Thudarum review: Mohanlal's outstanding performance elevates this decent revenge thriller
Your rating for a movie might occasionally be influenced by your expectations, both high and low, as well as the actor's prior roles. 'Thudarum', Mohanlal's most recent thriller, is a perfect illustration of this. To be honest, I would have had higher expectations for Tharun Moorthy's Thudarum if Mohanlal had starred in some well-made and critically acclaimed films over the previous five or six years. I would have probably given Thudarum, a fun action thriller that is best enjoyed once, 2.5 stars in this review. However, after seeing his dull films (apart from Drishyam 2 & Neru) for the past few years, I kept my expectations low and probably that's why I gave it 3 stars in this review.
Benz (Mohanlal) is a taxi driver in the highlands of Ranni, Pathanamthitta. The first relaxing song at the opening of the film provides us an impression of his and his family's daily routine. He has a loving wife, Lalitha (Shobana), a son, Pavi (Thomas Mathew), and a daughter, Amritha Varshini. Prior to working as a taxi driver, Benz was a stuntman in Tamil and Malayalam films. Additionally, there are numerous fanboy Easter egg allusions to the Tamil and Malayalam film industries of the 1980s and 1990s, as well as to celebrities like Mammootty and Kamal Haasan. Benz has taken pictures with a number of celebrities, stuntmen, and other filmmakers.
The film does a good job of establishing the protagonist, his family, and his attachment to his particular car, the Mark-I Ambassador. The film also spends more than an hour introducing. Benz, his family, and his love of his car, but little happens in those moments to advance the plot. As a result, after the first 20 minutes, the screenplay in the first half becomes too formulaic, relying primarily on humour and Mohanlal's performance. There are also several random scenes in the first half that don't offer much to the film. Since the earlier scenes have already given us a better understanding of the movie's backdrop and characters, these unnecessary sequences neither advance the plot nor give the characters additional nuance. The movie grows more interesting in the second half, when it completely changes course and becomes a revenge thriller. The film keeps a good grasp on the unfolding events in the second half, when it tugs at our heartstrings and makes us root for Benz and his thirst for vengeance.
Director Tharun Moorthy takes sure to include some situations that allow Mohanlal to demonstrate why he is known as the 'Complete Actor'. He does a wonderful job of depicting Benz's emotional arc as he evolves from a simple man next door to a man seething with rage and will not stop until he has his revenge. Except for Mohanlal, the remaining characters are underdeveloped. Shobana portrays a conventional wife who fully supports her husband and children. Except for one passage, there are no scenes in the film that highlight her acting abilities.
Rather than being fully developed, police inspector George Mathan (Prakash Verma) and sub-inspector Benny (Binu Pappu) are just depicted as archetypical policemen who enjoy showing off their menacing power. Despite their appealing expressions, they are forced to simply sneering to demonstrate their intimidating presence. At the conclusion, George Mathan begins to resemble a cartoonist mad man. There are a few action sequences in the second half, and the choreography is adequate.
Although there are few action scenes in the second half and their choreography is passable, but Mohanlal's outstanding portrayal of a guy who is seething with rage and will stop at nothing to exact his revenge makes sure to maximise their effect.
Overall, 'Thudarum' is a decent revenge thriller elevated by Mohanlal's outstanding performance.
Cast: Mohanlal, Shobana, Prakash Varma, Binu Pappu, Thomas Mathew
Writers: K. R. Sunil, Tharun Moorthy
Director: Tharun Moorthy
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