Product Code Database
Thadam () is a 2019 Indian Tamil language-language crime thriller film written and directed by Magizh Thirumeni. Produced by Inder Kumar, the film stars Arun Vijay in a dual role along with Vidya Pradeep, Tanya Hope and Smruthi Venkat. The music was composed by Arun Raj, with cinematography by Gopinath and editing by N. B. Srikanth. In the film, police officers try to solve a murder case involving lookalike suspects arrested on the basis of a pictorial evidence.
Thadam was released theatrically on 1 March 2019, opening to critical acclaim with praise for Arun Vijay's performance and the writing. It was commercially successful, becoming one of the highest-grossing films of the year in Tamil Nadu. The film was remade in Telugu language as Red (2021) and in Hindi as Gumraah (2023).
Both Ezhil and Kavin are brought in and investigated without their knowledge of each other's existence. Gopalakrishnan, an inspector who shares an old rivalry with Ezhil, tortures him. Ezhil reveals his car broke down and a call taxi driver helped him, as he didn't have the repair kit. Sub-inspector Malarvizhi interrogates Kavin, who cites various laws to escape torture. She reaches out to Akash's friend and shows him the photograph of Ezhil/Kavin, but he refuses to recognise him. She also questions Suruli and tells him not to leave the city without permission, but he secretly escapes. Malarvizhi then learns of the rivalry between Ezhil and Gopalakrishnan; Ezhil helped the latter's daughter elope with her lover, much against her father's wishes. The forensic expert informs Malarvizhi about a hair sample recovered from the crime scene and how it doesn't match anyone else in Akash's home.
At the police station, Ezhil tries to escape, but Kavin interrupts. The two violently fight, hurting everyone and vandalising the station in the process. Their DNA reveals Ezhil and Kavin to be identical twins who confess to the same crimes. They parted ways when their parents divorced and Kavin went with his mother, who gambled a lot and eventually committed suicide. His father takes Kavin in but gets into a violent fight with him and Ezhil, leading to their admission to a mental institution. Kavin became interested in studying law but left due to his lack of college ethics. One day, Kavin left Ezhil's missing ring for Deepika and the police beat up Kavin. Ezhil realised his mistake and vowed to seek revenge.
Gopalakrishnan still wants to frame Ezhil, but the call taxi driver who helped him confirms he was stuck on the night of the murder and paid Suruli's debt with gambling money. The sessions court acquits Kavin and Ezhil to protect the innocent from punishment. Gopalakrishnan retires without regaining his revenge. Meanwhile, Malarvizhi discovers Deepika's photo in Akash's case. She inquires with his friend about the girl he was infatuated with. In a flashback, Ezhil murdered Akash for drugging, kidnapping and raping Deepika out of his childhood lust before killing her. He also bribed the police to drop the case. Kavin helps Ezhil by getting into trouble and officially arrested to throw off the police.
Later, Kavin meets Ezhil on the highway and explains how Malarvizhi can't reopen the case as she created a fake witness to help Ezhil and could herself get arrested, having done this once, which resulted in her suspension. Ezhil hands him over a photograph of them with their mother and tells him he is going to Mumbai and later to Copenhagen, never to return. Having sold all of his property in India, Ezhil gives a 50% share to Kavin as a tribute. After his marriage with Ananthi, Kavin realises his lack of trust in his mother prompted her to kill herself. He promises to do better with his wife.
Seven months later, some investigating officers appear for a documentary shooting. One of the investigating officers calls the case unprecedented before someone tells him similar cases occurred in other countries.
Janani K of India Today rated the film 2.5 out of 5 stars stating "Director Magizh Thirumeni's second film with Arun Vijay, Thadam, deals with a sensitive and intriguing murder mystery. But the screenplay is messed up and filled with spoonfeeding moments". S Subhakeerthana of The Indian Express rated 3 out of 5 stars stating "At first glance, Thadam, inspired by real events, comes across as a pretty straightforward urban thriller. But as the layers peel, you discover it is cleverly written—in parts". Writing for Firstpost, Sreedhar Pillai rated 3 out of 5 stars stating "Thadam is an out-and-out Arun Vijay film. A well made thriller which takes the audiences by surprise in its climax with some twists and turns". Anupama Subramanian of Deccan Chronicle rated 3.5 out of 5 stars stating "Barring couple of dull moments, Thadam is a well-written engrossing thriller worth a watch". Kavitha Muralidharan of The News Minute rated 3 out of 5 stars stating "The film has a deceptively simple storyline but the treatment makes all the difference".
|
|
