There was a time in Malayalam when production companies were valued as much as directors or screenwriters. There was a time when the name of the production company was the minimum guarantee for the audience. There are still some banners that command such guaranteed audiences. Bhavana Studios is one of them. On its own, the film, which hit theatres this week, received a standing ovation on the day of Thankam's release. Thanks to Shyam Pushkaran's screenplay and Zaheer Arafat's direction, as well as some excellent performances.
Although it has been a decade and a half since his debut as an actor, Vineeth Srinivasan has played some excellent roles in recent years. After his shocking role in Mukundan Unni Associates, the actor's range in Vineeth can be seen in Thankam. Like Mukundan Unni, Kannan is also someone who does not reveal everything inside. But these are characters in two shades. Vineeth has meticulously portrayed the character in every frame, which demands a great actor.
Biju Menon and Vineeth Thattil, who are Kannan's friends, gave the other two best performances in the film. Ayyappanum Koshiyum was the career-breaking film of Biju Menon, who once shone as a romantic hero as well as in police roles. While Ayyappan was a somewhat loud character, Muth in Thangam is a compact one. While nothing with a lot of flakesLike Biju Menon, Kannan hails from Thrissur. The team's excellence is in casting a person who knows the secret of that language as this character. The character in the film allows the actor Vineet Thattil, whom we have seen through the frames of Lijo Jose Pellissery, to grow to another level. His combination scenes with Biju Menon are entertaining.
Aparna Balamurali, as Kannan's wife, and Kochupreman, as Kannan's father, have given good performances. Although Kochupreman is only in a few scenes. But at the core of the film is another person whose performance is astounding. It's Marathi actor Girish Kulkarni. Saheerad Arafat and his team have presented this unique actor, whom many Malayali audiences have seen before in some Hindi films. His character is a Maharashtra police officer who is assigned to investigate a case involving Malayalees in Tamil Nadu. This actor also takes the film, which can be categorised as a procedural drama, a step further.
