Thoongavanam Movie Review

Cast: Kamal Haasan, Trisha, Prakashraj, Yugi Sethu, Kishore, Sampath, Madhu Shalini, Asha Sharath & others

Cinematography: Sanu John Varughese

Music: Ghibran

Stunts: Gilles Conseil, T.Ramesh

Art Direction: Prem Navas

Costumes: Gautami

PRO: Nikkil

Dialogues: Suka

Screenplay: Kamal Haasan

Direction: Rajesh M Selva

Produced by: Raaj Kamal Films International

Release Date: 10-11-2015

Run Time: 02:07:00

Kamal Hassan is well and truly on a roll. After an emotional outing in Uttama Villain and a family thriller in Papanasam, he is here to deliver his 3rd film of the year in Thoongavanam, a sleek and suave crime thriller which keeps you at the edge of your seat from the first frame.

The film follows the incidents that take place over the course of a single night, where the protagonist in Kamal Hassan crosses roads with a drug lord played by Prakash Raj. In the midst of these two extremes, there is the familial side of Kamal, more cops and thugs intertwined in.
With a simple plot point coupled with an intriguing screenplay, Rajesh M Selva delivers two hours of sizeable thrills with very few dull moments throughout.

Thoongavanam wastes no time in getting to the baseline, with Kamal’s terrific intro scene greenlighting the excitement. Walking against the tide of the usual brand of cinema, the film stays away from comedy, romance, songs and other unnecessary elements paving utmost concentration in handing over the chronicles. There is a twist every 20 minutes in the first half, which wakes up the sleeping cell in your brain, making you think. The second half does suffer a bit from the predictability factor and no edge of the seat moments, but the exciting stunt choreography does make up for it.

Kamal Hassan is near perfect as Dhiwakar, the smart undercover cop who is a maverick when it comes to keeping his secrets under wraps. The carefree style he flaunts at the start of the movie quickly shifts gears with enough space for the action blocks, executed with pluck. Trisha is the surprise package here, as one would definitely yearn to see her in more roles of this sort. The fight sequence with Kamal is something to watch out for. Prakash Raj with his lovely one liners is a treat, bringing in his much sought-out, peculiar style to the fore. Kishore is no less, and so are Sampath and Yugi Sethu, who chip in with the right amount of potential. A special mention to the little kid, who is very much the fulcrum of the emotional connect.

Technically, Thoongavanam checks all the boxes, be it the proficient camerawork or the crispy cuts. Ghibran’s music is one of the biggest assets to the film, keeping the tempo intact with his unique score and background bits. The sound team deserves a pat on the back for the authentic experience they churn out, making it a noteworthy effort on the whole.

At an aerial view, Thoongavanam is a frisky thriller which impresses despite its shortcomings. It has been quite a while since Tamil cinema has belted out a completely serious fight fare, and voila – Kamal Hassan, Rajesh Selva and the team give you exactly what you ask for. Go, catch the fun.

Thoongavanam Movie Review Rating: 3/5

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