Star cast: Adharvaa, Vedhika, Dhansika
Producer: Bala, Director: Bala

తెలుగు రివ్యూ: పరదేశి

What Is Good: Performance, Realistic Art Work, Cinematography and Bala Direction

What Is Bad: Second Half Drags, Thin Storyline and Sudden end to the climax

Boring Scenes: Christianity Scenes and Songs in the second half

Watch It or Not?: NO until you are Bala fan.

Paradesi Review: Story

The movie is based on the book "Red Tea" by P H Daniel. Movie starts by showing the poor lives of people in a village in southern Tamil Nadu during 1939 the pre-Independence times, where even getting a bit of rice was considered a luxury. One supervisor from a tea estate taking advantage of their pathetic living condition easily tempts them with false promises like good pay, shelter and daily food. Only on arrival do they realize entrap of being forcibly bonded to the tea estate owners. Not only are the workers made to endure routine torture and beatings from the supervisors, but many more yield due to diseases and blood sucking insects because of the poor and unhealthful conditions.

Paradesi Review: StarPerformances

Atharvaa Murali is simply outstanding, delivered a stellar performance right from the beginning to the end. Antharvaa is lucky to play the lead role at such a young stage of his career. Vedhika resembled yesteryear Srividya in few scenes. Vedhika delivered perfectly taking necessary inputs from the National Award winner Bala. Vedhika was not properly utilised after knowing she is pregnant. Dhanshikaa delivered a much maturated performance and it’s highly commendable. Debutants Udhay Karthik and Riythvika were supportive and natural in their roles. The rest of the support characters are perfect and dedicated in their roles from the beginning to the end.

Paradesi Review: Direction, Music & Technical Aspects

Movie has loads of technical positives in this film from what we have seen as a let down from Bala in his previous attempt Vaadu Veedu. Bala was too realistic in his approach but the commercial compromise he made were more. Bala could have easily skipped songs from the movie. The movie songs don’t serve useful purpose, actually they were very disturbing in the second half. Direction of Bala is good in parts the scenes between Adharvaa and Vedhika scenes were good. Especially scene at the Panchayath and hitting dandora after the insult were stellar with Bala’s touch. But Bala taken too much time for establishment of the characters. First half ends even before the characters are fully established. The unity between the villagers and the script narration were major points Bala should have taken care off. The script narration reminds of Apocolypto in parts. The Christian Missionary scene played by dance master Siva Sankar master were drilling. The debutant Art director C.S. Balachander created a perfect environment for pre independence scenes at Saluru village in 1939. The cinematography by Chezhiyan narrated the script in a ritualistic manner, thanks to the camera movements. Kishore T.E should be applauded for crisp editing, by shortening the length of the film to 125 minutes.

Paradesi Review: Analysis

Paradesi is completely unwatchable for light hearted and for ones who can’t stand sad moments for more than two hours. Paradesi is worth a watch for cinegoers to know the pain and sufferings of all those people without Independence. On the whole, Paradesi with stunning performances and commendable effort from Technical team, is just another Bala mark movie.

Bottom Line : NO until you are Bala fan.

Review board: Saraswathi Nikhil, Shashikant. Write to: editor@apherald.com;