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Thanmatra Review - Mohanlal's Thanmatra

'Tanmatra' is for connoisseurs
By Paresh C. Palicha, Indo-Asian News Service

Film: "Tanmatra"; Writer-director: Blessy; Producer: Raju Mathew; Music director: Mohan Sithara; Cast: Mohanlal, Meera Vasudev, Arjun and Nedumudi Venu 
 

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Director Blessy is back with his second film "Tanmatra", looking more assured of his craft despite the heavy baggage of expectation following the stupendous success of his debut "Kazhcha". 

He has done away with all the frills supposedly required for commercial success -- so much so that you start fearing for the film's fate at the box office.

The story of "Tanmatra" is inspired by a short story by the late Padmarajan, Blessy's mentor. It deals with parental aspirations with the advent of the nuclear family system. How people try to achieve their unfulfilled dreams through their children and the resultant despair forms the crux of this film.

Ramesh Nair (Mohanlal) is a middle-level government employee working in the state secretariat. A brilliant man, who had dreamt of becoming an IAS officer in his younger days, he has now pinned all his hopes on his teenaged son Manu (Arjun). Ramesh has radical ideas about parenting and is very liberal with his son, who considers his father his mentor.

A happy family man with supportive wife Lekha (Meera Vasudev) and the two understanding children, he has successfully overcome his failures in the past. But all hell breaks loose when he is diagnosed with Alzheimer's. How the family copes with this calamity forms the rest of the story.

The simplicity of narration may surprise you and the languorous pace may leave you numb. It is brave of Blessy to not care about any trend or any stereotypes. He seems to have gained immense confidence from the success of his first film, which can be termed as middle-of-the-road, and has this time tried to make something that is bordering on the 'arty'. 

Even the songs don't have any commercial prospects. For a lay viewer, the film may turn out to be very heavy. The film is for connoisseurs.

"Tanmatra" can also be credited with the rediscovery of actor Mohanlal, not just because his performance is sans any star aura but because the poignant naturalness has returned in full. The character may have some resemblance with his role in Fazil's "Life Is Beautiful" a few years ago, but here it is more restrained and underplayed.

Adolescent actor Arjun is the other performer who captivates you. The debutant does not seem to be a novice and has the capacity to hold his own against the stalwart. Meera Vasudev passes muster, but her character deserved sharper etching. Nedumudi Venu seems to be repeating his father act of "Baletten".

Hopefully, "Tanmatra" will do well so other filmmakers waiting to do something radically new are not discouraged.