Thondimuthalum Dhriksakshiyum (2017): One of the more prominent film industries of India is found in the state of Kerala and we expect wonders from it every year.But unfortunately,2017 is disappointing with several passable films.Of all the films of Malayalam I have watched this year only Takeoff (Mainly because of Parvathy Menon) and Godha (Because of Wamiqa,Renji and music) impressed but neither of them are masterpieces which I expect.Then I found this gem of a film which is one of the most realistic Indian films I had ever seen.
Plot: It tells the story of a poor couple Prasad (Suraaj Venjarammoodu) and Sreeja (Nimisha Sajayan), eloping from their village, whose lives depend entirely on a necklace adorned by the female counterpart. Unfortunately, during the bus ride away from home, the necklace is stolen. The wife assures everyone on board that the person responsible for the theft is the man seated behind her named Prasad (Fahadh Faasil), who had gulped down the piece of jewelry before anyone else could notice. This causes a lot of bustle, and the man is taken along with the couple into a local police station for questioning, which leads to the events that make up the rest of the film.
My Review: Dileesh Pothan, the director, had released another feature starring Fahad Faasil last year, titled 'Maheshinte Prathikaram' that went on to win several accolades and was both a critical and commercial hit, but I thought it was a confused mess that held a very familiar and clichéd story within itself which is boring.That film is hugely overrated.'Thondimuthalum' is different because here, it works.
Thondimuthalum's plot is so simple that if you heard the plot from some other person,you clearly will ignore this film but it is gonna be your huge mistake.This is one of the situations which proves the popular saying "Don't Judge a Book by its Cover".This is a genuine story presented with total honesty. The characters are real people and there are no real efforts to categorise them into various shades, which is such a delight. The emotions of each character affect us and Dileesh masterfully blends it all in a delightful manner. The viewers are able to connect with the characters on screen, in such a way that not one actor or an extra goes to waste. Most of film happens within the aforementioned police station, where we become empathetic towards the main persons of the film (being the two lovers, the supposed thief, and the police officers) as they become helpless in their own sorry worlds. I guess because of this reason, the film is more of a dark comedy than anything else, because within each laugh is a hint of pain.
There isn't a villain in this picture, not really. Fahad Faasil's character, the man who is accused, is someone for whom we slowly fall for, partly because he's more naughty than cunning. The fact is that he is very clever, and in each and every move he makes, there is a spark of his intelligence.This makes him the victim of several hits and kicks from the officers, which ends up disturbing his accusers, who form a silent bond with him.His entire character justifies in a single line "Never lose hope even in darkest times". He never admits crime and tests the police's intelligence and when they chose stupid ways to close the case,we salute to Fahadh Fasil's role.
The screenplay and dialogues by Sajeev Pazhoor and Shyam Pushkaran are brilliant and carries lot of weight.A particularly hilarious conversation happens when Alencier Ley takes statement from Suraj and Nimisha on how they lost their necklace on the second day in complete contradiction to what they took the first day.Coming to the director,Dileesh Pothan,he definitely deserves the Best Director of 2017 award.Movie plots clearly don't excite director Dileesh Pothan as much as true stories where life had come dizzyingly close to becoming like a movie and then, had fused back with life.This means that a conversation he overhears at a tea shop is more likely to give Pothan a setting for his next picture than a brainstorming session inside a conference room.He chose one of the most simplest plots of 2017 and successfully made the best film of 2017 out of it.
Fahad Faasil gives a career best performance in 'Thondimuthalum', because his expressive eyes convey more to the audience than mere words ever could.I never thought he is such an intensive performer.What an amazing ability he has to transform to the character he plays ! His smile when it writes intermission on the screen is one thing that would be lot discussed in coming days. How he gives a detailed explanation to his cellmate on the finesse a thief should possess was a treat to watch. Even the smallest gestures like where he asks for food to Suraj with handcuffs in his hands but just takes it away when the police comes in evokes laughs. It's safe to say by now that he is at the cusp of entering the greater league of actors we ever had. It takes a lot of conviction for a director to take such a drastic casting call and also a lot of guts and confidence for a popular star to take on such an unconventional role, kudos to both Dileesh Pothan and Fahadh Faasil for their respective decisions.Others also played their roles naturally and Alencier Ley Lopez once again proves he is one of the best actors to play supporting roles without monotony.
Technically this movie is very well made without any gloss.Camera-work is realistic and music has a good flow with movie.
So,Thondimuthalum Dhriksakshiyum is easily one of the Top 5 Indian movies of 2017.Dileesh Pothan and Fahadh Faasil deserves Best Director 2017 and Best Actor 2017 respectively.A Must Watch gem of a film.
My Rating 8.5/10
