Images, like they were caught on a still camera, stick to your head long after Thankam is over. Click: Vineeth Sreenivasan in a car with that perpetual smile of his, a face that his co-star in the film Biju Menon says no one can say no to. Like most movies written by Syam Pushkaran, characters just walk into the screen and behave like you have always known them, not bothering to introduce themselves by way of dialogue or song. For a change, there is a title song, quite a devotional one, reminding you of the ‘Pavanarachezhuthunnu’ song that Vietnam Colony (a 90s Mohanlal film) begins with. Thankam takes off without noise, unexpectedly seeps into mystery, takes you on a round trip across Indian cities, and leaves you with more questions than emotions. For a team that comprises several great names, it is a neither-here-nor-there sort of movie, a pendulum hanging midway.
With Syam Pushkaran come his usual collaborators – Fahadh Faasil, Dileesh Pothan and co, producing the film, but not making an appearance. Saheed Arafath, the director, chooses an interesting combination of actors to lead the film. Biju Menon is all big-brotherly as Muthu, the senior of the two protagonists, calling his young friend “our boy”. Vineeth, playing Kannan, in turn treats the former more like a partner, calling him by name, not chettan as the custom is.
At the heart of the film is the gold business these two run. [There appears to be a lot of interest in the metal these days, Thankam (another name for gold) coming soon after Alphonse Puthren’s Gold.] The nature of their dealings seems shady, as Kannan comes to Muthu with “requests” and the two go on long rides.
Perhaps because you see him fresh after the conniving character he played in Mukundan Unni, Vineeth’s warm smiles and devoutness somehow look suspicious. The devotion is very much a part of the script; Kannan’s character is painted over and over with it lest you forget – he visits temples, prays elaborately at home, and bows before every temple he passes. Muthu is shown as quite the jovial guy, taking everything lightly, telling Kannan repeatedly, “don’t be so serious.” These two are marvellous, with Biju Menon in his element, and Vineeth revealing more of his acting range with every passing film.
Watch: Trailer of the film
The script in the earlier portion is hurried. The families are quickly introduced – Aparna Balamurali and a little girl forming Kannan’s, without much to say; and similar counterparts for Muthu, saying even less. A ‘chechi’ they do business with – reminding you, in looks, of the late KPAC Lalitha – has more to say, and new actor Indira Prasad does it well.
Muthu and Kannan go for a business deal to Coimbatore and take along another man (Vineeth Thattil David), apparently associated with the business (still no introductions). Things go awfully wrong from here on, and every time you think “this is it, I have got it”, the script takes off to another direction. An unexpected twist that comes before the film’s halfway mark is handed to you like a casual bit of news. Even the background music that accompanies the twist comes late.
You can tell yourself this is that kind of movie, you are not going to get drama, no big noise. Director Saheed must have wanted everything lessened, the emotion on the faces, the reactions, the music. Music director Bijibal, after giving that title song, stays quietly, until the mystery thickens and you begin a merry-go-round between Thrissur, Coimbatore, and Mumbai. That is when a gang of policemen led by actor Girish Kulkarni, Muthu and co, begin a long investigation.
The thriller part falls into familiar terrain, and the tension is kept alive. While all of it leads to a standard end, with an unexpected answer waiting for you, you feel underwhelmed by the backstory. You wait for something more to roll out. You can, if you like, make many deep connections with the very last image the film ends with, to make sense of what it all means. But it does not add to the cinematic experience.
After everything though, if you go back to earlier frames, like the very first shot of Vineeth Sreenivasan that the film began with, you might begin to feel for this strange character.
Disclaimer: This review was not paid for or commissioned by anyone associated with the series/film. TNM Editorial is independent of any business relationship the organisation may have with producers or any other members of its cast or crew.