Thudakkam review: Vismaya Mohanlal shines, but Mohanlal’s cameo can’t save this flawed film

Don’t Miss | Unmadham review: Kunchacko Boban’s psychological thriller is let down by uneven writing

A father-daughter story disrupted by devil himself

Meenu and her father, village officer Ravi (Sai Kumar), have moved into a new neighbourhood in a village in Idukki. There aren’t any other houses next to their rented one, aside from the landlord’s on the opposite side of the road. One day, Meenu, who left for the nearby city to write an exam, doesn’t return even after the expected time, scaring Ravi. He immediately approaches the police, but they, too, are unable to trace her initially. Luckily, Meenu returns home soon and explains the reason for her late arrival to them. However, little did she know that she hadn’t come back alone; the embodiment of devil himself had been secretly shadowing her.

Although Thudakkam kicks off with the usual visuals one can find in movies revolving around a young woman who has no one but her middle-aged father in life — and the moments here might even remind one of the song “Kadalolam Vaalsalyam” from director Kamal’s Minnaminnikoottam (2008), which also stars Sai Kumar as the father — the Vismaya Mohanlal-starrer shifts gears once Meenu goes missing.

From that point on, Jude Anthany Joseph builds on the tension, increasing the heat step by step, aiming to move viewers to the edge of their seats. By carefully cross-cutting between the police investigation and the answers they find, Jude and editor Chaman Chakko keep the audience hooked.

Visual tension vs generic script: Where Thudakkam struggles

However, the writing — particularly the heavy-handed dialogues — plays spoilsport throughout. Although Thudakkam has listed three people — Linish Nellikkal, Akhil Krishna, and Jude himself — as writers, the script feels far too generic and uninspired, with almost every element coming across as “been there, seen that.” If not for Chaman’s tight editing and Jude’s building of suspense through the visuals, even these portions would have felt dreary.

The extremely bland characterisations also significantly affect Thudakkam, with almost all key characters appearing overly familiar — and not in a good, relatable way. Even Meenu comes across as identity-less, as she simply moves from one action to another without ever being explored beyond the surface level. Although there are quite a few moments that show her bond with her father and her deceased mother, Thudakkam never really answers “who Meenu, in essence, is as a person,” and this isn’t because the writer trio has kept her an enigma.

Cinema Anatomy | Why Malayalam cinema struggles with sci-fi, and how modern films are changing the game

Once Meenu crosses paths with the serial sex offender villain (Aashish Joe Antony), Thudakkam’s mood changes entirely, and the bright daylight also becomes rare thereafter. However, even the high stakes fail to elevate the action drama beyond the average, and the writers’ failure to explore even a single possibility in the script to the fullest — choosing instead to scratch the surface of multiple ideas — is quite evident.

It is only when Vismaya and Aashish come face to face that sparks fly, allowing Thudakkam to fully engage the viewers, thanks to the impressive work by action choreographers Yannick Ben and Stunt Silva, further enhanced by Chaman Chacko’s sharp editing. However, these moments stand out only visually and don’t compensate for the movie’s mediocre writing.

The shoddiness of the dialogues becomes most evident in the climax, where a stereotypical, misogynistic line from the villain is countered by Meenu using a hackneyed line that contemporary Malayalam filmmakers have relied on far too often to emphasise the “strength of women.” Had Thudakkam’s makers genuinely wanted to show women’s empowerment, they could have given Meenu more personality and individuality.

While Vismaya Mohanlal’s performance isn’t terrible, it’s not particularly impressive. (Credit: Facebook/@AashirvadCinemasOfficial)

Mohanlal’s pointless cameo

Although Mohanlal’s cameo here is better than Mammootty’s in Chatha Pacha (2026), it stands out as one of the most pointless and evidently forced appearances he has ever made. Take movies like Kamal’s Peruvannapurathe Visheshangal (1989) or Sibi Malayil’s Summer in Bethlehem (1998), for instance. In those films, Mohanlal’s guest appearances felt brilliant because the characters were crucial to the narrative and not simply included to feature a superstar.

However, much like Jomon’s Unnathangalil (2001) and Suresh Krishnan’s Achaneyanenikkishtam (2001), Thudakkam has also forced the actor — not even the character — into the film, detracting from the overall experience, particularly given his dismal dialogues.

Vismaya Mohanlal’s action prowess

While Vismaya Mohanlal’s performance isn’t terrible, it’s not particularly impressive. Interestingly, Jude Anthany Joseph has smartly used certain techniques, such as keeping her mid-shots and close-ups for short durations and not making her bite off more than she can chew performance-wise. But even in the moments where she has no choice but to face the camera and act, Vismaya struggles to offer more than the few expressions in her quiver.

ICYMI | Pluto movie review: Neeraj Madhav, Althaf Salim’s quirky sci-fi comedy is short on laughs

Although Adithya Lakshmi’s dubbing for the actor is serviceable, Vismaya should have paid more attention to her lip-syncing, which comes across as overly artificial. Nevertheless, she excels in action sequences, showcasing her physical agility and giving off pure Vani Viswanath vibes.

A surprise villain debut

There once was a running joke among Malayalam movie audiences. Whenever they spot a new hero in a film who is incapable of even basic acting — sometimes giving off the impression that replacing him with a wooden log wouldn’t make much difference — people immediately quip that it must be the producer’s son. This joke isn’t unfounded, though, as we have seen numerous talentless nepo babies making easy debuts over the decades.

This is where the brilliance of producer Antony Perumbavoor — and I would say his son, Aashish Joe Antony, too — shines. While Antony could have easily launched his son as a hero, the duo has acted wisely. Had Aashish debuted as a male lead, the scrutiny would have been immense, and given that he may not possess great acting skills, it could have been overwhelming for him. Instead, Aashish has opted to make his entry into Malayalam cinema in the Mohanlal style, as a despicable villain, almost reminiscent of Sandy’s role in Lokesh Kanagaraj’s Vijay-starrer Leo (2023).

Must Read | GDN movie review: A career-best Madhavan trapped inside a biopic that plays it safe

From start to finish, Aashish ensures the malevolence of his character is clearly highlighted, even through his body language. However, the character remains superficial and evokes déjà vu of many recent on-screen serial sex offenders, including the villains in Nithilan Saminathan’s Maharaja (2024).

On a side note, it would have actually added to the character’s evilness if the villain had not spoken at all throughout the movie. However, Jude Anthany Joseph commits the blunder of having him utter 2-3 lines — stereotypical phrases that on-screen sex offenders, who typically harbour nothing but contempt for women, usually say — in the climax, thus rendering his prior silence ridiculous. Since the character doesn’t have much to perform overall, it’s too early to assess Aashish’s potential as an actor.

Also Read | DC movie review: Lokesh Kanagaraj-starrer is a moody, visually rich drama that falls short

Although Jakes Bejoy’s music isn’t extraordinary like that in Lokah Chapter 1: Chandra (2025) and Thudarum (2025), the composer has elevated Thudakkam at several junctures where the script clearly failed.

Thudakkam movie cast: Vismaya Mohanlal, Aashish Joe Antony, Mohanlal, Sai Kumar, Bobby Kurian, Manoj K Jayan, Ganesh Kumar
Thudakkam movie director: Jude Anthany Joseph
Thudakkam movie rating: 2 stars