PremiumThankamani review – The action drama's clichéd plot fails to give Dileep the comeback he deserves
Dileep's Thankamani is a misfit in a time when Malayalam films are praised for their narrative techniques and ability to appeal to every audience.
Last Updated: 03.05 PM, Mar 07, 2024
Thankamani Story
Arpitha Nath, an IPS officer, is hunting down a serial killer who murdered politicians and ex-police officers with brutality. But the more Arpitha investigates, the more she learns about the resentful murderer—a victim of a horrifying 1986 incident—and his motive behind these acts.
Thankamani Review
Dileep's Thankamani is a misfit in a time when Malayalam films are praised for their narrative techniques and ability to appeal to every audience. The 1986 Thankamani incident is used in the movie as a means of depicting the tragic love story of a vengeful hero.
Politician Varadharajan and former police officer Eppan Mattakkavan were discovered brutally murdered. IPS officer Arpitha Nath is looking into the case. She finds Abel Joshua Maathan, a mysterious man who is the fifth suspect in a murder that happened years ago, to be the killer on the loose.
She examines Abel's life and the lives of those close to him as her investigation goes on, as well as the Thankamani incident that rocked the state and the ruling government at the time. The main plot point of the movie is how Abel turns into a vengeful victim and whether he will succeed in getting his revenge.
A real-life incident has been sufficiently infused by director Ratheesh Reghunandan to create a hero from a victim of a horrifying police atrocity. Dileep gives Abel Joshua Maathan's character just the right amount of emotional depth.
His portrayal of a defenceless family man who longs to keep his loved ones safe undoubtedly strikes a chord with the viewers. It is also appropriate that he turned into a resentful man who is traumatised by his past. His performance gives the film a mass appeal as well, as it features some unusually gruesome murders for a Dileep film.
Additionally, the makers did a fantastic job of avoiding overly humorous elements, which would have been obviously out of place. Additionally, they have been able to depict, at least in part, the horrifying events that occurred in a village situated in a hilly area years ago. Neeta Pillai has also delivered a commendable performance. William Francis' soundtracks fit in nicely with the story.
There are undoubtedly flaws with the movie, including a slow second part that would wear out viewers after a short while. Despite having an impressive supporting cast, they only had less screen time and served as plot devices. Thankamani is even more predictable because it has its own set of cliched elements.
More emphasis appears to have been placed on a tragic love story in the movie, with the possibility that it would touch viewers. But instead of making an impression on the audience, it turns out to be a stereotyped plot device.
Thankamani Verdict
Dileep does not receive the remarkable comeback that the audience or he both deserve from the action drama. It does, however, give him enough room to act as an artiste who can fit into any role with ease. Thankamani also partially depicts a horrifying police act that left a village bleeding and traumatised for life, compelling one to search online for more information on what happened on October 21, 1986.