When Samuthirakani appears on-screen as a film’s protagonist, your mind automatically goes to a TED Talk with some renowned motivational speaker. Be it his directorials or the films he headlines, Samuthirakani often chooses projects that shoot messages like hypodermic needles. In his latest film, Thiru.Manickam, with director Nandha Periyasamy, the actor does the same.
Except, it also seems like he has taken the audience for passive recipients of the message that is being conveyed. With extremely convenient writing, an obvious representational narrative, and some more melodrama than required, Thiru.Manickam tries to woo its audience with the sentiment of righteousness but falls short.
Manickam (Samuthirakani) owns a lottery ticket shop in Kumily, Kerala, where an older person (Bharathiraja) reserves a ticket without being able to afford it. When that person becomes eligible for a lottery worth Rs 1.5 crore, Manickam embarks on a journey to give it to him. However, he faces many obstacles in this noble pursuit, including his poverty-stricken family and police officials, who prioritise their situation or greed over righteousness.
At first, Thiru.Manickam seems too similar to last year’s Bumper, which also revolves around a lottery ticket and the one who legitimately deserves it. One cannot ignore the fact that the two films are almost built on the same storyline, albeit with few tweaks to the screenplay.
For a film that is all about overt messaging, inconsistent and convenient writing are its biggest downfall. The film starts with an adorable description of Manickam’s family by his daughter. She describes her parents as a couple who live like friends, who are extremely close and supportive of each other’s endeavours. To back this, we also see Sumathi (Ananya) go out of the way and give her only gold ornament, her ‘thaali’, for Manickam to use as a mortgage in dire financial need.
However, the minute Sumathi realises that Manickam is giving away a huge sum of money that could make all their problems disappear, she turns entirely against him, approaching police officials for help and threatening to die by suicide along with her children. Similarly, it is convenient that all their money troubles come at the same time. They’re a joint family that sends their children to a private convent, can consume fish food and meat every other day, and can go on small trips but are also affected by poverty.
In another scene, when Manickam lies to his family about his whereabouts and a man questions him, he conveniently points at a Thirukkural on a bus that says it’s okay to lie for a good cause. This writing pattern, consisting of selective hardship and obvious elements, makes Thiru.Manickam feel less like a slice of life drama and more like a conveniently stitched parable.
When it comes to its messaging, the film is glaring and an overexaggeration. On the other hand, it has some simplistic character portrayals to tick off the representational checkbox. For example, while the greedy cops are the villains in the film, one Christian police officer alone is shown to be a good man. Similarly, a Muslim character forms the basis of Manickam’s righteous ideologies. While Nandha’s intention to represent the under-represented is admirable, it definitely does not need to be this barefaced. The film goes over and above to prove a point.
Manickam’s act of goodness goes viral on social media so much so that even YouTubers and actors make videos on it, all within a journey between Idukki and Kumily (1 hour 30 minutes). The film also wants us to believe that the Chief Minister acts immediately to honour such a noble deed, that even before Samuthirakani can have his lunch for the day, the CM himself calls and appreciates him. In these portions, the film feels so unrealistic that it is likely to come across as patronising to the audience.
Thiru.Manickam also tries its hand at humour, undermining and underutilising the potential of talented actors such as Sriman and Thambi Ramaiah. While the former appears for a short scene as a bus driver, the latter travels with Manickam in the film as a foreign-returned, pesky man. An actor like Sriman is made to resort to slapstick comedy and not even the enjoyable kind.
Ramaiah, on the other hand, is given a character that is meant to be annoying in the film, but his performance turns out to be irksome and adds no value whatsoever. The characters of the film also seem unidimensional and caricaturish after a point. Sumathi’s father’s brother (Ilavarasu) says, “Dhanalakshmi thaana vandhu nikkudhu, takkunu pudichi selfie edu,” when he seriously tries to convince Manickam to return with the money. With a runtime of 122 minutes, Thiru.Manickam could have definitely benefitted from cutting down on these unintentionally vexing humour scenes.
Ultimately, the film has a simple yet relatable premise with some potential, but its execution fails to make the most of it. While Thiru.Manickam aspires to shine like the titular gem, the film ultimately feels more like polished glass—reflective on the surface, but lacking the brilliance within.
Thiru.Manickam
Director: Nandha Periyasamy
Cast: Samuthirakani, Ananya, Bharathiraja, Nassar, Thambi Ramaiah
Rating : 2/5