Thanthapperu: A sharp drama offering authentic portrayal of Cholanaikkan tribe’s lives, and powerful commentary on fragility of manliness

A look at its title reveals the deep themes the movie discusses. While Thanthapperu literally translates to “father’s name,” highlighting its commentary on people’s obsession with patrilineal pride, the English title, Life of a Phallus, goes deeper, revealing how manliness is also often related to one’s genitalia and the ability to satisfy a mate and procreate, thus making any threat to the organ a threat to manhood itself.

A still from Thanthapperu,

Moreover, Thanthapperu also examines how societal beliefs are inherently anti-women. At the centre of the story is Nari Monchan (Bellakkariyan Maneesh), the son of the clan’s chieftain, and his wife, Bella (Chincina Bhamini). With only 198 members remaining, according to the movie, a significant issue plagues the Cholanaikkans: a massive disproportion in the male-to-female ratio. As a result, many men in the community remain single. Despite this, Nari has found a partner. However, instead of being content with his life and the fortune he has received, Nari is haunted by the fear that Bella doesn’t love him and will leave him one day. Although her behaviour suggests she desires his compassion, Nari is perpetually cold and rude towards her.

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His Othello syndrome manifests in various ways, and it doesn’t end with doubts regarding her fidelity. He continually finds ways to lash out at her and belittle her. During the beginning of a makeout session between them, when she titillatingly brings his hands to her breasts, he explodes and slams her for the act, as, according to their beliefs, breasts are only for satisfying children’s hunger and not for fulfilling one’s lust. At another point, when a stack of firewood falls from her hand as they walk across rocky terrain, he taunts her, making her feel worthless. Even worse, he frequently undermines her womanhood by constantly comparing her to his mother. Yet, in front of his fellow men, he keeps claiming that he loves her more than anything, even though Bella never feels this affection. Instead, she receives the compassion that Nari fails to provide from fellow tribesman Poomala (Poochakkaran Mani). He not only spends time with her, chats, shares laughter, and discusses dreams, but once they fall for each other, he touches her — emotionally and physically — in a way Nari never has. When things become physical between them, he satisfies her sexual desires according to her wishes, showing that he genuinely cares for her.

Unlike many movies that use women’s empowerment as tokenism, Thanthapperu stands apart in this aspect. While it establishes the shortage of women in the community — resulting in Bella and Nari’s mother being the only Cholanaikka women we see on screen — it also addresses feminist politics in an unfiltered manner. During their sexual encounter, when Poomala reminds Bella that breast stimulation goes against their customs, Bella bluntly says, “It (the customs) is against women,” making a strong statement. But it doesn’t stop there. By showing Poomala satisfying Bella in the way she likes, Thanthapperu emphasises that one’s priority should always be their loved ones, not the community’s rules. Later, when Bella elopes with Poomala and is caught midway by Nari — who behaves like the bigger person and lets them go — Bella asserts that she doesn’t need his favour, explaining that she left him because “your doubts are greater than your love.”

Unnikrishnan Avala and co-writer Vinod Chellan have included several such powerful moments throughout the movie, addressing identity and gender politics. For instance, the scene where Cholanaikkans finally buy a jeep for themselves — so they no longer have to rely on the town jeep driver, who charges them excessively and often fails to arrive on time even during emergencies — is significant. Their subsequent dialogue, “This is our path. And from now on, we will decide our way,” indicates they are not willing to be servile to any authority.

Thanthapperu also touches upon the systemic erasure of Cholanaikkans that started during the Emergency era, when many men from the tribe were subjected to mass sterilisations by the government, contributing to the ethnic group’s low population. The film parallels this with manhood itself, showing how less of a man Nari feels upon realising he is not the chieftain’s son, but born to his mother through another man. Upon learning about the sterilisation, he rebukes his father, expressing that he feels his entire identity is lost. This underscores men’s obsession with patrilineal pride. Meanwhile, after admitting everything to his son and facing his criticism, the chieftain dies by suicide, seemingly unable to live as a “lesser man.”

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Nonetheless, Unnikrishnan never makes any of this feel artificial and achieves a brilliant balance of politics and drama, all while offering an atmospheric experience that introduces viewers to visuals and lives they may never have seen before. Mohammed A’s cinematography and the music by Janaki Easwar and Rithu Vysakh play key roles in capturing and communicating the essence of Thanthapperu to its fullest, making it a hard-hitting experience.