Join Us
Star Cast: Jiiva, Thambi Ramaiya, Ilavarasu, Prathana Nathan, Jensen Dhivakar, Jaiwanth
Director: Nithish Sahadev
What’s Good: A social commentary that hits at the right spot!
What’s Bad: A slightly stretched second half and a few preachy moments that could have been trimmed!
Loo Break: Whenever you want, perks of OTT!
Watch or Not?: It’s a thinking man’s commercial cinema. You should!
Language: Tamil
Available On: Still running in the theaters, streaming on Netflix
Runtime: 1 hour, 53 Minutes
User Rating:
Last week has been good for OTT content, since a lot of good January releases completed their 4-week theatrical window and arrived on various digital platforms. Two of them dropped on Netflix – Anaganaga Oka Raju and Thalaivar Thambi Thalaimaiyil. Both of them had distinct flavors, but both of them were social comedies. Interestingly, both of them impressed the audience!
While Naveen Polishetty‘s Telugu rom-com was on a much lighter side, Jiiva’s Tamil socio-political satire gets serious with each passing scene! In fact, it takes guts to bring such a hard-hitting satire and build it up bravely, keeping it as relevant as it could be, despite the gags and fun!
In an era where political thrillers often mean loud speeches and slow-motion walking heroes, Thalaivar Thambi Thalaimaiyil (TTT) feels like a breath of fresh air. The story revolves around a common man, a Panchayat president, played by Jiiva, who finds himself in a dilemma when two houses of his village come at loggerheads and want him to shoulder the responsibility of their events on the same day and at the same time!
Thalaivar Thambi Thalaimaiyil Movie Review: Script Analysis
Jiiva is totally taken aback when he comes to know that Sowmya’s wedding and her neighbour’s funeral have been scheduled to take place at the same time! The two houses have been at loggerheads ever since Sowmya’s father badmouthed neighbour Mani’s daughter, which triggered her suicide! What happens when a funeral and a wedding procession take place in the same courtyard, at the same time? Will Jiiva solve this crisis, or something worse would happen since the wedding and funeral, in the same courtyard, is an inauspicious omen, forms the entire premise of the film!
The social drama works beautifully because it doesn’t just point fingers at the system for anything! Instead, it looks inward and asks: Are we the problem? By placing Jiiva’s character in the middle of a situation that will explode with time and trigger a collapse, the script explores the dilemma of a man who is torn between his duty and his loyalty towards a set of people. Does he let his bias take over his civic duties?
Thalaivar Thambi Thalaimaiyil Movie Review: Star Performance
Jiiva is back, and how! For the past few years, the actor has starred in mediocre films that did no justice to his caliber. In TTT, he brings back that vulnerable yet fiery intensity. His transition from a confused Village president to a leader who understands his position and power is grounded. From the very first frame, he grasps the tone of the film and proceeds accordingly!
Trending
Thalaivar Thambi Thalaimaiyil Movie Review: Direction
Written by Sanjo Joseph, Nithish Sahadev, and Anuraj OB, the film is a brave piece of writing tackling everything – youth in politics, manipulation, grassroot politics, local governance, village rivalries, and more. Interestingly, the film never loses its soul, despite talking about various issues and highlighting them throughout the course of the narrative!
Director Nithish Sahadev deserves applause for not taking the easy route. He could have made a mass film with enough gags, but he chose to make a film that delivers a message with some massy elements. The way he captures the political struggles and the social rivalries in a village is commendable! The film takes an emotional turn when we see the story of Mani’s daughter! Moreover, it turns scary when we feel that the same story might repeat with Sowmya! In the film’s most hard-hitting social segments, the silence also speaks in a very appreciative tone!
Thalaivar Thambi Thalaimaiyil Movie Review: The Last Word
The film handles its subject with maturity and keeps the gags limited. It turns out to be where to draw the line between fun and seriousness! The only thing that does not work in favor of the film is the pacing in the first half!
Thalaivar Thambi Thalaimaiyil tries to mirror the society. It challenges all of us and our intellect, before we question the leaders and blame them for every problem that exists! The film is a winner with its unexpected climax. You should definitely watch it for Jiiva’s stellar act and stay for the message that hits straight!
4 stars!
Thalaivar Thambi Thalaimaiyil Trailer
For more South Indian Movie Reviews, stay tuned to Koimoi.
Follow Us: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | YouTube | Google News
