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Paranthu Po Tamil Movie Review: A Warm, Funny and Refreshing Father-Son Journey

Paranthu Po is not the kind of Tamil film that tries to impress you with a massive story, larger-than-life heroes or a series of dramatic twists. Instead, director Ram chooses something much closer to everyday life: a father, a young son, financial pressure, family expectations and a journey that unexpectedly changes the way they look at each other.

Starring Shiva, Mithul Ryan, Grace Antony, Anjali and Aju Varghese, Paranthu Po was released in theatres on July 4, 2025. The film is written and directed by Ram and works as a road musical comedy built around the relationship between a father and his son.

What makes the film interesting is the contrast between its director and its tone. Ram is known for films such as Kattradhu Thamizh, Thanga Meengal, Taramani and Peranbu, movies that generally carry considerable emotional weight. With Paranthu Po, he moves into lighter territory without completely abandoning the emotional depth associated with his filmmaking.

And surprisingly, the combination works.

There are laughs, awkward moments, small emotional discoveries and plenty of father-son banter. But beneath all that is a simple question: Are we giving our children what they actually need, or merely what we think they need?

That question gives Paranthu Po its heart.

Paranthu Po Movie Details

Movie: Paranthu Po
Language: Tamil
Genre: Road Musical Comedy / Family Drama
Director: Ram
Writer: Ram
Lead Cast: Shiva, Mithul Ryan, Grace Antony, Anjali, Aju Varghese
Cinematography: N. K. Ekambaram
Editing: Mathi V. S.
Music: Santhosh Dhayanidhi
Background Score: Yuvan Shankar Raja
Runtime: Around 2 hours 12–20 minutes, depending on the listing/release source
Release Date: July 4, 2025

Paranthu Po Story: What Is the Film About?

At the centre of the film are Gokul, played by Shiva, and his young son Anbu, played by Mithul Ryan.

Gokul is an ordinary middle-class father trying to keep his family moving forward. Like many parents, he wants his child to have opportunities that he may not have had himself. Education, extracurricular activities and a reasonably comfortable life become priorities.

But there is a problem.

In trying to give Anbu everything, Gokul and his wife Glory, played by Grace Antony, have unintentionally created a life where the child has very little freedom.

Anbu is intelligent, mischievous and energetic. He wants to experience the world rather than simply sit inside the carefully constructed routine his parents have created for him.

The situation becomes more complicated because Gokul and Glory are also dealing with financial pressures and the realities of working life. The family is not living in luxury. Their decisions are driven partly by love and partly by fear about their son's future.

Then comes the road trip.

What begins as a relatively ordinary journey gradually turns into something much bigger for the father and son. They meet different people, encounter unexpected situations and move away from the tightly controlled routine of their city life.

The journey gives Gokul an opportunity to actually observe his son instead of constantly worrying about him.

And Anbu gets something equally important: the chance to experience life outside the boundaries created by his parents.

That is essentially where Paranthu Po finds its emotional strength.

A Father-Son Relationship That Feels Natural

The biggest strength of Paranthu Po is undoubtedly the relationship between Gokul and Anbu.

Tamil cinema has given us plenty of father-son stories. Some are extremely dramatic, some are sentimental and others are built around tragedy. Paranthu Po takes a different route.

Here, the relationship is built through everyday conversations.

Gokul gets irritated.

Anbu keeps asking questions.

Gokul tries to control the situation.

Anbu finds another way to make things complicated.

Then they laugh.

That rhythm feels surprisingly natural.

The film doesn't constantly tell us that Gokul loves his son. We can see it through his behaviour. Even when Anbu annoys him, Gokul's reactions reveal affection underneath the frustration.

The same applies to Anbu. He may appear stubborn at first, but his behaviour comes from wanting attention, freedom and genuine companionship.

The News Minute also highlighted the natural chemistry between Shiva and Mithul, noting that their teasing and affection feel closer to a real parent-child relationship than a conventional cinematic portrayal.

That observation is important because this chemistry carries a large portion of the movie.

If the father-son relationship had felt artificial, the entire road-trip concept would have struggled.

Fortunately, it doesn't.

Shiva Is Perfectly Suited to Gokul

Shiva is probably one of the most important reasons the lighter tone works.

Known for his comic timing, Shiva doesn't try to make Gokul a conventional hero. He plays him as an ordinary man.

There is a certain laziness to Gokul.

There is frustration.

There is insecurity.

There is affection.

And there is a slightly confused quality to the way he handles fatherhood.

Shiva handles these characteristics without overplaying them.

His dialogue delivery is one of the film's major comic assets. Instead of relying on exaggerated comedy, many of the laughs come from his reactions and conversations with Anbu.

That is where Shiva is particularly effective.

You don't feel as though you are watching an actor desperately trying to make the audience laugh. You feel like you're watching a man who is simply trying to survive an unusually complicated day with his son.

That makes the humour much easier to connect with.

Mithul Ryan Is the Heart of Paranthu Po

If Shiva provides the comic foundation, Mithul Ryan gives the film its emotional centre.

Playing Anbu, Mithul has a challenging role because the character could easily have become irritating.

A child who constantly demands things, questions adults and behaves mischievously can become exhausting very quickly if the performance is not convincing.

Mithul avoids that problem.

Anbu feels like a child.

He is curious.

He can be stubborn.

He can be funny without trying.

He doesn't always understand adult problems, and that becomes an important part of the film's perspective.

India Today described Mithul's performance as central to the film and noted how the character gradually moves from appearing like a troublesome child to someone who has a clearer understanding of what he wants.

That transition is handled gently.

There is no sudden transformation where the child delivers a long philosophical speech and magically becomes mature.

Instead, the journey changes him little by little.

That feels much more believable.

Grace Antony Brings Balance to the Family

Grace Antony plays Glory, Gokul's wife and Anbu's mother.

Her character is important because the film doesn't portray parenting as the responsibility of just one person.

Glory is also working hard and trying to protect the family's future. Her decisions come from the same place as Gokul's: love mixed with anxiety.

Grace brings a grounded quality to the character.

Her scenes with Shiva are particularly useful because they show the everyday disagreements that can happen between parents who are both trying to do the right thing but don't necessarily agree on how to do it.

Her performance was also positively noted in contemporary reviews, particularly for balancing emotional scenes with comedy.

Anjali and Aju Varghese Add Colour

Anjali appears as Vanitha, a character connected to Gokul's past.

Her presence gives the film another dimension without completely taking it away from its central father-son relationship.

Aju Varghese also contributes to the lighter side of the film.

Neither performance is really the reason you watch Paranthu Po, but both help the journey feel populated with memorable personalities rather than just functioning as a straight trip from one location to another.

Ram's Biggest Change Is the Tone

This may be the most interesting part of the film for people familiar with director Ram.

If you enter Paranthu Po expecting another emotionally heavy Ram film, you may initially be surprised.

The director approaches serious subjects through humour here.

Parenting, money, education, family pressure and the modern urban lifestyle are all present, but the film doesn't sit you down and lecture you about them.

That is a smart decision.

The Indian Express described the film as a road musical comedy centred on a father-son relationship and highlighted its focus on values that can get lost in the rush of city life.

This is where the title Paranthu Po becomes meaningful.

The idea of "flying away" isn't necessarily about escaping responsibility forever.

Sometimes you need to step away from your normal routine to understand what is happening inside your own home.

The journey becomes a form of reset.

Parenting Without a Lecture

One of the film's strongest themes is parenting.

But thankfully, Paranthu Po doesn't behave like a parenting seminar.

Instead, it asks questions.

Are children really happy when parents give them expensive classes and constant educational opportunities?

Does academic success automatically mean a child is growing up well?

How much freedom should children have?

How much time do parents actually spend talking to their children?

And perhaps most importantly, do parents sometimes become so obsessed with creating a secure future that they forget to enjoy the present?

These questions are not limited to the characters.

They can easily make parents think about their own families.

That is why the movie feels relatable even when some of its situations are exaggerated for entertainment.

The Road Trip Works Because of the Detours

The film could have become repetitive if it simply followed Gokul and Anbu travelling from one place to another.

Instead, Ram uses the journey to introduce different situations and characters.

Some encounters are funny.

Some are strange.

Some are emotional.

And some simply allow the characters to slow down.

This structure gives Paranthu Po its distinctive rhythm.

There isn't a desperate need to reach the next major plot point.

The film is more interested in what happens along the way.

That can be refreshing in an era when many commercial films are constantly racing toward the next twist.

At the same time, this relaxed approach is also one of the film's weaknesses.

Where Paranthu Po Slows Down

Let's be honest: Paranthu Po is not perfectly paced.

There are stretches where the journey feels longer than necessary.

Some sequences could have been shortened without damaging the central story.

A few reviewers also pointed out that the film's leisurely pace and certain extended sequences affect the overall engagement.

This is particularly noticeable if you prefer tightly structured screenplays.

The movie asks you to settle into its rhythm.

If you are willing to do that, the slower sections may feel pleasant.

If you're expecting a fast-moving road comedy, you might find yourself checking the time.

Personally, this is the kind of film where I would recommend going in with the right expectation. It isn't a nonstop comedy.

It's a gentle family journey with comic moments.

That distinction matters.

Music and Background Score

Music plays an important role in Paranthu Po.

Santhosh Dhayanidhi handles the songs, while Yuvan Shankar Raja contributes the background score.

The songs don't always feel like conventional interruptions.

Some of them work almost like extensions of the conversations and situations.

That approach fits the film's musical-comedy format.

The background score is equally important because this isn't a film that depends heavily on dramatic orchestration. The music generally supports the mood rather than overpowering the characters.

India Today particularly praised the visual work of N. K. Ekambaram and the contribution of both the songs and background score to the film's atmosphere.

Cinematography: The Journey Looks Good

N. K. Ekambaram's cinematography gives the film an inviting visual identity.

The road-trip setting allows the movie to move away from cramped urban interiors and explore more open spaces.

This visual change also mirrors the emotional journey.

At the beginning, the characters are trapped in routines.

As they travel, the world becomes larger.

That is a simple visual idea, but it works.

The cinematography doesn't scream for attention. Instead, it lets the locations and characters breathe.

This is exactly what a film like Paranthu Po needs.

Comedy: More Situational Than Forced

One thing I appreciated about the movie is that its humour generally comes from character behaviour.

Gokul's reactions.

Anbu's bluntness.

The awkward situations they find themselves in.

The people they meet.

These become the source of comedy.

This makes the humour more sustainable than simply filling every scene with punch dialogues.

Shiva's comic timing obviously helps, but Mithul's deadpan reactions also contribute considerably.

There are moments where the child seems to understand the situation better than the adults around him.

Those moments are particularly amusing.

The Film's Emotional Core

Underneath the comedy, Paranthu Po is really about emotional presence.

A parent can work hard.

A parent can spend money.

A parent can sacrifice sleep.

A parent can worry endlessly about education and career.

But a child may still simply want the parent to spend time with them.

That is the emotional idea at the centre of the film.

And it is not presented as an attack on parents.

The film understands why Gokul and Glory behave the way they do.

They are not bad parents.

They are anxious parents.

That difference is crucial.

They are trying to protect their child from the difficulties they have experienced themselves.

The film simply suggests that protection without freedom can become another kind of limitation.

What Doesn't Work Completely?

A good review should not pretend that everything is perfect.

The film has a few noticeable weaknesses.

The pacing can feel loose

The relaxed structure occasionally becomes too relaxed.

Some portions could have been trimmed.

The musical treatment may not work for everyone

The songs are integrated into the narrative, but viewers who prefer conventional dialogue-driven family dramas may find the musical approach slightly distracting.

Some ideas could have been handled more subtly

A few thematic portions feel more direct than the rest of the film.

One review specifically questioned the handling of Glory's asthma-related material, suggesting that this section did not fit as smoothly with the film's otherwise gentle approach.

The climax could have been tighter

The emotional destination is clear, but the film takes a little longer than necessary to reach it.

None of these issues completely damage the movie.

They simply prevent Paranthu Po from becoming a completely flawless experience.

Is Paranthu Po a Family Movie?

Yes, broadly speaking.

In fact, this is probably one of the better reasons to choose Paranthu Po if you're looking for a Tamil film that parents and children can discuss together.

The film deals with family relationships without becoming overwhelmingly dark.

The comedy makes it accessible.

The emotional themes give adults something to think about.

And Anbu's perspective gives younger viewers a character they can understand.

That doesn't mean every child will enjoy every scene equally.

The pacing is relatively relaxed, and the film is more interested in conversations and relationships than conventional commercial spectacle.

But as a family-oriented experience, it has considerable appeal.

Who Should Watch Paranthu Po?

You should consider watching Paranthu Po if you enjoy:

• Family dramas with humour
• Father-son stories
• Road-trip movies
• Slice-of-life Tamil cinema
• Films about parenting
• Character-driven storytelling
• Light emotional dramas
• Shiva's comedy
• Films that don't depend on action or twists

You may want to lower your expectations if you are looking for:

• A fast-paced commercial entertainer
• Heavy action
• A complicated thriller plot
• Constant comedy
• Major twists every few minutes

This is a movie to watch for the characters rather than the plot mechanics.

My Take: Does Paranthu Po Work?

For me, the biggest success of Paranthu Po is that it understands something many family films forget.

A family doesn't need to be perfect to be lovable.

Gokul isn't the perfect father.

Glory isn't the perfect mother.

Anbu isn't the perfect child.

But that is exactly why they feel believable.

Their problems are ordinary.

Their arguments are ordinary.

Their fears are ordinary.

And their affection is ordinary.

That ordinariness becomes the movie's biggest strength.

While watching the film, I found myself thinking about how easy it is for adults to get trapped in routines. Work, money, education, bills and future plans can consume so much attention that simple moments with family become secondary.

That is why the road-trip concept works beyond the story.

Sometimes the most valuable thing you can give someone isn't another expensive opportunity.

It is your time.

Final Verdict

Paranthu Po is a gentle, funny and emotionally warm film from director Ram.

It isn't as intense as some of his earlier works, and that is clearly intentional.

Instead, Ram chooses humour, music and a father-son road trip to talk about parenting, childhood, middle-class anxiety and the importance of slowing down.

Shiva is excellent in a role that suits his natural comic strengths.

Mithul Ryan is a major highlight and gives the film its youthful energy.

Grace Antony brings emotional balance to the family.

The cinematography is pleasing, the music complements the journey and the writing generally avoids becoming overly preachy.

The film does have pacing issues, and a few sequences could have been tighter. But these shortcomings are outweighed by the warmth of the central relationship.

If you're expecting a loud commercial entertainer, Paranthu Po may feel too quiet.

If you're looking for a simple Tamil family film that makes you laugh, think about your relationships and perhaps call someone you haven't spent enough time with lately, this one is worth considering.

Paranthu Po Rating: 3.5/5

Performances: 4/5
Story: 3.5/5
Direction: 4/5
Music: 3.5/5
Cinematography: 4/5
Entertainment: 3.5/5
Overall: 3.5/5

Final Word

Paranthu Po doesn't ask you to escape from life permanently.

It simply reminds you that sometimes you need to step away from the noise for a little while.

Put the phone down.

Stop worrying about tomorrow.

Talk to your family.

Take a ride.

Laugh about something silly.

And actually be there.

That simple thought is what stays with you after the credits roll.

And perhaps that is exactly what director Ram wanted us to take home.

Verdict: A warm, charming and family-friendly road movie with strong performances from Shiva and Mithul Ryan. Not flawless, but genuinely heartfelt and worth a watch.

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