Thank You review: An uninspiring, superficial take on self-reflection and gratitude

2/5

Story:

Abhiram goes to the US in search of a job and registers with a consultancy owned by Rao. The latter's acquaintance Priya finds herself attracted to Abhi and helps him in his journey towards building a startup Ydhya. While earning laurels for his work and the growth of his company, he loses sight of the efforts of many who've knowingly or unknowingly contributed to his success. His relationship with Priya too falls apart. What prompts Abhiram to relook at his life?

Review:

We live in a largely narcissistic world where, in pursuit of building our careers, it's easy to lose track of our relationships and not look back at experiences that have shaped us as individuals. It requires a jolt for us to come out of the cocoon and realise that our life and success aren't ours alone. While these lines may have made a great impact in a self-help book, how do you sell this idea in a mainstream film? Given Vikram K Kumar's credentials as a storyteller, you trust him to pull this off.

Abhiram's journey is a rags-to-riches story where success transforms him into a beast he can't quite recognise. Thank You aims to be a tale of self-introspection, where an entrepreneur pauses to reflect on an eventful life and be grateful to all those who've been a part of it, big or small. However, the film struggles to fit its ambitions within the commercial space and worse, idolises its protagonist way too much for his transformation, nearly bestowing sainthood upon him.

The problem with most mainstream Telugu films, including Thank You, is the over-simplification and absence of detailing. Abhiram's path towards building a company in an alien nation is portrayed as if it's a walk in the park. The depiction of the consultancy business in the US is devoid of any authenticity. Abhi's startup idea too appears like a prop to showcase his professional growth, but the film never even tries to tell us what made it commercially viable over five years.

However, these still aren't the main issues of Thank You. In coming-of-age tales, it's the journey that transforms its characters. It's important to give them the time and space to evolve as individuals. Here, the transformation happens even prior to the journey, through a laughable conversation that Abhiram has with his alter-ego (the idea is so 1950s). The incidents in his life that highlight the need for gratitude too are bland and unimaginatively written.

The only flashes of brilliance one usually associates with director Vikram Kumar can be found in the teenage episode of Abhiram's life. Despite the underwhelming material, he finds a way to recreate the magic of first love in a small town while showcasing the innocence, and simplicity in the relationship and not making a big deal about the heartbreak. Malvika Nair deserves a lion's share of the credit for bringing this segment alive and ensuring a neat closure. 

The film fails to justify why a viewer needs to know about Abhiram's college years while selling the same idea of gratitude. The transition between these two episodes is very weak and inorganic. It's obvious that the team was trying hard to stretch the plot idea to bring in a pointless sister-sentiment angle, a farewell song and squeeze a few action sequences. Thank You also makes forgiving look so easy. No one puts Abhiram in his place for the jerk he was. The happy ending appears very forced.

Thank You is one of Vikram Kumar's weakest works to date and it feels like his directorial voice for the story was tampered with. BVS Ravi's story is relevant and soulful though its essence is diluted on the screen. Naga Chaitanya is aptly cast in the film but even he too needs a fluid script to make it work. And, he hasn't come to a stage where his performance can rise above a film's follies. Raashi Khanna, as the protagonist's love interest, isn't given a meaty role.

The film has a dreamy vibe only as long as it features Malvika Nair on the screen. She is an effortless performer with expressive eyes and underplays her histrionics effectively in Thank You. Sai Sushanth Reddy deserved more than his one-note character while Avika Gor's sister-sentiment saga is unimaginatively written. Tulasi is sidelined even when there's scope for her to shine while the likes of Sampath, Prakash Raj and Easwari Rao are as dependable as ever in brief roles.

There's nothing about the cinematography in Thank You to justify the presence of PC Sreeram. He does a neat job but this is not a film where he adds much merit to the result. Thaman's music doesn't quite capitalise on the mood or the story of Thank You; Entento and the title track make an impression. 

Verdict:

Thank You, beyond a few sparks, is a yawn-inducing coming-of-age tale bereft of the class you expect from a Vikram Kumar film. The writing is too superficial and doesn't give us a chance to invest in Abhiram's journey. Though Naga Chaitanya shoulders the narrative throughout, it's Malavika Nair who steals the show in an extended cameo.