Thazhvaram

Poignant is the right word to describe this movie. From one view one might think it is slow, but every moment is loaded with the haunt of what could happen next.

Simple storyline: A man shows up at a village with the intent to kill the thief who stole his savings and killed his wife.

Hats off to Mohanlal and Salim Ghouse for their excellent performances.

It's surprising when you look back, there are not many characters in the film. Shankararadi does well, and Sumalatha adds the beauty quotient.

Another unique point is that the main plot does not cover a large time- span. Instead relies on timely flashbacks to tie up the loose ends.

The movie is a showcase of the director Bharathan's genius.

A truly unique film in Malayalam cinema. True, it takes inspiration from the Western genre. Never before nor after has one such been attempted!

The ending is especially commendable. No sentimental gimmicks!

Truly a must-watch!

This film is extremely simple. 2 men who have a rivalry are forced to stay at a house along with 2 people that have no idea about this rivalry. At the end one of the men is killed and the other walks off into the distance. There only like a few characters in the movie: balan played by Mohanlal, raju played by salim ghose, kochooti played by sumalatha, and nanu played by sankaradi. I watched this film months ago so I am astounded by me remembering them. And that wouldn't have happened if all the main performances werent perfect. The script by mt vasudevan nair is amazing, except for one sentence that completely ruins the immersion. The film also doesnt tell us a lot of the world outside of the thazhvaram, or the valley where the main characters live, making this film timeless and applicable anywhere. There is also another flaw that mohanlal's fiancee looks like a teenager which also doesnt make much sense. Overall a great and simple film that is one of the classics for its near perfection.

Thazhvaram (1990) Brief Review -

A simple revenge drama in 90s couldn't have got better execution and performances than this. True Red Vibes of Old Hollywood's Westerns. Thazhvaram has a very simple story but the execution it follows on screen is more than its on-paper potential. It happens sometimes that a good story gets spoiled by dull storytelling and sometimes it's other way around. A simple story gets better presentation than what it deserves and that's what has happened with Thazhvaram in my opinion. Balan and Raju's friendly relationship turns into rivalry when Raju murders his wife and robs his hard-earned money. Balan decides to take revenge on Raju. It reminded me of some Western flicks from old Hollywood (before 60s) which had the similar plot and yet those films came out much better with the help of skillful vision. Maybe, Thazhvaram could have been improvised on paper with better screenplay. It starts off on a faltered note. That scene in first 15 minutes when Balan confrons Raju to seek revenge but wastes the opportunity. That wasn't sensible to me but if it hadn't been like that then what follows next couldn't have been possible. Intense acts by Mohanlal and Salim Ghouse have made this film more watchable, rather i would say almost a must see material. Sumlatha and Anju both look very beautiful and both of them plays their parts very fine along with Sankardi. Thazhvaram is more of a director's and actors' film than the writer. One can easily predict what's gonna happen next hence the thrill is missing but you can't just guess how the director is gonna showcase that scene on screen and how beautifully actors take it one step higher. Bharathan has left Thazhvaram with Zero boring moments. The film keeps you engaged despite its predictability and that's the best thing about it. Overall, a Fantastic Gripping Revenge Tale.

RATING - 7/10*

By - #samthebestest.

Awesome film.. direction, story, actors... and what else everything is at its peak.

I was a child when the film was released and didn't get anything when watched it first time. But after years i was so much excited watching this beautiful movie which was picturised with perfect mix of everything needed for a classic movie. Director Bharathan did his own style to tell the story of a revenge without filling it with disturbing action scenes and gimmicks. Mohanlal's lead role as balan and salim's role as raghavan are really great. I was a fan of sumalatha after i watched "Thoovanathumbikal" and in this film she is simply awesome. Bharathan & M.T has given so many classics to Indian movies and this is to be listed on the top of them. if you haven't watched it please do it soon because it is a movie "must see"