About a month after its release in theatres (March 1,2019), I finally got around to watching ‘Thadam’ yesterday.
A Tamil action crime thriller starring Arun Vijay, Smruthi Venkat, Tanya Hope, Vidya Pradeep and Yogi Babu in lead roles, this is one film you can’t miss. Directed by Magizh Thirumeni, the film follows the story of two look-alikes. We go through their lives, understand their characters and then all of a sudden, one of them kills someone. And until a minute before you walk out of the theatre, you don’t know who. As the movie goes along, the director gives us hints, here and there, keeping us guessing. But the brilliance in the direction lies in the fact that despite us considering all the options possible and coming up with the right one, we never know until the director chooses to tell us.
Another aspect of the film that completely stands out is the cinematography. Gopinath does a brilliant job with near perfect frames, beautiful shots that showcase the characters of the people of the screen. Every now and then, you can’t help but go, ‘Damn, that’s a brilliant shot’. Editing by N.B. Srikanth perfectly accentuates the plot. The music by Arun Raj is exactly what the film needed to tie it all together.
Thadam is a film with an extremely engaging storyline with a gripping screenplay about (Spoiler Alert) identical twins and a murder based on several real-life instances across the globe. Beginning from the first scene, right up to the end, the movie keeps us at the edge of our seats wondering what’s happening.
One thing that could have been better in the film might have been the writing. You realize at the end, that in the initial stages, the film did take a bit of time getting to the plot, but you also immediately understand why the director chose to do this. But the second half could not have been done better. And then, of course, there’s the bit a time spent on a flashback with Sonia Aggarwal. That part feels a little stretched out and random, but to an extent, we can try and understand what the director was attempting to do. Here and there, we do also notice a bit of far-fetched coincidences, but spending too much time on these would have also been a bit redundant.
Acting in the film, however, is at a whole new level. Arun Vijay steals the show with his portrayal of two characters who couldn’t be more different. Vidya Pradeep, Yogi Babu, and Vijayan perfectly accentuate the storyline with their flawless portrayals. The other problem with the film, other than these characters, the other female roles in the film are simply there for the plot. They do close to nothing to elevate the film.
I’d give this film a 4.5/5. Don’t miss it!
A Different Take 
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