Movie: Tharkappu
Direction: R P Ravi
Cast: Shakthi Vasudevan, Samuthirakani, Sathish Krishnan, Vatsan Chakravarthy, Vaishali Deepak
Music: F S Faizal
Cinematographer: Jones Anand
Editor: San Lokesh
Genre: Thriller, Action
Rating: ∗½
What is it about: This film deals with the most controversial issue of fake encounters executed by the Police department and its nuances involved in it. This one is directed by R.P.Ravi with Samuthirakani and Shakthi Vasudevan in lead characters.
Why it’s disappointing: The subject was a great one, but director RP Ravi didn’t have what it takes for handling a subject of this calibre with finesse. It wanders so much that you tend to lose your patience. It had a great notion to move towards, but it moves around unnecessary characters created just to increase the runtime for the movie. If only they had focussed on the central issue the movie could have been a great action thriller regardless of its budget.
The logic part takes a deep hit in “Tharkappu”, wonder what was the director or the producer thinking on putting a honeymoon suite in an IRCTC train. I think they have never travelled in a “Coupe” class on a train. Even the “Palace on Wheels” from IRCTC doesn’t have facilities or a room of a cabin like they showed in the movie, it was the most ridiculous thing which completely loses the credibility.
Then was the interrogation of the police officers on the road with cameras pointed, to top it off a customized Tempo traveller given to a Human rights officer. I know filmmakers take some cinematic liberty but these things were too much.
Then comes the underlying stories created to fill in the screen time, all of them test your endurance to stand stupidity. The actors were mostly fresh faces, but characterization was bad. Sathish is very good as a choreographer and should try to become a better one rather divulging in to acting which might create a bad image for him, choosing films like this.
The lead Shakthi Vasudevan has the looks to carry off a role of this kind but has to work more on improving his skills so that he doesn’t look wooden, which was the case most of the time in the movie. Samuthirakani was wasted in this film.
The dialogues in spite of being good, gets lost in translation due to weak screenplay which doesn’t know which direction it’s headed in to. Cinema is an art and sometimes it breaks your heart to see someone exploit the medium, when there are potentials slogging their sweat out to get noticed.
What to watch out for: Unfortunately there’s nothing I can feel as good enough in this film, very disappointed. The trailer mislead me in catching this flick and I regret it.
Verdict: RP Ravi needs more wisdom of filmmaking to venture into the field. Tharkappu may be his learning curve. Hope he brings out something better or good in future if at all one is in making already.
