‘Thammudu' movie review: Nithiin struggles in an excruciating survival thriller

The Hindu

a day ago

There is a fine line between inventive and outright bizarre. On paper, Thammudu might have seemed like a gripping watch —blending complex family dynamics, childhood friendship, and a good-versus-evil survival thriller. But in execution, it is more of an endurance test than an immersive film. Written and directed by Venu Sriram, starring Nithiin, Varsha Bollamma, Sapthami Gowda and Laya, the film tries to juggle too much, and drops most of it.
Nithiin plays Jai, an archer chasing gold at the world championship. His struggle, we are told, is not about fitness or skill, it is emotional baggage. He confides in childhood friend Chitra (Varsha) about his broken bond with his sister (Laya) and the regret that has been weighing him down.
Chitra, meanwhile, is apparently a successful entrepreneur who wins 'Start-up of the Year'. What does her company do? The film does not tell us. On stage, she announces her love for Jai, tearfully calling him 'more than just a boyfriend.' Logic takes a backseat, and so does character depth.
Thammudu (Telugu)
Director: Sriram Venu
Cast: Nithiin, Laya, Varsha Bollamma, Sapthami Gowda
Run time: 154 minutes
Story: An archer who seeks emotional healing has to save his sister's family in a jungle, and time is running out.
Both Jai and Chitra set off to find his sister, and that is when Thammudu begins its descent into chaos. Enter a cartoonish villain, played by Saurabh Sachdeva, who has just triggered a deadly factory blast. It is obvious from the get-go that this was an insurance scam, but the film treats the reveal like a masterstroke.
What makes the antagonist particularly grating is the oddball quirk tagged onto him: a childhood accident has damaged his hearing, so he can tolerate no more than 20 decibels. He lives in a soundproof mansion, surrounded by mute staff, and communicates in near-silence. It is more absurd than sinister, and the gimmick soon wears thin. Ironically, Ajeneesh Loknath's background score is blaring in contrast, as if to make up for the hush elsewhere.
A jarring tonal shift takes place when the story moves from Visakhapatnam to a lawless forest zone on the Andhra-Chhattisgarh border. Jai's estranged sister, now living under a new identity, is trapped there with her extended family — chased by the villain's men. The survival thriller kicks in, and it is now up to Jai to get the family safely back to Visakhapatnam and help deliver justice for the blast victims.
There is a fleeting sense of redemption post-intermission. The cinematography, by KV Guhan, Sameer Reddy and Setu, leverages the situation to bring visual depth, lending some edge to the tension. But logic quickly crumbles. For instance, why does a family tag along a heavily pregnant woman into the jungle, even if for 'devotional reasons'? Only to serve up teary melodrama and a fire-lit birthing sequence while Jai battles henchmen. It is all very overwrought.
Sapthami Gowda plays a local whose irritating quirks settle into a more purposeful role, nudging the plot forward. Another character is purely driven by money, heightening the drama, but again, it is serviceable at best.
The survival thriller soon runs out of steam. Jai morphs into a one-man army — agony uncle, healer, protector, action hero. While some jungle scenes feel authentic, the poor green screen work elsewhere sticks out sorely.
Eventually, even the sibling reconciliation and justice arc lose all emotional pull. Jai regaining his aim or the villain stepping out in a soundproof pod are not even fun in a campy way, they just drag out the film. Jai keeps reiterating, 'go with the flow', which becomes unintentionally funny as the film progresses.
Nithiin is sincere but cannot rescue the dull script. Laya's much-touted comeback falls flat due to weak character writing, and while Varsha Bollamma brings her usual spark, it is simply not enough.
At one point, a character opens a container and announces, 'There's nothing inside.' Someone in the audience said, 'Ee cinema-lo emi ledu (there's nothing in this film either).' That, unfortunately, sums it up.
(The film is running in theatres)