Thallumaala translates to a chain of fights, and that is exactly what the Ashiq Usman movie starring Tovino Thomas, Kalyani Priyadarshan, and Shine Tom Chacko in leads roles offers. With a runtime of 150 minutes, the movie features Chemban Vinod Jose, Binu Pappu, Lukman Avaran, Gokulan, Austin Dan, and Assim Jamal in supporting roles. The Tovino starrer is written by lyricist-turned-screenplay writer Muhsin Parari along with Ashraf Hamza.
Thallumaala follows Wazim (Tovino Thomas), a temperamental fellow with a penchant for getting into and instigating fights. He becomes an infamous internet celebrity when he ends up in a fight at his own wedding, resulting in absolute chaos. What led to that life-changing moment and how he deals with the aftermath form the crux of the story.
From minute one of the movie, you know you are in for a lot of action as Thallumaala opens with a bloodied and bruised Wazim and Reji (Shine Tom Chacko). The promise of this scene is delivered as we get one stylishly-shot fight sequence after another. Kudos must be given to cinematographer Jimshi Khalid for capturing these sequences with unique angles and frames for maximum impact. However, for someone who wants more depth in their movies, the Tovino starrer may seem overwhelming with all the fights and barely any story.
Apart from the stunning stunt choreography, what stood out in the film are the colours. Each frame of Thallumaala popped with colours, adding to the beauty of the action sequences. Acting as the icing on the cake is the comic-themed breakdown of the movie’s plot. You will see Wazim’s story unfolding through several chapters, effortlessly gliding from past to present to further in the past, weaving the complete story. While this technique will induce intrigue and laughter, without the mention of the timeline, only clothes, hairstyle, and facial hair help you keep track of when an incident takes place.
For the new Gen music lovers, Thallumaala will be a treat. The film is peppered with impromptu situational songs with beats as popping as the frames of the music video and lyrics that are conversational and hilarious. Having said that, one may feel if there one too many songs in the Tovino starrer as they watch the central characters stylishly dance to the beats.
Storywise, Thallumaala doesn’t have much to offer. However, Muhsin adeptly created a build-up of tension until everything exploded and chaos took over. Performances from Tovino and Shine, along with the supporting cast, complement this gradual tension, leaving you anticipating the first blow.
Thallumaala is a through-and-through action entertainer with its share of humour, catchy tunes, adept stunt choreography, and decent performances. Expect the style quotient to hit the roof in this movie as you see Kalyani’s Fathima and most of the other characters sport trendy and high-end clothes. With enough action sequences to enjoy with your popcorn as Fathima does in the movie, Thallumaala is a good choice for an entertaining time at theatres.