Premier Padmini Review: A slice-of-life film that makes us emotionally connect with the characters

At his engagement with Sruthi (Madhoo Shah), Rajesh (Ramesh Indira) tells his friends that his wife-to-be will be getting her divorce from her current husband Vinay aka Vinayak (Jaggesh) within ten days. Cut to Vinay’s mother (played by Bhargavi Narayan), who feels guilty for not having accepted her son’s choice due to caste issues. Has she been the reason for Vinay’s rocky life? 

Then there is Spandana (Sudharani), a neighbour who is seen taking extra care of Vinay. Meanwhile, Sruthi and Vinay’s son, Sumukh (Vivek Simha), and Rajesh’s daughter, Ranjini (Hitha Chandrashekar), who have similar lifestyles, find happiness in each other’s company. The parents conclude that the two are in love.

All this is noticed by Nanjundi (Pramod), a youngster from a village, who moves to the city to work as a driver for Vinay. While he is all excited to drive a ‘Benz’, he quickly learns that the owner is actually talking about his vintage car, a Premier Padmini.

Director: Ramesh Indira
Cast: Jaggesh, Pramod, Madhoo, Sudharani, Hitha Chandrshekar, Vivek Simha

Is it necessary for every relationship to have a name? That’s what director Ramesh Indira explores through his debut. This 111-minute film is a cinematic portrait of relationships and mirrors real-life situations. It brings out the perspectives of three generations and focuses on mid-life crisis, at the same time pointing out that it is never too late to turn life around and remake it the way you want it to be. Connect with people and do things that make you happy. This is something the director stresses through the narration.  A special mention should go to producer Shruti Naidu, who, after 12 years on the small screen, has understood the mindset of middle-class households and doled out a film that is interesting. 

"Kettu nenapugalu henna eddhange hothkondu thirgdashtu baara, sut hakbidbeku (Holding onto bad memories is like carrying a dead body. Carrying it around will only be a burden on your shoulders, just burn it)." This is just an example of the many powerful dialogues written by the director himself. Ramesh, who handles this emotional journey through a neat screenplay, has also involved himself as an actor. 

Every single character is given importance, including the car. The vintage vehicle also goes through changes through the narrative. While Dattanna only has a blink-and-miss role, Krithi Shetty and Dhanappa’s roles are enviable. Topping the list though is Jaggesh, whose character will be relatable for single men. The 'Naravasa Nayaka' yet again proves what a fine actor he is.

Madhoo brings out the negative shades of her character very naturally, and Sudharani wins hearts with her grace. Vivek Simha and Hitha Chandrashaker do justice to their respective characters, and the youngster Pramod definitely steals the show with the two shades to his role. In parallel to Jaggesh, he adds much value to the film. The two also share good on-screen chemistry. 

Every single song composed by Arjun Janya, sparks the right emotions and each of them has a story to tell. Cinematographer Advaitha Gurumurthy has aptly captured the mood of the film.

Premier Padmini does a nice job of explaining relationships in the current day and age, and it's clearly a film meant for every kind of audience.