Chennai
Now, after almost seven years, the duo has come together for an interesting investigative thriller that elevates Arun Vijay not only as a performer but also as a star who completely steals the show. Thadam has a solid plot, which is deftly narrated with superb twists and turns, with hardly any distraction.
Within few minutes into the film the audience is introduced to the lead characters — Ezhil and Kavin, played by Arun Vijay himself. Magizh Thirumeni begins this whodunit thriller with a romantic track featuring Ezhil (Arun Vijay), a civil engineer and his girlfriend, Deepika (Tanya Hope), which is engaging in parts. The director also narrates a parallel story of Kavin (Arun Vijay), Ezhil’s look-alike, who is more into gambling and theft. While everything appears to be normal, the plot gets more interesting, when one of the two murders a youngster, who lives in a luxury apartment.
Ezhil becomes the prime suspect in the murder case and even gets arrested. The inspector, who is inquiring into the case, tries his best to frame him as a criminal due to his personal vengeance. The case gets more complicated,when Kavin, Ezhil’s look-alike, meets the police officials, who are investigating the case.
A few minutes before the interval, Magizh reveals to the audience that the two are identical twins, who are not on good terms with each other for years. The second half is all about investigation involving the two, to find the real murderer. Malar (Vidya Pradeep), a young inspector, who takes up the case, fails to gather evidence against Ezhil or Kavin and gives it up. Will police department finally crack the case or let them go scot-free?
Thadam shows how a good performer can make a film rise above its genres. Arun Vijay’s performance in the film, subtly delineating the two roles, is wonderful to watch on-screen. Pulling off a dual role for the first time is not a joke, and he has done it exceptionally well, without showing any difference in the characters’ physical attributes.
Tanya Hope and Vidya Pradeep have done their job to perfection and they manage to linger in one’s memories for a long time. However, the flashback portions in the second half, featuring Sonia Aggarwal, are the only drawback in the film as it doesn’t gel well with the storyline. Also, debutant Arun Raj’s music fails to elevate the mood of the film and doesn’t help the audience to connect with the plight of the characters involved. After Aandavan Kattalai, this is the only film where actor Yogi Babu is utilised not only as a comedian but also as a character artiste. Overall, Thadam is yet another film that will be much-talked about in Arun Vijay’s career.
Thadam
Cast: Arun Vijay, Smruthi Venkat, Tanya Hope, Vidya Pradeep, Sonia Aggarwal, Yogi Babu, George Maryan
Director: Magizh Thirumeni
Composer: Arun Raj
Synopsis: A young civil engineer, Ezhil, becomes the prime suspect in a mysterious murder case of a youngster. Confusion begins when Ezhil’s look-alike meets the police officials enquiring the case.
Rating: 3.5/5
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