‘Panchatanthiram’ (2002) Review

Panchatanthiram is a movie I found out about via Reddit. Many people hailed it as one of the funniest comedies of its time, and while it certainly had its moments, it doesn’t seem like Panchatanthiram is the epitome of the genre, as reviews online would have you believe.

Panchatanthiram — Review at a Glance

Story — 3/5
Acting — 3/5
Music — 2.5/5
Direction — 2.5/5

Pros: Good pacing, doesn’t try to be overtly crass for a few laughs

Cons: Surface-level comedy that feels stale after a while

Must-Watch: No

One-Time Watch: Yes

When to Watch Panchatanthiram — When you want something funny but also tried and tested

Panchatanthiram Review — A Deep Dive

At first glance, Panchatanthiram‘s story (about a playboy-turned-dedicated husband) seemed like it was going to be pretty typical of the genre.

The casual misogyny — that defined most movies in the early 2000s — also serves as a plot device in this film, but one can chalk that up to Panchatanthiram being a product of its time and move past it.

In fact, credit where credit is due, I feel like Panchatanthiram has employed some restraint when using these tropes… It’s not as bad as some of its Bollywood counterparts.

The comedy in Panchatanthiram can be attributed to more than just gags about sex or relationships. The cheeky dialogues and the fast-paced back and forth between characters are truly the highlight of this film… but even then, Panchatanthira’s humour has this quality of mediocrity that it had the potential to avoid.

Panchatanthiram isn’t a bad film, but it also doesn’t reinvent the wheel. So, if you’re looking for something like Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro, which has more nuanced comedy, then you may be a tad disappointed with Panchatanthiram.

The film’s overall story also has its highs and lows. The fact that it takes an hour for Panchatanthiram to get to the main murder — just so it can establish the playboy nature of its protagonist — doesn’t work in its favour.

We get it… Ramachandramurthy (aka Ram CM) is a player and gets chicks — until he finds and marries his true love. Once he does turn a new leaf, he gets embroiled in a murder plot along with his friends, which leads to deep misunderstandings with his wife.

While the romantic portions of the film feel cliched, the murder mystery is surprisingly fun — and acts as Panchatanthiram’s saving grace.

Moreover, the casting of the film is also spot on. Kamal Haasan does have a certain screen presence that manages to transcend the generic vibe of his character, and Simran and Ramya Krishna also have good chemistry on screen with the various characters.

So, when all is done and dusted, Panchatanthiram is not the worst, but it manages to entertain on a very mundane level…

Panchatanthiram Plot Overview

Ram CM is a pilot who has multiple affairs with women and truly lives his best life until he meets Mythili. He falls head over heels for her and becomes an honest man when they get married. However, due to Mythili misinterpreting certain situations, she starts doubting his intentions and the two separate.

His friends decide to arrange a rendezvous with a sex worker named Maggie so that Ram can get over his wife. After a brief altercation, Ram walks away (since he has no interest in cheating on his wife) only to land in hot water when Maggie’s corpse is discovered by his friends.