Thudarum Movie Review: Mohanlal returns to glorious form

Some minor flaws aside, Tharun Moorthy delivers the goods with this finely-crafted film that has the right mix of emotions and high moments

In the end credits of Thudarum, if you notice, Mohanlal's name arrives first followed immediately by the film's title. Mohanlal... Thudarum. It is perhaps Tharun Moorthy's way of declaring proudly that Mohanlal will continue doing what he's best at, irrespective of all the external noises. Over the last few years, there has been a lot of clamour around the actor's waning performances and his excess focus on amplifying his stardom. But he returns to glorious form with Thudarum where Tharun shows it's perfectly possible to strip Mohanlal of his superstar aura and still deliver the 'high' that the fans seek.

Director: Tharun Moorthy

Cast: Mohanlal, Shobana, Prakash Varma, Binu Pappu, Farhaan Faasil, Maniyanpilla Raju, Thomas Mathew

Mohanlal playing a family man is nothing new. He has done that countless times, including the most memorable Drishyam — a film that Thudarum was often compared to before release. While there are some faint similarities between the two films, like Mohanlal playing an ordinary man who goes to any extent for his family, the treatment, performances and overall mood are a lot different. Unlike Drishyam which rode high on its twists and brainy screenplay, Thudarum is raw, emotionally charged and carefully plays to the gallery. Tharun opens the film on a remarkable note, throwing us off guard. This short sequence, which lasts for five minutes, grabs our attention for the next two hours. He follows it up with some tasteful touches in the title card, especially while displaying Mohanlal's name alongside a silhouette shot of a lone tusker. There are quite a few shreds of evidence in the film suggesting that the elephant is intended as the spirit animal of Mohanlal's protagonist, Benz aka Shanmugham. Just as the tusker, he's calm and protective while with his family, but dangerous and ruthless when cornered. In the initial few portions, Tharun superbly utilises Mohanlal's famed charm and playfulness without overdoing it. The actor also sportively plays around with plenty of self-deprecating humour on his real persona and some of his films. Shobana, as his Tamil-speaking wife, is also effective and their chemistry is intact even after all these years. While there aren't many scenes that challenge the performer in her, it's not a forgettable role either.

Thudarum gets to its serious (best) part once Benz's car is unlawfully taken into police custody. From there, you can sense the film's mood gradually turning sinister. Jakes Bejoy also amps up his game once things turn serious, unleashing a string of thrilling scores to underline Benz's rollercoaster of emotions. From his happy-go-lucky life, he is suddenly thrown into a state of shock, guilt, agony, and rage. Mohanlal effortlessly switches between these emotions and you can see the shots being held for an extra few seconds to register the performance. He goes for a no holds barred approach as evident from the scene in the washroom where he breaks down uncontrollably and slips on the floor.

While Tharun Moorthy's previous two films, Operation Java and Saudi Vellakka, had a more realistic approach to storytelling, Thudarum is a good commercial packaging. It starts with Benz's characterisation, his family dynamics, the tension-building leading up to the interval block and the staging of the action scenes. With frequent mentions of Benz's past, it is only a matter of time before the grand transformation unfolds, but Tharun shows great skill in intensifying the momentum to get there. Along with his co-writer KR Sunil, he also ensures there's a strong emotional core for the payback to feel justified and gratifying.

However, the director shows very little sensitivity while portraying police brutality. While the intention is to make the viewer feel the pain, the whole stretch is a bit too disturbing with multiple close-up shots of torture and harassment. The performances from Prakash Varma, who plays CI George Mathan, and Binu Pappu as his assistant, SI Benny Kurian, are exceptional enough to irk the viewers even without all the violence. The former, especially, is brilliant in playing a relentless character whose shades turn darker as the narrative progresses.

Unlike the recent trend, Tharun Moorthy cooks a 'fanboy sambhavam' not by stuffing self-referential mass moments or overdose of slo-mo or multiple getup changes, but by offering his idol ample space to perform. It is after quite a long gap that Mohanlal gets to portray a wide range of emotions and he doesn't restrict himself. From comedy to stunts, the actor relishes everything like a kid in a candy shop. It's a reminder that if you give him the right feed, Mohanlal's legacy...  Thudarum.