BOTTOM LINE
Nithiin’s Cold Streak Continues
RATING
1.75/5
CENSOR
A, 2h 34mins
What Is the Film About?
Thammudu at its core, the story of how Jay (Nithiin) reconnects with his sister (Laya) —why he wants to reunite with her, what drives him to reach out, and how he ultimately rescues her from a life-threatening situation. The emotional arc of their eventual reunion forms the crux of the film.
Performances
Nithiin gets a role that demands both emotional depth and action highs, but what we see is the same familiar, expected performance from him. No matter how you look at it, this turns out to be an outright forgettable role in terms of his acting. He barely leaves an impact at any point in the film.
The film doesn’t feature a typical heroine character. Sapthami Gowda plays a role that loosely fits into that space. However, the setup and writing around her character offer no real scope for performance. There’s little to say about her presence, and even less about her impact.
Another key role is played by Laya, as the hero’s sister. Sadly, her character too lacks substance. She spends most of the film in a constant state of gloom, with no strong or memorable moments to her credit. There’s nothing in her arc that stands out or allows her to shine.
Overall, none of the performances in Thammudu truly register, making it a film that fails to leave any lasting impression from a performance standpoint.
Analysis
Thammudu is directed by Venu Sriram. The film opens on a strong note with an intriguing villain introduction that immediately grabs attention in a full-on commercial setup. A minor hearing problem attributed to the villain is presented effectively, and Ajaneesh’s BGM amplifies the impact, building interest right from the start.
While the hero’s introduction is quite routine, it still manages to hold the viewer’s attention and sets the mood for what’s to come. However, from that point until the interval, the film relies almost entirely on two elements — emotion and action.
Sadly, the emotional core of the story lacks even a hint of freshness. The entire first half unfolds in a forest setting, where the hero reunites with his sister and her family. But the emotional beats never land — and also, apart from Laya (who plays the sister), no other character registers or makes an impression. This clearly reflects how undercooked and weak this entire crucial stretch is.
Key moments, like the hero’s mental block or the sister’s revelation about why she distanced herself, are handled with outdated, uninspired writing that fails to feel organic or compelling.
On the action front, the hero is shown to be a master of archery (though this skill is barely explored or justified). As a result, even the continuous action sequences set in the forest feel flat, with no real highs or payoff.
Adding to the unevenness is the heroine’s character, who operates in a strange, artificial setup — almost like a radio jockey — offering guidance to the hero in a way that comes off as silly and out of place. The writing around this track is particularly weak.
Overall, apart from the well-designed villain character and Ajaneesh’s effort to elevate a few scenes with his BGM, the first half of Thammudu fails to make a meaningful impact.
The second half of Thammudu carries the burden of reviving the film, but it falls short—delivering neither emotional depth nor impactful action.
Most of the second half unfolds over a single night, a familiar backdrop we have seen in several recent films. But what’s missing here is the tension that should naturally arise from emotional trauma. Despite the serious tone of the scenes, that emotional pull never materializes.
The action sequences, too, fail to leave a mark. There’s a lack of emotional weight behind them, and even when judged purely as standalone set pieces, they’re just about average. Despite the heavy use of VFX, the execution doesn’t elevate the action to anything exciting.
If one had to sum it up in a single phrase, Thammudu is essentially a brother-sister action drama. Unfortunately, not a single moment in the second half genuinely conveys that bond. Even the little girl’s scenes—meant to act as emotional bridges—feel outdated in terms of writing and execution.
The only bright spots are Ajaneesh Loknath’s background score in certain moments and the villain character, who brings some freshness. However, even that potential is underutilized and doesn’t significantly help the film overall. It’s there—but doesn’t really serve the larger purpose.
In the end, Thammudu aims to be an emotional action drama, but neither the emotions nor the action land well. The performances don’t leave a lasting impact either. No matter how you look at it, there’s little to take away from this film.
Performances by Others Actors
Thammudu features a few familiar faces in the supporting cast. Varsha Bollamma gets a fair amount of screen time and does her part. Others like Srikanth Iyyengar and Hari Teja perform their supporting roles adequately.
However, it is Saurabh Sachdeva who truly stands out—not just among the supporting cast, but across the entire film. He grabs attention thanks to the director Venu Sriram’s attempt to give a fresh spin to the typical commercial villain, and his performance is solid enough to leave a positive impression.
That said, the character is not developed or utilized to its full potential. While impactful in moments, it falls short of becoming the narrative backbone the film desperately needs.
Music and Other Departments?
The music for Thammudu is composed by Ajaneesh Loknath and he is undoubtedly a valuable addition to the film. If anything grabs your immediate attention, it’s his background score — especially when paired with the impressive visuals by cinematographers K.V Guhan, Sameer Reddy, Setu. Together, these technical departments do their best to elevate the film and add value.
While the songs don’t particularly stand out or contribute much, Ajaneesh’s background score clearly makes an effort to drive the film forward and enhance key moments.
The production values by Sri Venkateswara Creations are neat, and visually, the film looks good.
Highlights?
Saurabh Sachdeva’s villain role
Ajaneesh Loknath’s BGM – effective to an extent
Drawbacks?
Age-old plot
Outdated treatment
Old-fashioned writing
No emotional impact despite the big effort
Did I Enjoy It?
No
Will You Recommend It?
No
Thammudu 2025 Movie Review by M9
Final Report:
Thammudu is yet another straight-up miss for Nithiin. The film tries to blend action and emotion but delivers on neither. A few interesting moments pop up, but they simply aren’t enough. Ajaneesh Loknath’s background score and the Saurabh Sachdeva’s villain character design to an extent are the only real positives.
First Half Report:
Thammudu first half sticks to familiar, formulaic tropes, with the BGM doing most of the heavy lifting for the villain.
A strong second half is crucial.
— Thammudu begins with an interesting villain introduction, followed by the hero’s entry.
Stay tuned for the U.S. premiere report.
Thammudu (2025) — a mix of action and emotional family drama — stars Nithiin, directed by Venu Sriram and produced by Dil Raju.
Stay tuned for our U.S. premiere report and Thammudu (2025) movie review!
Cast: Nithiin, Sapthami Gowda, Laya, Varsha Bollamma and others.
Written & Directed By: Sriram Venu
Producers: Raju – Shirish
Music: B. Ajaneesh Loknath
Dop: K.V Guhan, Sameer Reddy, Setu
Editor: Sh Prawin Pudi
Art Director: G M Sekhar
Action: Vikram Mor, Real Satish, Ravi Verma, Ram Krishan
U.S. Distributor: Shloka Entertainments
Thammudu 2025 Movie Review by M9
