Pasanga (transl. Kids) is a 2009 Indian Tamil-language children's film directed by Pandiraj in his directorial debut. It stars debutant child actors Kishore DS, Sree Raam and Pandian, along with newcomer Vimal and Vega Tamotia in supporting roles. The film is produced by Sasikumar and music score is composed by James Vasanthan. They rose to fame after their 2008 hit film Subramaniyapuram. Pasanga released on 1 May 2009 to critical acclaim, winning three National Film Awards and several other awards at international film festivals.[1]
| Pasanga | |
|---|---|
 Poster | |
| Directed by | Pandiraj |
| Written by | Pandiraj |
| Produced by | Sasikumar |
| Starring | Kishore DS Sree Raam Pandian Vimal Vega Tamotia |
| Cinematography | Premkumar Chandran |
| Edited by | Yoga Baskar |
| Music by | James Vasanthan |
Production company | Company Production |
Release date |
|
Running time | 151 minutes |
| Country | India |
| Language | Tamil |
Plot
editThe story unfolds in a dry and barren village. The protagonist Anbukkarasu (Kishore) wants to excel in life as a collector and is a precious child. He meets Jeevanandam (Sree Raam), the son of the school teacher Chokkulingam (Jayaprakash). The meeting occurs on the first day of school. In the long run, Jeeva develops an instant dislike for Anbu even when the good-hearted Anbu tries to befriend him. However, Jeeva continues to hate Anbu with a passion. Enters Manonmani (Dharini), Jeeva's cousin, who develops an affinity towards Anbu. This makes Jeeva detest Anbu further. Anbu excels academically and in extracurricular activities, which contributes to widening the rift between the two. Anbu's parents have different opinions on life, resulting in a fight between them that Jeeva uses as a means to hurt Anbu further.
A fight between Anbu and Jeeva escalates to involve their parents, and this divides their families. The elders smooth out their differences when Jeeva's father speaks to Anbu's father about forgiveness, leading Anbu's father to get along better with his wife. In a twist, Meenakshi Sundaram (Vimal), Anbu's uncle, falls in love with Soppikannu (Vega Tamotia), Jeeva's sister. The families unite when they agree to the marriage of Meenakshi Sundaram and Soppikannu, much to the chagrin of Jeeva and Anbu, whose rift deepens.
At the end of their sixth grade, Jeeva's father asks the class to a write a letter about good and bad events in their past year, and this causes Anbu and Jeeva to share their feelings about one another. Anbu expresses his liking of Jeeva, while Jeeva continues to express his dislike of Anbu. However, Manonmani helps Jeeva understand that Anbu has changed his life for the better. When Anbu meets with a sudden accident, Jeeva's encouragement helps Anbu recover. Jeeva apologises, they become friends, and the film ends with Meenakshi Sundaram's marriage to Soppikannu.
Cast
edit- Kishore DS as Anbukkarasu
- Sree Raam as Jeeva Nithyanandham
- Pandian as Kuzhanthaivelu (Pakkada)
- Vimal as Meenakshi Sundaram
- Vega Tamotia as Sobhikannu
- Jayaprakash as Chokkalingam
- Dharani as Manonmani
- Murugesh as Kuttimani
- Karthik Raja as Bujjima
- Yoganathan as Akila
- Sivakumar as Vellaichamy, Anbu's father (Voiced by Samuthirakani)
- Sujatha Sivakumar as Muthaduki Chokkalingam
- Senthi Kumari as Pothumponnu Vellaichamy
- Asathiya Siruvan as Mani[2]
Production
edit,_at_Panaji,_Goa_on_November_27,_2009.jpg)
Ramakrishnan was initially offered a lead role by Pandiraj, who was Ramakrishnan's colleague when they were assistants to director Cheran. As Ramakrishnan was busy with the shoot of Kunguma Poovum Konjum Puravum (2009), Vemal was cast in the role instead.[3]
Music
editThe soundtrack was composed by James Vasanthan.[citation needed]
| Song | Singer(s) | Duration | Lyrics |
|---|---|---|---|
| "Naandhaan Goppanda" | Sathyanarayanan, Larson Cyril | 4:32 | Yugabharathi |
| "Oru Vetkam Varudhe" | Naresh Iyer, Shreya Ghoshal | 6:00 | Thamarai |
| "Who's that Guy" | Benny Dayal | 2:02 | James Vasanthan |
| "Anbaale Azhagaagum" | M. Balamurali Krishna, Sivaangi Krishnakumar | 6:06 | Yugabharathi |
Reception
editDeccan Herald, wrote, "Prosaic yet profound, Pasanga, subtly driving its homily, makes for a fine family fare".[4] The Times of India appreciated the film's lack of double entendre dialogues and exaggeration of emotions, "but it is not wanting in romance, family sentiment, or humour at the same time". Still, the critic appreciated the story and "consistent" screenplay.[5] Karthik Srinivasan wrote, "This film, along with Nadodigal, are two of the most enjoyable and natural [...] films to have graced Tamil screens in recent years and I’m happy that someone had the sense to make films like this in this age of mindless action and hero worship".[6]
Accolades
edit57th National Film Awards
edit- Best Child Artist – Kishore DS and Sree Raam[7]
- Best Dialogues – Pandiraj[7]
- Best Feature Film in Tamil[7]
Tamil Nadu State Film Awards
edit57th Filmfare Awards South
edit4th Vijay Awards
edit- Best Supporting Actor – Jayaprakash
- Best Debut Actor – Vimal
- Best Find of the Year – Pandiraj
- Best Crew
Other awards
edit- Anandha Vikatan Award for Best Director – Pandiraj
- Anandha Vikatan Award for Best Film
- Chennai International Film Festival for Second Best Feature Film
- International Children's Film Festival Golden Elephant Award for Best Director – Pandiraj
- Pondicherry Government Sankaradas Swamigal Award for Best Indian Film
- South Scope Cine Awards for Best Film
- World Malayali Council's Essar Award for Best Director – Pandiraj
International Film Festival
edit- 19th Golden Rooster And Hundred Flowers Film Festival (Jiangyin, China)
- Chinese Festival Of India 2010 (China)
- 6th International Children Film Festival 2010 (Bangalore, India)
- 40th International Film Festival Of India 2009 (Goa)
- 2nd International Children Film Festival Bangladesh
- Pune International Children Film Festival
- Lucknow International Film Festival – Best Film (Nominee) and Best Director (Nominee)
- SILPIX Children's Film Festival in America, Chicago 2011
- Norway International Film Festival 2010
- Children's Film Festival, Singapore – 2011
Remake
editThe film was remade in Sri Lanka by Sinhala-language under the title Daruwane in 2012.[citation needed]
References
edit- ^ "'Pasanga' screening in China". IndiaGlitz. 21 May 2010. Archived from the original on 23 May 2010. Retrieved 13 July 2012.
- ^ "Recognise This Child Artist From The Tamil Film Pasanga; Hint: He Didn't Act Much Later". News18. 2 April 2024. Retrieved 9 November 2024.
- ^ Subramanian, Anupama (12 January 2018). "Ramakrishanan earns Pandiraj praise". Deccan Chronicle. Archived from the original on 29 November 2018. Retrieved 6 June 2024.
- ^ "Pasanga". Deccan Herald. 19 June 2009. Archived from the original on 5 August 2024. Retrieved 5 August 2024.
- ^ "Pasanga Movie Review". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 5 August 2024. Retrieved 5 August 2024.
- ^ Karthik (3 December 2009). "Movie review: Pasanga (Pandiraj)". Milliblog!. Archived from the original on 5 August 2024. Retrieved 5 August 2024.
- ^ a b c "It's 10 years of Pasanga". The Times of India. 2 May 2019. Archived from the original on 17 July 2021. Retrieved 17 July 2021.
- ^ "2009-14 Tamil Nadu film awards announced". Deccan Chronicle. 14 July 2017. Archived from the original on 6 February 2023. Retrieved 14 July 2017.
- ^ "TN Govt. announces Tamil Film Awards for six years". The Hindu. 14 July 2017. Archived from the original on 10 November 2023. Retrieved 14 July 2017.
