Thallumaala movie review: Tovino Thomas starrer offers a lot of fun and madness

For example, Wazim only knows how to show his love and care for his friends by taking a lead to knock the teeth out of the person, who messed with his friends. That’s how he rolls. His best friends were the ones who gave him a black eye. It is through a chain of fights and conflicts that he makes friends.

Wazim’s first encounter with Fatima aka Beepathu (Kalyani Priyadarshan) also happens following a road rage incident, which ends up with a man being punched in the face. The female characters in the movie, including Fatima, have little to do in this battle of egos between men who have no regard for politeness. But the female characters provide a sense of stability in the chaos constantly whipped up by male characters. They are not silent spectators but an active witnesses to the madness.

Thallumaala is a petri dish of hormones. There is a constant tug-of-war between testosterone and oxytocin, also known as the love hormone. And when given a choice, Wazim and his friends always pick a good fight over a chance at love. The mob fight at the theatre is one of the immersive sequences that underlines the very theme of the movie. It’s total madness. It’s an open season where anybody could join the fight and punch anybody without worrying about the excuse.

Khalid Rahman has stylishly staged the fights. But, underneath all the madness, there is also a commentary — strong men can control their anger, weak men can’t.

On the surface, Thallumaala offers a lot of fun and entertainment. It’s a youthful movie with Tovino Thomas managing to look 10 years younger by achieving a slim physique. Lukman Avaran, Austin Dan and Adhri Joe are effortless. Shine Tom Chacko as Regi Mathew gets his fair share of screen-time as a man who knows what’s right but is also convinced that there is no fun doing what’s right.

Thallumaala is all about men who are addicted to physical fights. They keep chasing the dragon, for it makes them feel important and alive.