Pakal is a 2006 Indian Malayalam-language drama film directed by M. A. Nishad, starring Prithviraj Sukumaran and Jyothirmayi in lead roles. The film was produced by Santhosh Mathai and Biju John, with a screenplay written by Susmesh Chandroth. The music was composed by G. Radhakrishnan, cinematography by Vipin Mohan, and editing by P. C. Mohanan.
Plot
The film follows Nandakumar (Prithviraj Sukumaran), a television reporter for the channel Kerala Today, who is assigned to cover the plight of farmers in the Pannakamkudi region of the Wayanad District, Kerala. Along with his cameraman Abu (Sudheesh), he documents the severe financial hardships faced by local farmers, including crop failure, low agricultural prices, inability to repay bank loans, and high interest rates charged by private financiers—conditions that drive many farmers to suicide. The investigative reports broadcast on prime-time news draw attention from government officials and local moneylenders, leading to pressure on the media team to stop reporting. The story explores themes of media responsibility, government failure, and rural distress.
Cast
- Prithviraj Sukumaran as Nandakumar
- Jyothirmayi as Celine
- Thilakan as Kochuthekkethil Kunjappan
- Jagathy Sreekumar
- Shweta Menon as Latha Mohankumar
- Jagadish as Ummachan
- Sudheesh as Abu
- T. G. Ravi as Joseph
- Seema G. Nair as Panchayat President
- Kanakalatha
- Sreeja Chandran as Merlin
- Sathaar as K.M.P. Nambiar
- Subair
- Sadiq
- Kozhikkode Sarada
- Jijoy Rajagopalan
- Anoop
- Ibrahim Vengara
- Maya Vishwanath
- Zeenath
Release
The film was released on 24 November 2006 in India. It has a runtime of approximately 95 minutes (1 hour 35 minutes) and was rated 6.1/10 on IMDb based on 31 ratings. On Rotten Tomatoes, it has no critic reviews listed.
Reception
Rediff described the film as having "good intentions." The film was noted for addressing the relevant socio-political issue of farmer suicides in Kerala, though critical reception was mixed.
