Thudarum movie review: Mohanlal and Shobana nail their performances in this crime drama

The film revolves around Shanmugham(Mohanlal) who is a former stuntman turned taxi driver.

Thudarum directed by Tharun Moorthy has hit the screens today. The film is backed by producer M Ranjith and the movie offers a very different shade of the superstar Mohanlal. Let’s see how it holds up.

Story

The film revolves around Shanmugham(Mohanlal) who is a former stuntman turned taxi driver. He lives a peaceful life with his wife Lalitha (Sobhana) and their children. He is deeply attached to his Ambassador car which is a symbol of his past. However his life takes a turn when the car is seized by the police due to a case. The story follows how he gets back the beloved vehicle with emotional battles.

Performances and Technical Aspects

Mohanlal delivers top notch performance by portraying a wide range of emotions. He excelled with his comic timing in the first half. Also looks great in intense scenes in the second half. Shobana as Lalitha shares a good chemistry with him and stands out in her limited screen time. Binu Pappu impresses as SI Benny transitioning effectively from a humorous cop to a menacing figure. Prakash Varma makes a strong debut as the antagonist with a subtle yet threatening presence.

The cinematography by Shaji Kumar enhances the film’s mood especially in the tense second half. His use of shadows and close up frames are good. The editing by the late Nishadh Yusuf and Shafeeque V. B. is sharp, and Jakes Bejoy’s folk influenced background score elevates the emotional scenes.

Analysis

The film starts off light filled with witty references to Mohanlal’s previous roles almost making fun of his career choices. But in the second half transforms into a gritty emotional drama. Tharun Moorthy doesn't rely on big twists but focuses on strong storytelling and character development. The emotional scenes especially in the scenes involving Shanmugham’s internal struggles stands out.

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Verdict

Thudarum is a well made emotional drama that portrays Mohanlal’s range as an actor. The film as a whole is definitely worth watching for its emotional plot though some scenes might feel slightly melodramatic.