Actor Nithiin teams up with director Venu Sriram for his latest Telugu film, Thammudu, which was released today in theatres. Sriram is well-known for his successful movies, including Vakeel Saab and MCA – Middle Class Abbayi. The film features a talented cast, including Laya, Varsha Bollamma, Saurabh Sachdeva, Swasika, Hari Teja, Srikanth Iyengar, Temper Vamshi, and Chammak Chandra, with Sapthami Gowda taking on the role of the female lead.
Story
Nithiin portrays a character who watches his sister, Snehalatha, forced to abandon her true love in favor of a marriage arranged by their parents. When Snehalatha turns to her brother for support, he disappoints her by remaining silent. Heartbroken, she decides to leave home and vows never to see him again.
Fast forward several years to Vizag, where a bomb blast rocks the city. The factory owner connected to the explosion coerces government officials into submitting a false report that favors him. Snehalatha, now a principled and devoted officer, is assigned to the investigation while she and her family plan a visit to a tribal village for a festival (jaathara).
Recognizing the threat to his interests, the antagonist forces Snehalatha to either sign the false report or face lethal repercussions, including the potential murder of her entire family.
The narrative develops over the course of one intense night as Nithiin scrambles against time to save his estranged sister’s family and seek redemption in her eyes.
Performances
Nithiin delivers a well-rounded performance and excels in the action sequences. While Sapthami Gowda is competent in her role, her character suffers from slight overacting. Varsha Bollamma’s character arc is strong, and she performs admirably. Saurabh Sachdeva brings initial intrigue as the villain with his quirky traits, but he ultimately falls into a clichéd role as the movie progresses. Laya, making a comeback, does not receive ample opportunity to shine.
Behind the scenes
Despite a promising premise, director Venu Sriram struggles to transform it into a compelling film. The screenplay feels weak, and the narrative lacks coherence, with key moments failing to pack an emotional punch and an overall sense of impact missing.
While the production values are commendable, the sequences fail to cohesively connect with the plot. Ajaneesh Loknath’s background score, although earnest, gets overshadowed by the sluggish pacing of the narrative. The cinematography by K.V Guhan, Sameer Reddy, and Setu is impressive, as they effectively enhance the visuals and location selections. However, Prawin Pudi’s editing leaves much to be desired, as many scenes contribute to a slower narrative flow.
Final Verdict
Thammudu is a dampener in many ways that do not add any value to the career of Nithiin. Another instance of an effective story gets killed by an insipid screenplay and miserable character arcs. The sister-brother relationship and the emotion surrounding it could not be elevated and it transforms into a routine crime action drama which was seen several times on screen. As a result, the narrative goes for a toss thus pushing the patience of the audience to the extreme limits.
Though Nithiin has given out his best, he alone cannot salvage the film which suffer from several lacune starting right from poor screenplay, shoddy editing and lopsided presentation. Overall, a dud that can be avoided unless you are hard core Nithiin fan. Watch it at your own risk!
