Title: Paatashaala, Banner: MS Square Movies, Producer: Manjunath H.R., Director: Heddur Manjunath Shetty, Music: Vikas Vasishta, Cinematography: Jeevan Gowda, Cast: Akshay Nayak, Samruddi Kumar, Balaji Manohar, Sudhakar Bannanje, Kiran Nayak, Prashanth, Diganth, Gauthami, Manya, Chiranth, Ayush, Sudhkar Shetty, Keshav Kuttalike, Manjunath Shetty, Divya Achar, Neha, Kambada Rangaiah and others.
A film titled Paatashaala the expectations goes away from the title and suggests a variety of ingredients suited for a commercial entertainer. However, some additional elements introduced in the film do not quite align with the title. While Heddur Manjunath has indeed taken up a subject with a good purpose, instead of focusing on the school, its students, the teaching faculty, and the surrounding environment, the narrative shifts away and involves the children in tracking a crime.
The serene backdrop of the Malnad region opens the film on a promising note, accompanied by a lovely song. But as the story moves into the school setting, the teaching staff, school admissions, the innocence of the parents, and the bonding between teachers and students gradually take a back seat. The film, however, effectively showcases the cultural life of the region—the Chowdki Deepa festival and other elements highlight the heritage of Karnataka. Among the songs, Hog Atlaaga… performed by the school students is beautiful and humorous.
The plot diverts when elderly characters, especially Sanjeevanna, wander through the forest, prompting forest officers to intervene. The forest officer’s attempt to confiscate Sanjeevanna’s pistol escalates their rivalry. This conflict is given considerable prominence, and as the story progresses into the forest officer’s ulterior motives, it leads to several tense moments. Sanjeevanna and his friends hide near the Panjurli Falls, which piques the curiosity of the children and draws them into the unfolding scenario.
While one group of forest officers searches for Sanjeevanna, the children sense something suspicious in the surroundings. The inability of the officers to catch him leads to the arrival of a senior officer, played by Balaji Manohar. Soon, it becomes evident that the real culprits are others—those secretly plundering forest resources at night. Clues provided by the children eventually bring clarity to the case once the right officer is placed in charge.
Director Manjunath Heddur takes ample time—155 minutes—to narrate the story. Although he touches upon sensitive issues faced by people in the Malnad region, these portions feel disconnected from the core plot. The spouses issue at one point of time giving doubt in the minds of children could have been avoided.
Balaji Manohar adds grace to his role. Prashanth Natana and Kiran Nayak deliver strong performances in their rivalry sequences. Child actors Diganth, Gauthami, Manya, Chiranth, and Ayush give neat performances. The elderly female characters—played by Divya Achar and Neha—are perfectly cast and excel with their effective dialogue delivery.
On the music front, the film can boast of quality lyrics and vocals. The cinematography is exceptionally good—the lush greenery, rainfall, dense forests, and traditional Malnad houses bring a fresh visual experience to the audience.
Although director Manjunath has sufficient substance in hand, his wavering narrative at places tests the audience’s patience. Otherwise, Paatashaala could well have been a Paakashaala!