'Thiruchitrambalam' review: A breezy slice-of-life film

Thiruchitrambalam

Tamil (Theatres)

Director: Mithran J Jawahar

Cast: Dhanush, Nithya Menen, Rashi Khanna, Bharathiraja

4/5

The plot of 'Thiruchitrambalam' is built on an archetypical template of a disturbed father-son relationship but director Mithran J Jawahar exudes freshness in his approach.

Dhanush and Nithya Menen play Thiruchitrambalam “Pazham” and Shobana. The movie takes the theme of romance to foreground the dissipating relationship between father (Prakash Raj) and son, which is held together somewhat tenderly by the grandfather, essayed by Bharatiraja. We see a restrained father whose nature is immediately contrasted by a relaxed grandfather.

The story carries a dense theme of suppressed emotions, yet Jawahar has managed to make the narrative less serious in tone. Pazham works as a food delivery agent. The plot of no communication between the father and son is mellowed down by the reverberating conversations that happen through the grandfather.

Shobana, Pazham’s childhood friend, breaks the monotony of the plot. It is through her that we get to experience the light-hearted comedy that comes convincingly between friends and also with Pazham’s grandfather. Anusha and Ranjani, played by Rashi Khanna and Priya Bhavani Shankar respectively, add fervor to the already disappointing life of Pazham.

The movie is not completely a rom-com. In fact, the director has articulated the segment well by projecting a three-tier narrative. The presence of romance elevates the comedy, which in turn elevates the underlying emotional issues.

For movies to deal with intense themes and to sustain the lightness of the narrative is rather a challenging task. Yet another beauty of the film is that we do not see the want of women characters in the story to bring in changes in the men’s lives here. The trio of grandfather, father and son is just enough in a small house who interact in their own ways and change for the better. There is no forceful action segment either.

'Thiruchitrambalam' is a narrative that comes afresh with newer ways of telling an old story.