Thundu Malayalam Movie
The opening sequence of this film seems to suggest that there is a solid plot behind the life of the hero. The 2023 Hindi film 'Farrey' had the theme of manipulation in exams, but 'Thundu' is not delving deep into the act of copying even as the title encapsulates it. First-time director Riyas Shereef has impressively shot the scenes of the act of manipulation in exams both in school as well as a police department test. It is riveting to see a father, who is a policeman, also trying to cheat in his department exam a few days after his son is getting for copying in the school exam. Instead of harnessing this intriguing theme, this film takes an aimless route by showcasing scattered events that emerge from a shoddy script.
Biju Menon plays police constable Baby in 'Thundu' and the plot conflict of the film is about Baby's inability to write departmental test to get promotion. Baby is a father of plus one student Mathew, played by Ajaz, who is in the habit of copying in exams with help of bits prepared by him. His mother Seena, essayed by Unnimaya Prasad, is a tuition teacher and she fails to notice her son's furtive act in exams. But Baby is summoned by the school's principal and gives a strict warning to Mathew. As an amicable father, Baby advises his son to stay away from such acts. Interestingly, Baby is forced to replicate his son's actions in a police departmental test as he is desperate to get promotion to avoid scheming and mockery of his colleague Shibin Chandran (Shine Tom Chacko), who is one rank above his post.
But Baby's attempt at copying in the official test badly affects his personal life. Now 'Thundu' introduces Naveen (Gokulan) from the police dog squad and showcases his close association with dogs. The relevance of such a character is unanswered in the movie, which is actually an assorted package of sequences sans any connection to the tale. The screenplay penned by Riyas Shereef and Kannappan is an absolute aimless exercise that apparently takes viewers to a meaningless terrain. The disjointed and scattered scenes including those involving Dharmajan Bolgatty and the blast sequences in a police vehicle adds to the burden on the audience.
Biju Menon is the sole relief in the film as he could navigate the tale to an extent by exuding the emotional pang of the character. The actor has effortlessly absorbed the mental dilemma of the character to make it convincing. The emotionally withdrawn figure of the protagonist finds fulfillment through Biju Menon's confident performance. The hero is a family man and he deals Mathew's erroneous act in the exam with a calm and composed mindset. Meanwhile, the attempt to establish Baby's attachment to dogs becomes wayward in the proceedings.
'Thundu' seldom has any purpose--- it neither focuses on a particular tale nor tries to create a link between characters and events. It looks like settling into deploying some formal scenes in the police force and their exam procedures. An engrossing level of craft is absent in the film, from writing to execution. The flick fails to make a creative statement with its slipshod script and mediocre execution. It struggles hard to impress with its lacklustre script and soulless events.
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