BOTTOM LINE
No Drishyam, But Fine
RATING
2.5/5
CENSOR
U/A, 2h 43m
What Is the Film About?
Thudarum is about Shanmugam aka Benz (Mohanlal) and his family. Benz is a former stunt man who now drives an old ambassador for living. One day, when he visits Chennai for his master’s funeral, his car is seized by the local cops.
Benz pleads with the cops to release his car. Did he get what he wanted or is there a twist in the tale? The drama between the cops and common man Benz throwing some unexpected surprises in the way is the movie’s overall plot.
Performances
After a high octane, and heavily stylized action fare like Empuraan, Mohanlal is back to an ordinary lower middle class world. He plays a common man with a happy family in his inimitable style.
The fun as with any Mohanlal film is the world it’s set in and the small quirks, the subtle body language changes the actor brings to the part. We see that here when the actor fights, as he plays a role with a stuntman background. There is some minor difference and that’s enough.
When it comes to the drama and emotions, Mohanlal as usual does them with intensity and impact. The part of Benz begins in a very talkative fashion, but turns very serious and silent as the narrative progresses. Simultaneously, the anger and frustration too increases, these changes in character are superbly brought out by the actor without one even noticing them.
Mohanlal is a brilliant actor that needs no special mention, however, we don’t see that side of him often in a commercial setup. We see it after some gap in Thudarum, and that lifts the narrative even when it treads a routine path. It is why the movie makes for a good outing for the star as an actor, after a while.
Shobhana is elegance personified whatever part she takes up. It’s not different here despite the actual length of the character. Shobhana has a few moments and she goes through them without breaking any sweat.
Analysis
Tharun Moorty directs Thudarum. It is a drama for the most part with action brought in towards the end.
To the people who have been watching a lot of Malayalam movies in the recent years, the beginning of Thudaram shouldn’t come as a big surprise or for that matter the pace as well. The narrative takes a long time in building the world and establishing various characters.
However, to those who aren’t that used to the narrative style or specifically don’t like the style and find it to be boring or drag, Thudarum’s first half isn’t good news either. The proceedings go on and on giving ample time for family and some emotional beats before hitting the intrigue point after an hour.
It’s only around the pre interval and interval mark that we get into the actual story. Things start rolling when the character of George is introduced. His interactions with Benz (Mohanlal) and the subsequent scenes are what bring the audience’s attention back.
The interval point in particular isn’t a highlight, but as an audience it shows that the narrative is finally shifting gears.
As expected, the intrigue is maintained post intermission and it’s blended well with the emotional drama. The problem doesn’t surface immediately, but soon the intrigue doesn’t hold as one expected. However, the drama holds the appeal and it’s what drives the proceedings.
The ‘intrigue’ which is mentioned earlier commences around the pre interval point. If one has seen enough movies, it is a predictable one, though. And it’s exactly what we get after the beginning of the second half.
The drama, thanks to brilliant Mohanlal, works out. But, we have seen him do that all before and the narrative too doesn’t have any surprise content wise. So, what makes one engage more than him, is the antagonist George character. It provides the freshness and builds the simmering anger for the hero to unleash.
The cruelty depicted in George’s role and the subtle and intense emotional confrontation by Mohanlal makes the last half an hour engaging. The action blocks that are placed as part of narrative, too, work out. In the end when the expected climax happens, there is a satisfactory feeling and that’s it about the movie.
Overall, Thudarum is no Drishyam. What it is is a revenge drama and it goes about it satisfactorily. The last hour blending emotion and action works and that’s enough to make it a decent one time watch.
Performances by Others Actors
There are multiple actors as is with most Malayalam movies. They all fill up the world and are used judiciously. It’s the same here. But, one among them easily stands out, almost stealing the show from the legend. It is Prakash Varma playing the CI George part.
It might come as a surprise if one has seen the film, but it’s his debut act. Prakash Varma is excellent. Leave aside the continuous grin, the evilness he brings to the role with going overboard is superb. His character, also with Mohanlal is what elevates the proceedings.
Music and Other Departments?
Jakes Bejoy, a regular in Malayalam cinema provides the music and the background score for the movie. The songs don’t register, and especially with the terrible dubbing. The background score is neat, but at times it feels like it’s overbearing and drowning the dialogues.
The cinematography is good. The hilly terrain and rainy season has been captured naturally and with a realistic yet picturistic look. The editing is an issue in the sense that the narrative trimming. It is mainly an issue for the non Malayalam audience. The action is good. Coming to the dubbing, it’s bad in Telugu.
Highlights?
Mohanlal
Prakash Varma (CI George)
Last One Hour
Intrigue During Pre Interval/Interval Sequence
Drawbacks?
First Hour Tests Patience
Too Much Lag
Regular Routine Revenge Drama
Did I Enjoy It?
Yes
Will You Recommend It?
Yes, But With Keeping The Right Expectations
Thudarum Movie Review by M9
