Vismaya Mohanlal’s Thudakkam, directed by Jude Anthany Joseph, was one of the films that created curiosity even before its release. The main reason was the debut of Vismaya Mohanlal, daughter of superstar Mohanlal. The film also marks the acting debut of Aashish Joe Antony, son of producer Antony Perumbavoor. Naturally, the film came with a lot of expectations because of the backgrounds of its two newcomers.
Vismaya plays Meenu, a young woman who lives with her father Ravi, a physically challenged village officer, in a quiet village in Idukki. She shares a close bond with her father and her pet dog. She also spends her time giving tuition to children in the locality. Her peaceful life changes when she travels to the city to attend a bank examination. While returning home, Meenu helps two schoolgirls who are travelling late in the evening. What appears to be a simple act of kindness slowly leads her into a dangerous situation. When she fails to return home on time, her father becomes worried and approaches the police. From this point, the film moves into the territory of a survival thriller. The film tries to discuss women’s safety, fear, self-defence and the courage needed to face dangerous situations. Although the subject is relevant, the way it is handled is not always equally effective.
Story and Screenplay
The central idea of Thudakkam is not completely new. Stories involving violence against women, revenge and survival have been seen several times in Malayalam cinema and other languages. Still, the film manages to create curiosity, especially after Meenu’s disappearance. The first half takes its time to introduce Meenu and her relationship with her father. This portion is relatively calm and focuses on establishing her ordinary life. Once the main incident takes place, the pace improves. The police investigation and the gradual discovery of what happened to Meenu keep the audience interested. The interval is an effective turning point because it creates a sense of danger and makes the audience curious about the second half. The film becomes more action-oriented after this point.
However, the screenplay is also where the film loses some of its strength. Many of the developments are predictable, and some dialogues are too direct. Instead of allowing the audience to understand certain situations naturally, the film often explains them through dialogue. Meenu herself could have been written in greater depth. We know about her relationship with her father, her interest in teaching and her martial arts training, but there is not enough exploration of her personality. The audience gets to know what happens to Meenu more than who Meenu actually is. The film also tries to make Meenu a symbol of women’s empowerment. But its approach is somewhat simple. Martial arts and self-defence become the main answer to the dangers faced by women. While this makes for some exciting scenes, the film could have gone deeper into the social reasons behind violence against women.
Acting
The biggest challenge in Thudakkam is faced by Vismaya Mohanlal. Since she is the daughter of one of Malayalam cinema’s biggest stars, it is almost impossible for the audience not to compare her with her father. Her debut therefore carries a great deal of expectation. Vismaya does reasonably well, particularly in the action sequences. Her Muay Thai training is clearly an advantage. She performs the fight scenes with confidence, flexibility and good physical control. These are some of the portions where she looks most comfortable on screen. Her emotional scenes are less convincing. There are moments where her expressions feel limited, and her dialogue delivery and lip-sync could have been better. She still has a lot to learn as an actor, but considering that this is her first film, it would be unfair to make a final judgement about her ability. What works in her favour is that the film gives her enough space to carry the action. By the later portions, she begins to appear less like “Mohanlal’s daughter” and more like an actor trying to establish her own presence.
Aashish Joe Antony is a pleasant surprise. Instead of making his debut as the hero, he chooses the role of the villain. His character is threatening mainly because of his body language, silence and appearance. For a large part of the film, he does not need many dialogues to create fear. His presence itself creates tension. However, the character is not particularly complex and belongs to a familiar type of villain. Still, Aashish makes an effective debut. His performance shows that he can create an impact even without depending heavily on dialogue. Sai Kumar is convincing as Ravi, Meenu’s father. His concern when Meenu does not return home feels natural, and his relationship with her forms one of the more emotional parts of the film. He gives the father-daughter relationship the warmth that the screenplay sometimes lacks.
Direction
Jude Anthany Joseph handles the suspense reasonably well. Rather than immediately rushing into the main conflict, he spends time establishing Meenu’s life and her relationship with her father. Once the danger begins, the director gradually increases the tension. The second half is more energetic, especially when the film moves towards action. Jude also makes good use of Vismaya’s Muay Thai skills instead of treating them as a minor detail. However, the director sometimes makes things too obvious. The repeated references to Vismaya being Mohanlal’s daughter are difficult to miss. This becomes especially clear through Mohanlal’s cameo as Meenu’s martial arts teacher.
His advice to Meenu to make her father proud is clearly meant as a reference to Vismaya’s real-life relationship with Mohanlal. While fans may enjoy the moment, it feels too direct. A debut film centred on Vismaya could have been stronger if it had allowed her to establish herself without repeatedly drawing attention to her father’s identity. Mohanlal’s cameo therefore feels more like fan service than something necessary for the story. His presence does not add much to the narrative and, in some ways, takes attention away from Meenu.
Technical Aspects
The cinematography by Jomon T. John is one of the film’s better aspects. The rural landscapes, hills and estates of Kerala are captured beautifully. The visual mood also changes along with the story. The early portions have a relatively peaceful atmosphere, while the later sections become darker and more threatening. Chaman Chakko’s editing is important in maintaining the suspense. The film moves between the police investigation and the events surrounding Meenu without allowing the tension to disappear completely. The editing becomes particularly effective during the action sequences.
The action choreography by Yannick Ben and Stunt Silva is another major strength. Vismaya’s physical ability is used well, and the confrontations between Meenu and the villain are among the most engaging portions of the film. In fact, some of the action sequences are more effective than the writing. They give the film the energy it needs, particularly during the latter half.
Music
Jakes Bejoy’s music and background score complement the thriller atmosphere. The score becomes more noticeable during the suspense and action portions, helping to increase the feeling of danger. The music may not be the most memorable work from Jakes Bejoy, but it does what is required for the film. It supports the mood and helps maintain tension when the screenplay becomes predictable. The film clearly wants to talk about women’s empowerment. Watching Meenu fight back against the villain is satisfying, especially because women are still less frequently shown as action protagonists in mainstream cinema.
However, the film’s idea of empowerment is mainly connected to physical strength and self-defence. This is useful, but empowerment cannot be reduced to the ability to fight back physically. The film could have explored the issue more deeply by looking at why women face violence and how society responds to it. Instead, much of the responsibility appears to be placed on Meenu herself to protect herself. Another problem is that Meenu’s personality is not developed enough beyond her experiences with danger. A stronger character would have had more individual qualities, dreams, interests and choices outside the central conflict.
Overall
Vismaya Mohanlal’s Thudakkam is an average but watchable action thriller that works best in its suspenseful and action-oriented moments. The film has a familiar storyline, but the director manages to create enough tension to keep the audience interested.
Thudakkam is a fitting title. It is not a flawless beginning, but it is certainly a beginning with promise.