Thandakaaranyam movie review: A poignant tale of systematic oppression gets focused in parts

Thandakaaranyam movie plot:

Murugan (Kalaiyarasan), one of the forest-folks from Krishnagiri, joins Indian Army, after losing his job at the forest department due to internal politics. But his admiration for uniformed services puts him through a whirlpool of harsh reality, corruption, and oppression that takes him far from the reality he dreamt of.

Thandakaaranyam movie review:

Murugan’s father, an old man who is part of tribal community dwelling in the forests, say it is pride for his son to wear the same uniform that once gave him shivers running down his spine, seeing those who once wore it. This mere line talks about how much and why Murugan strives all his best to join the paramilitary forces, despite the path to it is not only riddled with physical hardships but also aplenty of political oppression, harsh discrimination, and brutality. It is also why Murugan’s brother Sadaiyan (VR Dinesh), who is already considered a rebel and anti-social element of sorts by those in power, goes lengths to make sure Murugan gets the job. Thandakaaranyam, in parts, excel in showing grounded reality of lesser known, while in others become an over-stretched narrative lacking focus.

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What chronologically starts from Krishnagiri, exploring Murugan’s romance with his girlfriend Priya, and why a certain Priya song by Ilaiyaraaja song he is connected to, then ends up at a base camp somewhere in Ranchi where Murugan has to go through some tough days. Non-linearity becomes a narrative feature, and director Athiyan Athirai makes a compelling case to tell Murugan’s story and why he wants to become what he is dreaming of. But when there is a solid reason, the opposing factors within the story get fizzled out, that it becomes a little more unconvincing to call it a completely satisfying watch.

If Krishnagiri fails Murugan, the training camp at Ranchi, introduces him all kinds of brutality and torture. While one cannot fail to notice the shades of Tanakkaran kicking in when scorching sun and men in khaki uniforms sweltering, Thandakaaranyam begins talking about some real incidents. Flashes of the Naxal surrender scam from Indian history galore as the story unfolds. But Thandakaaranyam takes a little while to get there. In between, it sandwiches the upper hand of Hindi language, the dominancy of the stronger, the siding to those in power. While some of the ideas come off better, like the one with Shabeer Kallarakal’s Amitabh character that gets some roundedness, a little bit of many threads make Thandakaaranyam less effective. The idea of having multiple antagonists, and dividing the threads with almost equal space and time, makes the film scattered and tad bit away from the main issue it wants to address.

Also read: Thandakaaranyam director Athiyan Athirai: Many actors, producers feared that the story was too serious and rejected

One of the things that Thandakaaranyam gets right is some earnest performances, majorly from Kalaiyarasan as Murgan, who comes off with an authentic mix of innocence and dare. Dinesh, in his limited written role, delivers what is expected. But had the script explored more about his character, Thandakaaranyam would have got additional brownie points. Shabeer, and Bala Saravanan as Murugan’s camp friend, get to play true to their supporting characters, while the women Riythvika, and Vinsu Ram pairing up with Dinesh and Kalaiyarasan, get second hand treatment with limited voices.

Thandakaaranyam movie verdict:

Thandakaaranyam is social drama that attempts to steer away from the usual stories of oppression. It feels like the film had a strong idea, and never tries to milk the torture onscreen, to tell the pain. With earnest performances and some honest writing, Thandakaaranyam almost makes it. But its aim to be everywhere and club multiple stories in a canvas as vast as this, it loses in parts and becomes a story that is worth registering but misses some parts.

FAQs

Q. What is the next film of Attakathi Dinesh?

A. Attakathi Dinesh's next film is Thandakaaranyam, to release on September 19.

Q. Who is the music director of Thandakaaranyam?

A. Justin Prabhakaran is composing the music for Thandakaaranyam.

Q. What is Thandakaaranyam release date?

A. Thandakaaranyam releases on September 19.