Writer: Lai Swee Wei

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Watch this if you liked: “Sepi”, “I Am Sam”

Afdlin Shauki's simple father-daughter tale in "Papadom" yells out a heartfelt story based on a 'what if' situation. "What would happen if my wife had passed away?" - that is the ultimate question posed by Afdlin in this touching family drama. The story surrounds itself on Saadom (Afdlin Shauki), who runs a Nasi Kandar business in Penang. He becomes too preoccupied with his work till he has very little time for his young daughter, Mia till a point where he almost forgets her birthday.

Soon, his life takes a dramatic turn when his wife passes away due to a car accident. He is then left alone to care for Mia and realises how precious she means to him. Interestingly enough, Saadom turns from a hardworking shop owner into a doting father dedicating his time and efforts into taking care of Mia. He even looked like he would go to the ends of the earth for her - Yes, he is that protective!

The tasty papadom gives the story a unique symbolic meaning. In the beginning, Mia's love for her father's papadoms is heavily portrayed, providing a well-pieced story in the end. The moral of the story is clear and understandable as it embeds a point of realisation on the importance of family. But then again in the film, Saadom goes to the extreme as he even takes up a job at her campus so he could be near enough to protect her. A real doting father. Surprisingly, the award-winning director and actor, Afdlin had confessed that his character Saadom is a real reflection of him if something were to happen to his wife.

The film's script and actor's performances are of good entertainment. With Afdlin Shauki behind the works, there is bound to be some witty lines and hilarious awkward behaviours. However, don't expect a lot of funny scenes as it is in fact a drama. Liyana Jasmay stayed true to her playful character Mia as she starts her new life on campus. While Que Haidar does justice to his character as the nerdy looking guy who tries to court Mia. Potential love interest can be seen between Vanidah Imran and Afdlin Shauki's character. However, the romance fell short of its performance as the focus heavily remained on Saadom and Mia.

"Papadom" is a down-to-earth film that stays true to the relationship between a single father and his daughter.

Cinema Online, 12 August 2009