R ARIVANANTHAM
For all living beings gifts are morale-boosters and symbol of love which rekindle the sweet memories. This film revolves around one such precious gift – Thandatti – a heavy gold earring worn by elderly women on their extended earlobes in Usilambatti region of south Tamil Nadu.
Pasupathy’s Veerasubramanian, a policeman with out-of-the-box thinking, was about to retire in just ten days. He used to go with his instincts rather than his superior’s orders, which pushes him into some tricky corners. At the tail-end of his career, he faces yet another tricky situation. This is the crux of the film.
- This film revolves around one such precious gift – Thandatti – a heavy gold earring worn by elderly women on their extended earlobes in Usilambatti region of south Tamil Nadu
- Pasupathy’s Veerasubramanian, a policeman with out-of-the-box thinking, used to go with his instincts rather than his superior’s orders
- Deepa Shankar and Vivek Prasanna back such humourous scenes with their natural performances
Selvaraj, a teenager, wants to file a complaint about his missing grandmother, Thangaponnu (Rohini). and barges into the police station. The police try to get rid of this issue as it is from Kidaripatti, considered a problematic village with a notorious past with the police. However, Veerasubramanian decides to help him. Although she is found dead and brought back home for the last rites, crucial events unfold when her ‘Thandatti’ goes missing, leaving the family in chaos. And now, Subramanian has no choice but to resolve the situation and manage a peaceful cremation of the deceased.
Trailer:
Thangaponnu has three sly daughters, a drunkard son Showpandi (Vivek Prasanna), and a compassionless daughter-in-law (mother of Selvaraj) whose husband passed away. The situations that define their characteristics and their interpersonal relationships are witty. The sisters ganging up against each other, jumping and smashing, pulling each other’s hair to acquire the ‘Thandatti,’ and Subramanian trying hard to settle the matter offer chuckle-worthy moments. Deepa Shankar and Vivek Prasanna back such humourous scenes with their natural performances. That apart, the elderly women’s sing-song dialect, attire and mannerisms, the dramatic conversational junctures, the mourning house, and the sounds of Oppari, exude the petrichor of the rural lands. The series of events that ushers in finding the culprit goes around in circles until it reaches a poignant climax, which salvages the film that fails to realise its potential.
#Thandatti recieves a superb response from the public in theatres. Catch the film in cinemas now!@Dir_RamSangaiah @lakku76 @Venkatavmedia @PasupathyMasi @Rohinimolleti @SundaramurthyKS @actorvivekpra @Ammu_Abhirami @MMuthuswami @EditorShivaN @veeramani_art @Kirubakaran_AKR pic.twitter.com/XQ9cz8CeBh
— Prince Pictures (@Prince_Pictures) June 25, 2023
The highlight of Thandatti is definitely the crucial flashback, which features a promising Ammu Abhirami as the younger version of Thangaponnu. The flashback cements an emotional story behind why ‘Thandatti’ is her precious gift and her last wish associated with it. While an effective Rohini plays a neat foil even with limited screen time, it is Pasupathy who anchors the entire show effortlessly.
The platitudinous style of music sometimes overshadows performances. While we see many films set up in the countryside, the efforts to highlight the uniqueness of its landscapes and settings could offer an unexplored experience, breaking out of template visual language.
Thandatti tries to weave many aspects like the tale of forbidden love, a frenzied family’s fight over their mother’s treasured belonging and two eventful days in the cop’s life
Cast
Pasupathy, Rohini, Vivek Prasanna, Ammu Abhirami, Deepa Shankar
Crew
Director: Ram Sangaiah
