Pada was a quiet thriller that was an unpretentious hit when it released in the theatres earlier this month. Its OTT premiere was also equally low-key.
Pada has started streaming on Amazon Prime Video from Tuesday night without any big announcement. A big hit streaming from the middle of the week caught many by surprise. But no one is complaining as the movie is a gritty entertainer with a larger and important social message.
Based on a real-life incident that happened in Kerala, Pada revolves around the armed rebellion by a group of men over the issue of land rights for the indigenous communities.
A dramatic protest depicted chillingly
Directed by Kamal K M (who had earlier made I.D.), Pada features Kunchacko Boban, Vinayakan and Joju George in the leads. The film also has Dileesh Pothan , Prakash Raj, Arjun Radhakrishnan, Indrans, Salim Kumar, Jagadish, T G Ravi, Unnimaya Prasad, Savithri Sreedharan, V K Sreeraman and Shine Tom Chacko in the cast.
The film had its theatrical release on March 11. Produced By E4 Entertainment and AVA Productions, the film has cinematography by Sameer Thahir and music by Vishnu Vijay.
The film is inspired by a real event that took place in 1996 when a small army (pada) of comrades took the collector and the Palakkad Collectorate hostage to protest against a Legislative Bill that would relocate Adivasis from their homes. This Bill had the powers to turn Adivasis into refugees, forcing them to move out of their land.
The film gives the event a docu-drama treatment, and the day of the dramatic protest comes alive with chilling reality. Pada diligently explored the minutiae of the events that inspired it
According to many critics, who praised the film upon its release, Pada's strength was in giving its central characters a relatable context as opposed to presenting them as unapproachable activists that films of this nature are generally wont to. Pada managed to integrate enough characters into the screenplay such that the Collectorate is demystified from an imposing power structure to the last ray of hope for seemingly powerless people, the critics said.
Meanwhile, a flurry of Malayalam movies are streaming this week on the various OTT platforms, and they include (aside from Pada), Bheeshma Parvam (Disney+ Hotstar), Veyil (Amazon Prime Video) and Member Rameshan 9am Ward (Zee5). And next week, we have Naradan (Amazon Prime Video). It could as well be Malayalam film festival out there on the POTT platforms.
