Oru Thekkan Thallu Case Malayalam Movie
At the start of Oru Thekkan Thallu Case, a character says that a man at a lighthouse can see everything at a distance. Soon afterwards, we see a graphic novel-like figure of Biju Menon appearing at the lighthouse. It is quite an introduction for a larger-than-life man named Ammini Pilla (Biju Menon).
Oru Thekkan Thallu Case is a film about male ego. It has a plot that is as simple as a man seeking to avenge a gang of men who injure him. Biju Menon seems to be playing a more bruised and less stoic version of his own character, Ayyappan, from Ayyappanum Koshiyum. Ammini Pilla is powerful enough to be the last man standing in a fight involving around 50 people and brave enough to take a king cobra out of a pile of coconut husks. But he is not the same force without his wife.
One thing we know about old villagers is that they make a big deal out of what seems trivial. Their male ego controls them, making them go to any length to retaliate. In this film, even his wife has an influence on Ammini Pilla. But it is not easy for Ammini Pilla to retaliate because his rival is about to marry his wife's sister. This is a plot similar to Dileesh Pathan's Maheshinte Prathikaram.
In that Dileesh Pothan film, Fahadh Faasil's character decides not to wear sandals after a man beats him severely on a street in front of the public. The reason for the fight in Maheshinte Prathikaram seems silly, but Pothan's script cuts deep into the male psyche to tell a strong tale of one-upmanship. Unfortunately, Oru Thekkan Thallu Case is a film that only goes skin deep when it comes to exploring the psychological aspects of old villagers. Now, I am not comparing this film with Maheshinte Prathikaram. I am only saying that you can build a complex narrative even with a simple plot and archetypes provided that there is inspired writing. The writing here is not inspired or original enough.
Nevertheless, Oru Thekkan Thallu Case uses a set of quirks and colorful characters to tell a mostly engaging story about gang wars in a quaint village. I did not feel too bored during the running time of the film. What I like the most about the movie is how it treats the female characters. Usually, films about male ego reduce women characters to the sidelines, but here, Padmapriya and Nimisha Sajayan have roles with the same amount of importance as the men. It is also a well-shot film, with Madhu Neelakandan capturing the beauty of the village in many scenes. The performances from Biju Menon, Padmapriya, Nimisha Sajayan, and Roshan Mathew are all quite good as well.
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