pleasant change with simplicity, realism, family bonding and basic human emotions as its core subjects.

Papanasam is a movie that engages your senses while managing to dispel any misgivings on a timely basis. In a tour-de-force that stretches beyond the 2 hour and 40 minutes mark, director Jeethu Joseph has recreated the original magic of Drishyam but with a more localized flavor to boot. The stage largely belongs to Kamal Haasan, whose eyes tell as much a story as his vocal chords.

Kamal Haasan is this out of the world Superman when he’s in front of the camera. Give him any character and within a minute he transforms into that character. There’s no denying that there’s earnestness in Jeethu Joseph’s story. But having watched a version of the movie I was apprehensive about ‘Papanasam’s’ capability to convince me afresh. However it’s a joy to discover what the team has done here. They have proved that even after watching several versions of the story, you’ll still be able to relish this drama till the last minute.

The film may be in Tamil but is likely to appeal equally to the Hindi cinegoer. Papanasam is a great reminder of why we go to the movies: to be entertained and stay emotionally engaged.Regional language should not keep you away, irrespective of upcoming Hindi remake, Drishyam.

A must watch for those fans of Kamal who have been waiting to see him as an actor — not just a star driven to stunts — and, of course, Gauthami, who would certainly rekindle memories of her great performances.

A well-written screenplay, brilliantly executed, with clever music, stunning cinematography, and, above all, the hugely talented Kamal Haasan, make Jeethu Joseph’s Papanasam a must watch.

Future film scholars are going to tie themselves up in knots about who is better, which approach is better, but for now, let’s just say Kamal Haasan is terrific. And it’s terrific to see him play a ‘normal’ part, something that doesn’t ask you to view it through special Subtext Revealing Glasses. As fun as that is, sometimes, more of this, please.

After the first half an hour when the various characters are established, the film gets into a thrilling roller-coaster mode. The next two-plus hours are when you have your heart perpetually parked in your mouth, as this hapless, middle class family goes through an unimaginable fate. The watertight script (except for one or two silly flaws) and robust execution gets you caught up in the emotional whirlpool along with Suyambulingam’s family.

Jeethu Jospeh’s taut and convincing writing makes this a nail-biting thriller! But what will eventually make you take notice of this film is Kamal Haasan’s superb performance. He makes subtlety look intense! Don’t miss it! A brilliant gem like this doesn’t occur in cinema often.

If you are Kamal Haasan fan you won’t even need to read this review to watch Papanasam. If you are not a Kamal Haasan fan, please don’t miss it for anything in the world as it is very rare that a good script meets a great actor. And if you are thinking ‘ I have already watched Drishyam’, I would say give Papanasam a chance as it has the potential to blow your mind. Be a little patient in the beginning and it would pay rich dividends.

Papanasam is a faithful remake of Drishyam with an authentic local flavor and more detailing from the original!

We live in an age where family-oriented movies are hardly on display and very rarely a selling commodity. But once in a while, there comes out a torch-bearer of a movie that reminds everyone that you do not need a hero with six-pack abs or skimpily-clad heroines to define a winning formula -Papanasam is one such wonder, a complete family entertainer made with loads of passion! Now that’s enough reason not to miss this impressive movie!

We all know that Papanasam is a winning script and retaining Jeethu Joseph has helped immensely. But when a performer called Kamal Haasan takes up such a project, magic on screen is rest assured.