The world of cinema is often associated with big-budget productions featuring popular actors and actresses. However, the success of a movie is not always guaranteed by the presence of big names or massive financial resources. This is particularly evident in the Malayalam film industry, where recent flops of big-budget movies starring superstars like Mohanlal and Mammootty have surprised many. Against this backdrop, the emergence of films like ‘Thankam’ has captured the attention of movie enthusiasts and industry experts alike.
Thankam is a movie that revolves around two gold agents who are also best friends from Thrissur, Kerala. The friends are involved in illegal gold smuggling and on one of their trips to Mumbai, one of them is found dead in his hotel room. The Mumbai police travel to Kerala to investigate the death, and the story unfolds with twists and turns.
The script is written by Syam Pushkaran and stands out from other investigative dramas as it introduces the audience to a group of men who are not inherently bad but are involved in a questionable job. The film slowly unravels the complex relationships between the characters, and as the investigation progresses, the characters’ traits are revealed through questioning. The script cleverly builds a complex universe that requires a lot of effort and talent to execute.
The movie uses Mumbai and Kerala as backdrops and blends them together through a police officer and his Marathi-speaking team. The effort in using the language spoken by the character adds to the authenticity of the story. The writing even explores the enmity between Keralites and Tamil folks, their politics, and how the system is at loggerheads internally.
The film loses its grip on balancing the investigation and personal lives of the characters. While the latter gets very little time, the void is felt. Biju Menon delivers a brilliant performance as the motivation for everyone around him to do wrong but also as someone who cares for those he has enrolled in his illegal business. Vineeth Srinivasan plays Kannan, a maze of humans, and makes the character interesting and mysterious.
The direction by Saheed Arafath is supported by swift camera work, mostly handheld when on the streets investigating, and the editing. The film’s success can be attributed to the directorial brilliance of Saheed Arafat, the involvement of Fahad Fasil and Dileesh Pothan, and the screenwriting of Shyam Pushkar. The movie brings content in four languages, Malayalam, Hindi, Marathi, and Tamil, and the team has managed to blend them seamlessly. The interesting part that we can notice is that the scenes in which these languages are spoken, doesn’t need even subtitles.
Thankam is a must-watch movie that keeps the audience engaged with its gripping storyline and brilliant performances by the actors. The climax leaves a mixed feeling, but it doesn’t take away from the fact that the film is a well-made investigative drama that redefines the genre. And probably, a sensitive movie lover’s eyes would get their eyes tearful which itself shows the success of the movie.
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