Synccinema Quickie - Thimmarusu

Thimmarusu - A Psuedo Suspense Thriller which conveniently convinces us.

While watching Thimmarusu, I was flummoxed by the questions that were running in my mind. No, these were not the questions that a movie with a “Lawyer” as a Hero (Protagonist would be a bigger word, I’ll say why soon) would have as a part of the volley of crossing conversations that a case proceeding in a courtroom drama might have. The questions were about what not the movie is about.

I’ll make it clear (and spoiler-free) about what the movie is not. Firstly, it’s not a courtroom drama. There is hardly 5 minutes (actually 7 min, but the first 2 minutes of this section is a comedic set-piece where I chucked inside) of proper legal proceedings inside a court. But yes, there is a case, actually, 2 cases, for the Hero to solve. 

This movie is not an edge of seat Suspense Thriller. The quality of thrills produced and the amount of curiosity the writing develops shows that the work done in this genre is mediocre, or sometimes even less than that. The logic never grabs us emotionally as well as narratively. I said “Duos-ex Machina” to myself every 5 mins. 

Why is even the 2011 CWC Final even taken as a day when crime unfolds? When clearly it never rained in Hyderabad on that day and the reference of Final has any significance? Even the month of April is also not convincing for heavy rain. The last time I spotted such a cheap and striking flaw was when the IPL Betting scene was established in Julayi (2012).

This movie is a commercial potboiler. It’s a movie that treads on the masala genre with the act of suspense forced into, because all the other options have dried out. This in turn makes the movie drier as dessert, then it’s alternatives of picking action, romance, family drama etc. The comedy is mostly irritating and comes out from a tawdry thought of maturity. The romance and heroine are unnecessary. The movie lacks focus from klutzy shifts into a big list of genres. 

Satyadev’s performance is the only x-factor that clutches the movie from disintegrating. In a very basic sense, this movie is a proper star vehicle to launch a hero from an influenced family. It has emotional dialogues, muscle-flexing fights with a dash of smartness (also, with Sricharan Pakala’s energetic score), a romantic track which would have easily been accentuated into an extra pair of romantic duets and alas! A mission to accomplish – A case to solve. 

This movie has every factor boxed in. Satyadev’s performance easily ticks all these boxes and even has extra mirth to make the film rise above and differentiate from movies like Jawaan or Krack. This would’ve certainly been a movie like Ala Vaikuntapuramloo, where Hero’s quirky guise would be enough for a smooth sail, even though sharp tides like poor writing and lack of promise hit the boat. But there is only something, an honest performance can achieve.

Also Read : Narappa Movie Review 

Watching Satyadev’s Thimmarusu made me realize how unsung is the difficulty in blending two genres and making a wholesome entertainer. Last year’s Umamaheshwara Ugraroopasya was a blend of oxymorons, be it genres or character traits, but it never stuck out to be as jarring and irregular as Thimmarusu. Even for his honest performance, Satyadev shouldn’t have made this movie. He deserves better scripts, even in the masala genre. Period.