Story
Subbu hails from a remote fictional village bound by a superstition that women must wear the Paradha from the time they come of age—failure to do so is believed to bring a curse upon the entire village. Trouble begins when Subbu’s photograph appears in a leading national magazine. Forced to prove her innocence, she embarks on an unexpected journey to Dharamshala, where she along with two other women rediscover themselves.

Artists Performance

Anupama Parameswaran delivers an exceptional performance, portraying her character’s innocence with grace and capturing the organic transformation she undergoes during the journey. Darshana Rajendran is outstanding as the frustrated civil engineer who struggles to grow in a male-dominated profession, where clients wrongly assume men perform better. Her anger, resilience, and eventual transformation are brought out with striking authenticity.

Sangeetha embodies the reality of most homemakers today. From being a dedicated wife and mother juggling household responsibilities to a traveler who awakens to the imbalance in her marital relationship, she plays the arc beautifully.

Gautham Menon appears in a short yet pivotal role as a wildlife photographer, while Rajendra Prasad shines as a tourist imparting pearls of wisdom. Harsha Vardhan adds humor as a frustrated husband, and Rag Mayur makes a fine impression as Subbu’s love interest.

Story - screenplay - direction: The core twist of the film draws inspiration from the iconic 1985 National Geographic cover that featured Afghan refugee Sharbat Gula, captured by Steve McCurry at a Pakistani refugee camp during the Cold War.

The writer builds the story around an innocent girl who grows up believing in superstition and embarks on a journey of self-discovery. The narrative weaves together the lives of three women, each from different backgrounds, highlighting how they break free from the chains that bind them.

Director Praveen Kandregula approaches the story with sincerity, resisting commercial compromises and letting the script dictate its course. The risky element lies in portraying a village where such a bizarre and oppressive superstition exists in a modern world that is interconnected through cell phones and social media. For viewers, once this premise is accepted, the rest of the narrative flows smoothly. Perhaps, the story might have felt more convincing had it been set in the 1970s.

The director explores middle-class marital dynamics, where homemaking is unfairly seen as the woman’s sole duty rather than a shared one. Through the character of Ami, the film examines male dominance in the workplace - particularly in male-heavy fields like civil engineering - and counters it with a refreshing perspective through a female army officer’s dialogue with her.

Praveen picks a thoughtful subject - gender equality - and crafts the scenes with care to ensure they feel natural. The climax, where Subbu boldly removes her paradha (veil), is impactful and well executed. At its heart, this is a film told from a woman’s perspective.

Other departments: The cinematography by Mridul Sujit Sen stands out. Having earlier collaborated with the director on Shubham, where she intentionally gave it an indie-film texture, here in Paradha she opts for a more cinematic visual style. Gopi Sundar’s music works well, though none of the songs managed to go viral - a factor that often boosts films in today’s times. Dharmendra Kakarala’s editing is neat, and the dialogues are well-crafted, bringing out the feminist perspective effectively. The production values from Anand Media are solid and adequate for the film’s tone.

Analysis: Paradha is a film that speaks both literally and metaphorically about the “veil” women carry in a male-dominated society. Personally, I wasn’t fully convinced by the idea of a fictional village that goes to the extent of killing women for not wearing the veil - such an extreme setup feels more suited for a horror or dark satire than a social drama. Since the entire story rests on this premise, the viewer’s acceptance of it becomes crucial. If you can buy into it, and if you’re not inclined towards male chauvinism, you may end up appreciating the film. Overall, Paradha is a bold and different attempt.