Thanmathra... 2005

Beyond Love.....

He was the best father any son would dream of. His dream was to see his son as an IAS Officer. And he almost saw it.....almost

"If you can't compare your wife to another woman, how can you compare your son to another boy?" - the moment Mohanlal pops this question, you know Thanmathra will not just be any malayalam movie. At a time when the industry is ruled by crass comedies, Blessy should be appreciated for taking up such a complex theme in a commercial format, without compromising on artistic values.

Thanmathra is the story of a middle-class family; the very family that stays in a mini two bedroom flat; the very family which uses a Bajaj scooter for transportation; the very father who dreams about his son attaining what he couldn't. In short, it is the family which you can see in your day-to-day life. But what makes the movie special is the craftsmanship that director Blessy shows in extracting the best performance from his cast into what can be called as the ideal script for any artist to prove his skills.

Thanmathra excels in every class. Let it be cast performances or direction or paperwork or music or cinematography or art work or whatever, Thanmathra is perfect. The movie drags a bit in the latter half, but the theme demands the lag and without it the movie would have ended up as a typical TV serial. Mohanlal has come up with one of the strongest performances in Indian Cinema. In real life, people often consider Alzheimers as a variant of madness. Therefore the slightest mistake from the actor can transform an Alzheimers patient to a lunatic. But Mohanlal handled the character carefully. Rameshan, being an Alzheimers patient, forgets everything. But still somewhere in his mind, he knows that he wants to see his son as an IAS Officer, even when he cant recognise his son's face. Such roles are always challenging to any actor but Mohanlal came up with a brilliant, effortless performance, proving any role is only a child's play for him. Debutant Arjun Lal is certainly an excellent actor in the making. Jagathy Sreekumar and Nedumudi Venu have done their parts well. Other than some unsynched lip-movements, Meera Vasudev's performance is top notch.

Once you watch the film, Thanmathra will give you a melancholic feeling. One might wonder why God is so cruel to Rameshan and his family. After all his only dream was to see his son as an IAS officer. And he almost saw it...almost.

Perhaps love can conquer everything - but not Alzheimer's. At a time when crass commercials rule Malayalam cinema, Blessy has been successful to deliver a film with the right sensitivity and restraint required when sketching an intimate portrait of a man doomed by Alzheimer disease.



If further proof is required that Mohanlal is India's finest actor, watch him in Thanmatra as Ramesan Nair. His anguish, agony and anxiety as he dreams big about his son, but gets inflicted by Alzheimer. The actor is mesmerizing and has given his best-ever performance since Vanaprastham and re-invents the idiom of acting once more with feeling.

Ramesan (Mohanlal) is an officer at the state secretariat in Thiruvananthapuram who has a 9 to 5 job in which he is honest, hardworking and goes by the rule book. His happy family consists of wife Lekha (Meera Vasudev), teenage son Manu who is preparing for the crucial 12th standard exams and a little daughter.

Ramesan is a good husband and the perfect dad for his children. His colleagues and friends envy them and the way Ramesan guides his son Manu who is an all rounder in sports, cultural activities and is the best student in school. Joseph (Jagathy Sreekumar), a colleague is Ramesan's friend, philosopher and guide who get things done.

Ramesan's big dream is to see his son prepare for civil service exams and get an IAS, something which he was not able to achieve in spite of being a very bright student himself. Ramesan slowly discovers that he often forgets small things in life and consults a doctor (Pratap Pothen) who dismisses it off as tension seen in parents about their ward's exams and future!

But one day life turns topsy-turvy in a bizarre incident at office; Ramesan is hospitalized and is diagnosed for Alzheimer's disease that causes loss of memory, intellectual decline, changes in personality and behavior and an increased dependence on others. The rest of the film is how Lekha, Ramesan's father (Nedumudi Venu) and especially Manu faces this big crisis as Ramesan takes voluntary retirement and goes back to his ancestral home where he was born and brought up.

Thanmatra asserts that Blessy is a path-breaking writer-director, one to be admired and concerned about. He has been able to convey an individual coping with his middle-class urban life suddenly devastated by a dreaded disease. Blessy has also brought out the relationship of Ramesan with his father as well as his son and in the end when Manu is being interviewed by the Civil Service board he says it all- "My father has been my biggest inspiration".

Above all, it is Mohanlal's performance which is the major highlight of the film. Meera Vasudev is simply terrific as Lekha who gives love and support to her husband till the end. The chemistry between the lead pair is touching and honest. Arjun as Manu is the scene stealer and has the making of a good actor. Jagathy Sreekumar and Nedumudi Venu have once again proved that they are the best. Kaithapuram's lyrics and Mohan Sitara's music creates the right mood. Sethu Sriram's camera work is marvelous.

Thanmatra is an intelligent, insightful and unconventional film. It is a touching, thought-provoking drama for sophisticated audiences. ...i have some hope in Malayalam cinema now...excellent characters, remarkable situations and one of the finest, most dramatic scores ever written, this film manages to inspire and uplift just about any viewer.The major reason why so every people like this movie is the feeling it evokes inside it's viewers.about mouth publicity is outstanding everyone likes it . Without a doubt it is an excellent movie, but this movie just blew me away. If you haven't seen it go for it... see what is effortless acting & natural acting lalettan make us proud again . I AM PROUD TO BE A LALFAN I wont let out anything about the movie climax, because i had hate to spoil such a movie for you guys. But one recommendation I give, is watch and relax while it blows you away. MOHANLA Genius actor ever in Indian cinema and one best actor in world! Well thats all I have to say,

THANMATHRA - OUTSTANDING EXCELLENT MOVIE WATCH IT WITH YOUR FAMILY ESPECIALLY WITH YOUR FATHER.


Kerala State Film Awards
Year Result Award Category/Recipient(s)
2005 Won Kerala State Film Award Best Actor
Mohanlal


Best Director
Blessy


Best Script Writer
Blessy


Special Mention
Arjun Lal