Thudakkam Movie Review: Vismaya Mohanlal and Aashish Joe Antony impress in a formulaic
If his filmography so far is anything to go by, Jude Anthany Joseph holds a special interest for stories about women. His debut Ohm Shanthi Oshaana was a charming girl-meets-boy love story, which he followed up with Oru Muthassi Gadha, the tale of a grandmother setting out to fulfill her bucket-list dreams. Up next was Sara’s, which handled the sensitive pro-choice theme. With his new film Thudakkam, the director enters the often-attempted territory of women’s safety, but thankfully, with a refreshingly fresh female protagonist who can take care of herself.Mohanlal’s son Pranav made his debut in 2018 with Aadhi, a film specifically designed to tap into his skills that go beyond mere acting. Eight years later, we get almost a repeat with Thudakkam, his sister Vismaya’s debut. If Pranav’s parkour stunts were the USP in Aadhi, in Thudakkam, it’s Vismaya’s expertise in martial arts.
Director: Jude Anthany Joseph
Cast: Vismaya Mohanlal, Aashish Joe Antony, Sai Kumar, Mohanlal, Bobby Kurian, Manoj K JayanAlong with her, this is also the launch vehicle of Antony Perumbavoor’s son Aashish Joe Antony. Director Jude is well aware of his assignment: a safe launch for the two youngsters by playing to their strengths. Jude just about manages to ensure that, but with a basic and formulaic apprDespite such a shallow character sketch, Aashish does a wonderful job in ensuring the character remains creepy and unpredictably violent throughout. He hardly gets any dialogue in the film, but his silent outbursts make a lasting impact.call, considering the big reveal brewing. But for how long? The first half following a missing-person trail is stretched to its limits. Even though the non-linear screenplay keeps throwing in new information about Meenu’s journey and her suspicious disappearance, the tension the characters feel never reaches us.
Some of Jude’s creative calls in Thudakkam are worth discussing, like how he reserves the film’s best moment for the second half even when it could have been the perfect interval block. He instead opts for a tense moment. Similarly, it’s good to see the film spending considerable time with a character who feelsviolated, patiently underlining her healing journey. It also touches on how public perception can often lead to victim-blaming in our society, but the resolution for this part is shoddily done. Another example of filmmaking that’s not in tune with current sensibilities.
Vismaya is equally impressive, especially in the fight sequences. The film initially tries hard to sell her as this chirpy (Chippy plays her mother, by the way), effervescent everyday girl, who, like most heroines, runs terrified to the man of the house at the first sight of lightning and thunder. The screenplay serves information only on a need-to-know basis about Meenu and her passion, which is the rig