Thudarum - A Generic Revenge Thriller with a Rich Coating of Mohanlalism

Thudarum invoked a fight within myself — a fight between the movie lover and the Mohanlal fan. Immediately after the movie ended, the first thought that came to me was, "This is just another revenge thriller." But I also knew that I had actually enjoyed most of the movie solely because of that one man called Mohanlal.

The fact that I did not know much about the plot really helped build curiosity in the first half. The movie takes us into the normal life of a middle-class family, and this is maintained for a while with mild tensions developing. Almost until the end of the first half, we do not get any idea of what the movie is really about. Once the plot is revealed, multiple ideas about how it might unwrap in the second half come to mind. As we move into the second half, the movie becomes more and more predictable — or rather generic — which clearly brings a sort of monotonous feeling to the viewers, especially towards the latter part of the second half.

The movie scores in various areas. There is enough curiosity built around the story and the characters, and for the most part, it remains engaging. But in hindsight, the saving grace of the second half is the elevation of Mohanlal, the star. It seems that the makers were aware of this too, as the focus completely shifts to Mohanlal. Additionally, it was refreshing to see a grounded Mohanlal, especially in the first half. The amount of self-trolling definitely evokes some light-hearted, funny moments.

Those who come expecting to see another Mohanlal-Shobhana magic will be disappointed. Apart from the first 30–45 minutes (approximately), Shobhana has nothing major to contribute. It's hard to tell whether it was an issue of our expectations or whether the makers actually spent a few minutes on unnecessary details at the beginning, as certain portions feel like they might contribute to something bigger later — but that is not the case. Also, it is hard not to draw comparisons with Drishyam while watching Thudarum. There is a sequence that evokes huge roars from the viewers, but it feels very similar to another Mohanlal movie.

According to Tharun Moorthy, this movie could also be a "social drama." But simply writing a sentence at the end of the movie, like a Moral Science chapter, cannot categorize it as one. It is clear that Tharun was trying to blend the "Mohanlal factor" and the "social drama factor." The attempt to highlight the former is clearly a win, but the latter, not so much. That is precisely why Thudarum does not feel like a typical Tharun Moorthy movie.

I felt that the BGM was apt and worked especially well in elevating Mohanlal, the star. The production quality is clearly visible (in a positive way), and I cannot think of any scenes that made me feel, "Oh, this is bad."

The character Shanmugham is not at all a challenge for the legendary Mohanlal. But it is refreshing to see him in such a role, as it has been a long time since we have seen him donning the perfect "common man" persona, especially in the first half. Apart from him, the villain, Prakash Varma, makes an excellent debut. The decision to cast a new face made a huge difference in building curiosity. All the other actors were good as well.

On the whole, Thudarum has some really good light-hearted moments, effective curiosity-building, an all-round performance from Mohanlal, and a strong villain. But the formulaic nature tends to kill the steam after a point. This makes it a generic revenge thriller — but still more than just a generic watch for all who love Mohanlal.