Tuesday Talkies: Thondimuthalum Driksakshiyum - Great performances aided by a strong screenplay

In our weekly series, Tuesday Talkies, we recommend critically acclaimed and award-winning Indian films. 

With his very first film, Maheshinte Prathikaaram, Dileesh Pothan established himself as a filmmaker who can capture the magic and simplicity of the most mundane moments with great authenticity and a dash of subtle humour. He continued with the approach in his second film, Thondimuthalum Driksakshiyum (The mainour and the witness). If in the first film, Fahadh Faasil played a photographer who vows to never wear footwear until he beats up the man who publicly humiliated him, in Thondimuthalum Driksakshiyum he dons the role of a thief who steals a married woman’s gold chain. Both these films have very basic plot lines and a comparison between the two is inevitable. What makes them great films is a multi-layered narrative that gives importance to even the minor characters. But they are still distinct in the sense that Maheshinte Prathikaaram is a highly entertaining film packed with plenty of humour, while Thondimuthalum Driksakshiyum is a film that requires the viewers to pay attention to even the finest details. 

The characters in Thondimuthalum Driksakshiyum are ordinary people who struggle to make ends meet. At the centre of the plot, are Prasad (Suraj Venjaramoodu) and Sreeja (Nimisha Sajayan) who marry against the wishes of the latter’s family and elope to Kasaragod, the northernmost district of Kerala. They decide to mortgage Sreeja’s gold chain for money but their plans are foiled when a thief (Fahadh Faasil) steals and swallows the chain during a bus journey. The thief, who is also named Prasad, is then taken to the nearest police station. As anticipated, Prasad denies stealing the chain but the police decide to go with the couple’s version of the story and take him into custody. The rest of the action takes place in the police station where the cops try to force a confession out of the thief and even accompany him when he attends to nature’s call in an attempt to get the chain out of his body. And as the film progresses, we find ourselves in a situation wherein it is hard to determine who is right and who is wrong.

Thondimuthalum Driksakshiyum excels because of Pothan’s impressive direction, Sajeev Pazhoor’s screenplay with fleshed-out characters, and powerful performances by the cast. The screenplay delves into the backstories of its characters, without diverging much from the central plot. It spends enough time establishing the circumstances that force Prasad and Sreeja to flee from their village. But when the thief shares his story, we are compelled to empathise with him as well. 

Through police officer Chandran’s (Alencier Ley Lopez) character, the film highlights the prevalent corruption in the system and how we either fall prey to it or become a part of it. The film also touches upon the influence of caste in society. The reason why Sreeja’s family objects to her marriage with Prasad is that he belongs to another caste. While Prasad’s caste is never explicitly mentioned in the film, it is implied through the colour of the flags hoisted as part of a festival in the village or the image on the clock that hangs on the wall of his house. 

Thondimuthalum Driksakshiyum was released at a time when Fahadh Faasil was not well-known outside of Kerala but was making his presence felt in an industry that has always strived to produce interesting and original content. He is excellent as the mischievous thief who doesn’t hold an identity card. There is a sense of playfulness in his demeanour that makes it tough for the viewers to not side with him. The actor’s performance in the film fetched him the National Film Award for Best Supporting Actor. Nimisha Sajayan, who made her debut with the film, delivers a very convincing performance and Sooraj Venjaramudu shines in his role as expected. Sajayan and Venjaramudu later appeared as a married couple for a second time in the critically-acclaimed 2021 film, The Great Indian Kitchen. Apart from Faasil, Sajayan and Venjaramudu, the film features Alencier Ley Lopez, Vettukili Prakash, Mini K. S, and Unnimaya Prasad. Interestingly, the director cast real-life police officers to play the cops in the film. 

The film excels in its technical aspects as well. Rajeev Ravi’s cinematography complements the uniqueness of the screenplay. One of the best scenes of the film is the long chase wherein Venjaramudu’s Prasad tries to stop Faasil’s Prasad from fleeing. The cinematography successfully captures the rawness of the sequence, while keeping us on the edge of our seats. Bijibal’s music, especially the song Kannile Poika, is praiseworthy. Pothan has directed three films so far, the last being Joji which had a direct release on OTT last year. Although he is only three films old, he is one of the champions of the new wave of Malayalam cinema that has found audiences across the globe. 

Thondimuthalum Driksakshiyum bagged three awards at the 65th National Film Awards. While announcing the awards, renowned filmmaker Shekhar Kapur, who was the jury chairman, went on to say that he had never seen such excellent performances by actors. Pothen’s direction, the well-rounded character arcs, and brilliant performances make this film a must-watch Indian film. 

You can watch the film here.

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