Rajeev Ravi’s much-delayed film, Thuramukham, finally hit theaters on March 10th. Starring an ensemble cast starring Nivin Pauly, Thuramukham is a historical drama about the rise of unions against the infamous Chappa system. The film received mixed to good reviews, praising the performances of the cast, particularly Pauly and Poornima Indrajith, and the topical themes and Rajeev Ravi’s direction. However, the film’s length and certain underwhelming subplots and characters were criticized. Thuramukham Teaser: Nivin Pauly takes on the ‘chappa’ system in this Rajeev Ravi drama.
Written by Gopan Chidambaran, Thuramukham is based on a play of the same name written by his father. The film has faced delays in theaters due to the pandemic and also certain financial constraints on the film’s release. The delays were so great that fans began joking about the film and trolling the frequent postponements. Anyhow, it has now made it to the theaters and the verdict is in.
Watch the Thuramukham trailer:
Check out what major publications are saying about the film:
Times of India: “Director Rajeev Ravi brings his usual atmospheric weight to the film, based on the script by Gopan Chidambaram. Malayalam has seen some rousing union films such as IV Sasi’s 87 Mohanlal-Mammootty starring Adimakal Udamakal or even the real life inspired 1990 film Lal Salam directed by Venu Nagavalli. Thuramukham has a slower pacing and characters that needed a bit more richness to make them more relatable to audiences.”
The Hindu: “One thing that could go against the film is the three-hour runtime with some passages that just aren’t captivating enough. Yet Thuramukham remains an honest and important document of workers’ struggle to unionize for their rights at a time when such hard-won rights are being shelved and even weak protests ridiculed.”
The Week: “The running time of Thuramukham is 2 hours and 54 minutes. The story spans the lives of many different characters. The film uses a linear and slow-paced narrative more akin to a documentary treatment. However, too many subplots (although all related) in the narrative ruin the focus on the main plot. Also, a tighter edit would have helped the film become a box office hit.”
OTT Play: “Nivin gives a great performance as a man who is a slave to his primal instincts. Poornima’s transformation from young woman to old lady is so compelling. Especially the make-up artists and costume designers and the production designers did such a wonderful job. The Rajeev Ravi frames enrich the narrative and transport us to a time of darkness when oil lamps were the only source of light in improvised ghettos.”
How did you find Thuramukham? Do share your thoughts and reviews in the comments section below.
(The story above first appeared on LatestLY on March 10, 2023 8:18 p.m. IST. For more politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle news and updates, visit our website Latestly.com).
