Aan Paavam Pollathathu (2025)

Aan Paavam Pollathathu is yet another film about a young couple heading towards divorce, driven largely by ego. That theme is familiar. What slightly sets this film apart is that there is no third person, no external villain, and no dramatic betrayal. The collapse of the marriage is entirely due to the two people involved and their immaturity. It is not new, but it is handled with honesty. Mangoidiots rates the film a Ripe, mainly for its writing and the discipline in the screenplay.

In films like this, as an audience, we often get impatient. Why can they not sit and talk? Why not bring in parents or elders? Why rush to court? This film almost feels like an answer to those questions. Everything that we usually shout at the screen has already tried here. That is both its strength and its limitation. The film has dull stretches. It is not thrilling. But it delivers exactly what it promises. Its closeness to realism deserves appreciation, especially at a time when we keep complaining about how synthetic many Tamil films feel today. There are no outright bad people here. Everyone has a side, and everyone has reasons. The director makes a sincere attempt to present all of them fairly. Ironically, that very realism may be why the film does not shine as brightly as it could have.

Among the performances, RJ Vigneshkanth stands out the most. In the climax, when he breaks down watching a video of his young daughter, the emotion lands cleanly. It is difficult not to be affected. Usually, films like this force a long sermon on a helpless judge. Here, too, there is a mandatory summary speech, but surprisingly, it feels earned, and it was not by the hero but by his lawyer. I listened to every word, which speaks to the quality of the writing. Malavika Manoj does her part well and holds her ground. With Rio Raj, I felt something was missing. He does what is required, but the final emotional connection does not fully happen. Perhaps some more training would have helped. Sheela Rajkumar, as the heroine’s lawyer, is well cast, faintly reminding us of Simran in Pammal K. Sambandam, without becoming a copy. Jenson Dhivakar as lawyer Siddhu provides sensible comic relief. His handling of the detective tailing them is genuinely funny, especially the moments where he buys him tea, directly reveals their next move, and even invites him to join for a game.

One of the film’s strongest scenes is the couple’s main argument that leads to their divorce. The lines spoken by Siva to Shakti are sharp and memorable. When he corrects her that the portrait on the wall is of G U Pope, and that Babasaheb Ambedkar was not born in Porbandar, that was Mahatma Gandhi, the scene almost invites applause. Siva is not written as a male chauvinist. At the same time, he is not a fool who blindly accepts everything in the name of love. That balance is refreshing.

The editing is tight and confident. Scenes are brief and purposeful. The film avoids long explanations for things that visuals can convey easily. A good example is the heroine’s struggle to find a job after separation. We understand her situation without being spoon-fed. That restraint works in the film’s favour.

Overall, Aan Paavam Pollathathu is not a loud or dramatic film. It is quiet, sometimes too quiet. But it is sincere, grounded, and well-intentioned. If you go in expecting fireworks, you will be disappointed. If you go in expecting a slice of uncomfortable reality, it delivers.