Thudarum

Rating - 4.25/5

A feel good family drama on its course changing its dynamics onto a nail biting emotional thriller.

The plot of the story is about a taxi driver,leading a peaceful family life in the hillside town of Pathanamthitta was drawn into a series of events surrounding his car which later turns out to be a chaos and tyranny questioning the wellbeing of his family.

The anticipation for watching this movie was higher with the sense of satisfaction and solace received through the rooted storytelling style,core humanitarian values and ideologies that Tharun portrayed through his previous outings, and this time he has absolutely nailed it. K R Sunil's story brought to life through Tharun's narrative template and the six year long wait by Rejaputhra Renjith for handing over the story to the right hands bore fruit today as an absolute peak cinema. Tharun has effortlessly carried the narration from a family drama elevating to a painful emotional thriller thereby proving his mettle to handle distinct genres. He is the modern school of realistic filmmaking and he knows how to move the cards. Stay the same and roar peak wild cinema.

Mohanlal was in his best form and is presented on screen in his complete aura as a middle class family man as cherished by Lalettan fans. This film can be termed as the best example on how actor Mohanlal can be sculpted to perfection when given in perfect hands. Shobana also gave an impeccable performance as a bold and brave lady managing her family and their combo is still a delight to watch even after 30 years. The Kingmaker of Indian ads,the Zoo zoo man,Prakash Varma is the absolute show stealer from start to end. Mind blowing performance with his debut film and the way he carries his character through the subtlety given to the nuanced layers was evident on screen as the film progresses. Binu Pappu has given one of his best performances in this film. Maniyanpillai Raju,Farhaan Faasil & Irshad Ali also made notable performances.

Veteran DOP Shaji Kumar has captured stunning visuals across various terrains perfectly weaved together by Shafique Mohammed Ali with the eternal grace of Nishadh Yusuf. Jakes BGM's that harmonised with the motion pixels elevated the movie giving a persisting painful experience to the viewers bolstered with Vishnu Govind's thoughtful and crystal cut sound design. Lalettan's action sequences is a treat to watch and hats off to Stunt Silva for bringing back Lalettan in the way we wanted.

A must watch film with family in theatres promising a paisa vasool deal and an absolute cinematic gem.

Thudarum, a recent Malayalam crime thriller, arrived with considerable hype, promising a gripping narrative powered by stalwarts like Mohanlal and Shobhana. While the film delivers in patches-showcasing stellar performances and technical finesse-it struggles to rise above a formulaic storyline and inconsistent direction, ultimately feeling like a missed opportunity to transcend genre conventions.

The writing lacks freshness, making key twists feel telegraphed and diluting suspense. However, the cast elevates the material. Mohanlal brings his trademark gravitas to the role, though it's far from his most challenging. The real scene-stealer is the anti-hero, portrayed with chilling charisma, whose layered performance adds much-needed intrigue. Shobhana, in a limited role, impresses with her poise and emotional depth, leaving viewers wishing her character had more screen time.

Technically, Thudarum shines. The cinematography is atmospheric, using shadows and tight frames to amplify tension, while the background score (BGM) complements the gritty tone with pulsating rhythms. That said, the direction falters in pacing, with sluggish stretches disrupting momentum. The film's inability to balance style with substance becomes evident as it progresses, relying too heavily on star power rather than narrative innovation.

Thudarum is a watchable yet uneven experience. While Mohanlal's presence, the anti-hero's magnetic performance, and Shobhana's brilliance anchor the film, the derivative script and lackluster direction hold it back. The technical prowess and gripping BGM make it visually and aurally engaging, but the overhyped project never fully transcends its mediocrity. For die-hard fans of the cast, it's a decent one-time watch; for others, it's a reminder that even a stellar ensemble can't salvage a story that plays it too safe.

So Lalettan is a retired stunt master/fighter. A million scenes dedicated to reiterate this particular point...this is the first half. Then tragedy strikes and answers to the pre interval build ups...beating the baddies to pulp. This is being touted as vintage Mohan Lal and blah blah blah. Every scene written to squeeze out the past Lalettan looks forced and fake just like the photoshopped images on the walls. Shobhana is added to mishmash,again to evoke the late 80s vibe, nothing special. Jakes Bejoy here decided to run a riot on the viewers eardrums...songs are pleasing but bgm is loud and jarring. The new villain makes his presence felt. Overrated.

This one came to the OTT platform quite fast. The making of Thudarum was unnecessarily lengthy, with fillers that served no purpose than to extend the run-time. The film crawled at a slow pace until the intermission, after which the trajectory becomes too predictable as it turns into nothing more than a classic revenge story. All the build-up? Meh. I barely felt connected to any of the characters, or cared for them at all.

However, the direction, the cinematography and the soundtrack are commendable. Mohanlal as Benz, Prakash Varma as CI George, and Binu Pappu as SI Benny are some of the best performances in recent Mollywood. This one is worth a watch for sure-but I reckon just once.

I donno how to describe my feelings after watching this movie.

Movie started with laying some emotional attachments and funny family scenes that are entirely different from the actual plot of the movie. First half was nicely done to give an attachment with the characters. It even had many references and comedy scenes inspired from social media.

After the first half script is taking an unexpected turn that no one is gonna predict. Even minute expressions from mohanlal is conveying a lot. Some scenes from police station kinda reminded me of Drishyam. One actor who should be appreciated as much as mohanlal is the antagonist Prakash Varma. He was brilliant and deserves a punch in the face. His mannerisms were top notch and makes every viewer angry without any heavy gimmick.

Director Tharun moorthy is definitely one of the best filmmaker in mollywood right now. His best is yet to come.