Paranthu Po

''Paranthu Po'' () is an 2025 Indian Tamil-language road musical comedy film written, directed and co-produced by Ram under his banner Seven Seas and Seven Hills Productions along with JioHotstar and GKS Bros Productions. The film stars Shiva and Mithul Ryan in the lead roles alongside Grace Antony, Anjali, Vijay Yesudas, Aju Varghese and others in important roles.

The music and background score was composed by Santhosh Dhayanidhi and Yuvan Shankar Raja, while the cinematography and editing were handled by N. K. Ekambaram and Mathi V. S. respectively. The film was extensively shot in Tamil Nadu and Kerala.

''Paranthu Po'' was screened on 4 February 2025 in the International Film Festival Rotterdam and it had its theatrical release on 4 July 2025. The film received positive reviews from critics.

Plot

Anbu, an 8-year-old, city-bred boy is notorious, sporty, and energetic, rightfully to his age, as his parents Gokul and Glory strive to give the best to him. They are your average upper-middle-class family who wants to make their big ends meet with their EMIs, strive hard day and night so their children can afford a life of comfort, and have their own quirks and shortcomings. But a day of adventure waits for Gokul and Anbu as the latter antics and childishness land the duo in a path that is filled with sunflowers, good hearts, and some healthy portions of lies and hill climbing.

Cast

* Shiva as Gokul, Anbu's father
* Mithul Ryan as Anbu
* Grace Antony as Glory, Gokul's wife and Anbu's mother
* Anjali as Vanitha, Gokul's childhood crush
* Vijay Yesudas as Jenna's father
* Aju Varghese as Guna Sekhar, Vanitha's husband
* Jess Kukku as Jenna
* Dia as Jenna's mother
* Balaji Sakthivel as Gokul's father
* Sreeja Ravi as Gokul's mother
* Tejaaswini as Anbu's Friend (Football player)

Production

Development

In early 2023, it was reported that Ram would collaborate with actor Shiva for a comedy drama film, the first for a director, who was known for directing intense socio-political themes. The film was formally launched on 6 February 2023 by the production companies Seven Seas and Seven Hills Productions and GKS Bros Productions for the streaming platform Disney+ Hotstar (now JioHotstar), speculating to its possibilities on either being theatrically or digitally released. The film began production without a title; the official title ''Parandhu Po'' was announced on 18 January 2025.

Ram, who follows a thesis-driven approach for screenwriting over a plot-driven approach for his earlier films, said in an interview to ''The Hindu'', adding "when the whole film is about that thesis, it’s better not to have a dialogue or a scene exposing that". He further added the film is about middle-class people migrating from villages and small towns to cities, living as "slaves", in order to chase their dreams and inspirations as well as escaping the patriarchal values set in villages. It focuses on a middle-class family entranced by their dream, speaking about their happiness and goals. As these middle family members are the majority of the theatre-going audience, Ram further elaborated on making the film, saying " heattempt is to see if we can get close to their lives, whether we can find humour, emotion or understand meaning in their lives. How film viewers see life has changed, and so when we observe that change and decide to make a film on them, it means there is an audience within us."

Casting

Shiva was cast in the lead role, after being a longtime friend of the director since their debuts in 2007, with ''Chennai 600028'' and ''Kattradhu Thamizh'' and discussed about a possible collaboration ever since. Ram stated "he is such a natural actor, you might at times wonder if he is acting as an idiot or if he is one. His comedic timing is also quite extraordinary. Moreover, we needed a ‘grown-up child’ for this role; yes, he’s a father, but he has the heart of a child. That’s who Shiva is."

Grace Antony and Aju Varghese were cast in pivotal roles, making their respective debuts in Tamil film industry. Shiva further described about their casting, as: "Ram sir is very specific when it comes to choosing his actors. He doesn't cast people for arbitrary reasons. He carefully went through Grace’s filmography before deciding she was the right fit. She has delivered an extraordinary performance and completely lived up to his expectations ..Working with Aju made me realise how passionate he is about cinema and entertaining audiences. He may describe many of his roles as small, but it’s no easy feat to build such a vast body of work. That speaks volumes about his dedication." Antony's name was recommended by Nivin Pauly, whom he had worked with Ram in ''Yezhu Kadal Yezhu Malai'', and eventually cast her after watching her performance in ''Appan'' (2022). Varghese considered his role to be unique, despite a brief appearance in the film.

Anjali, who had previously worked with Ram in all of his films since ''Kattradhu Thamizh'', was signed for a pivotal role. Other supporting cast members included child artist Mithul Ryan, Vijay Yesudas, Balaji Sakthivel and Sreeja Ravi amongst others.

Filming

The film's principal photography commenced at Coimbatore on 6 February 2023. It was shot simultaneously with Ram's ''Yezhu Kadal Yezhu Malai'', retaining cinematographer N. K. Ekambaram and editor Mathi V. S. to work on the film. After wrapping ''Yezhu Kadal Yezhu Malai'', Ram then shot few portions of the film which was completed by 2024. The film was predominantly shot in Tamil Nadu and Kerala.

Music

The film's soundtrack is composed by Santhosh Dhayanidhi in his maiden collaboration with Ram, while the latter's norm composer Yuvan Shankar Raja scored the background music. The album consists of 22 songs.

The first single titled "Sunflower" was released on 23 May 2025. The second single "Daddy Romba Paavam" was released on 16 June 2025. The third single "Kashtam Vandhaa" was released on 24 June 2025. The complete soundtrack was split into A-side and B-side and released through Think Music on 26 June 2025.

Release

''Paranthu Po'' premiered on 4 February 2025 at the International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR) 2025 under the Limelight section. Initially scheduled for a direct-to-streaming release on JioHotstar, the makers decided to plan for a theatrical release after positive response from premieres. The film was theatrically released on 4 July 2025, distributed worldwide through Romeo Pictures.

Reception

Box office

''Parandhu Po'' opened to on the first day of its release, followed by on the second day, and . The film collected from the first two days of its release. Within five days, the film earned .

Critical response

Abhinav Subramanian of ''The Times of India'' gave 4/5 stars and wrote, "Paranthu Po finds its rhythm in life's unplanned detours. It's a film that understands how the smallest adventures can leave the biggest impressions, especially when viewed through a child's insistent eyes and filtered through a father's weary but willing heart". Anusha Sundar of ''OTTplay'' gave 4/5 stars and wrote, "There is a lot to like in the film, which is light, interesting, adventurous, beautiful, has food for thought, but moreover brims with innocence. The film, much like its title, wants you to fly away for a moment, to shed the manmade constraints built by the society, and take a breather to feel life. But if that sounds a little more tedious, then watch Paranthu Po and taste life once again". Avinash Ramachandran of ''Cinema Express'' gave 4/5 stars and wrote, "And when finally, the film ends with a conversation about home, family, parenting, loving, and being loved, you understand what Paranthu Po truly means. It isn't to fly away from responsibility or consumerism or globalisation or troubles or bottled emotions, or even crumbling aspirations. It is to fly away from the pressure of fitting in. It is to fly away to a land of hope on a tourist visa. Yes, we have to return to a sobering reality, but it is not wrong to escape into a world of happiness, hope, and goodness. Just like the movies... Like Ram's movies".

Janani K of ''India Today'' gave 3.5/5 stars and wrote, "‘Paranthu Po’ is a beautiful documentation of a cute little family with important lessons on parenting, self-discovery and the importance of pausing and looking at your life instead of giving into the rat race". Bhuvanesh Chandar of ''The Hindu'' stated, "''Paranthu Po'' is a film about a child learning to climb down a mountain, literally and metaphorically, but it is also a story that urges us to fly away to the hills and to remember when we threw a tantrum every time life seemed unfair. Perhaps it is a romanticised perspective on life in the modern world, but there’s romance in listening to Ilaiyaraaja on an old tape recorder while sitting on a hilltop."

Prathyush Parasuraman of ''The Hollywood Reporter India'' wrote "''Paranthu Po'' is a new voice in director Ram’s filmography, one that aches elsewhere. This turn towards something softer has, ironically, made it feel rocky, impermeable, and ultimately, opaque, a film whose characters feel stolen from myth, forced into a realism whose reality itself is upended. Cinema is an illusion of life. Illusions need to be sustained. If you want a kind world, you cannot will it with words—will it through a cinema that can hold the weight of being human alongside the demands of being kind, nice, joyful, and ultimately, free. ''Paranthu Po'' feels like a stick of god being struck on our heads. A cinema of kindness, perhaps, needs kinder cinema." Anandu Suresh of ''The Indian Express'' rated 3/5 and wrote "the movie is more or less like a gentle, warm hug to all young parents who are still figuring out their new roles, and to the kids of this era who are waiting for chances to fly away. In that regard, Paranthu Po works beautifully." Bharathy Singaravel of ''The News Minute'' wrote "There’s a few hints of moralising in the film — to tick the Tamil ''message padam'' box — but it is a minor aspect. For the most part, ''Paranthu Po'' is a feel-good and engaging watch." ''Ananda Vikatan'' rated the film 50 out of 100.

References

External links

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{{Ram (director)
2025 films
2020s Indian films
2020s Tamil-language films
Films directed by Ram (director)
Films about families
Films about father–son relationships
Tamil-language Indian films