THOBAMA | REVIEW

Thobama Review: A Friendship Tale With A Different Backdrop!

Thobama, the film which is a sort of a mini reunion of the Premam team has graced the big screens. The impact that the film Premam had created in the minds of the audiences is immense. So when moviegoers got to know that Alphonse Puthren is making his debut as a producer with this film, the expectations did sky-rocket. Has the film lived up to the expectations? Read Thobama review to know about it..

The story of Thobama is set in the time period of 2006-07. It narrates the tale of three youngsters named Thommi, Balu and Manaf and three of them are thick friends. Thommi is a youngster trying hard to make money, Manaf is an aspiring actor whereas Balu is an M.com student. The movie takes us through a series of events that happen in their life.

 

At first, let's see how the cast & crew members of the Thobama have fared for the movie..

The Leading Men

Sharaf U Dheen, Siju Wilson and Krishna Sankar have come with some good performances and the entire film rides high on their shoulders. In fact, all the three of them have got roles quite different from the ones that they did in Premam. Siju Wilson plays the role of Balu and he comes up with a mature performance. It was refreshing to see Sharaf U Dheen in a comparatively serious role and he has put up a commendable performance. Krishan Sankar, plays the role of Manaf to full-effect and in fact, it is he who has contributed the maximum to the humour portions.

Rest Of The Cast 

Thobama features newcomer Punya Elizabeth as the leading lady. She was good with her performance, but the character lacked the required depth. Shabareesh was good but his role too looked a bit under-developed. Rajesh Sharma has come up with a fine performance. Rafi has made an impact with a role that is quite different from the ones that he has done in the past. Sreelakshmi too has done a good job.

Script & Direction

The script of the film has been jointly penned by Mohsin Kassim and T V Aswathy. The story of the film isn't anything new but the backdrop is quite different. The major focus of the script is on the friendship of the main three characters and it has worked out well up to a good extent. At the same time, the film also discusses some new topics in connection with lottery mafia. The consistency factor is missing in the script especially in the second half of the movie, where most of the sequences were plain and predictable.

 

Meanwhile, Mohsin Kassim is definitely a film-maker to watch out for. His making style and narrative pattern does make up for some of the negatives of the script. The film is set in a different time period and the film-maker in him has taken care of each and every minute detail representing that particular period. The film has a different look and feel altogether and this man should be appreciated for that. However, the pace that he opted for the film is an issue, especially in the second half.

Other Aspects

Rajesh Murugan has handled the music department of the film but the songs were found to be pretty average. The BGM was mighty impressive. Sinoj Velayudhan has set some splendid frames, which are somewhat new to the Malayalam film audiences. The editing could have been definitely better.

Overall View

Thobama is not a film in the lines of Premam and the movie has a different tone altogether. In fact, Thobam has got a tone somewhat similar to Alphosne Puthren's Neram, but it doesn't have the same pace or commercial angle.

 

The first half of the film takes us through these characters and the problems faced by them. Most of the moments in the first half are enjoyable. The chemistry between the three lead actors is incredible. In fact, some of proceedings in the first half of the movie promised some thrilling and refreshing moments in the second half. Moreover, the friendship shown in the film is quite different from the films of the past and Thobama has more essence in this aspect.

 

But, it has to be said that the second half of the movie couldn't live up to the expectations with the script meandering here and there. The romantic angle between Balu and Nithya was one of the biggest negatives of the film as it didn't have anything new or special to offer and as a result, it offered lagging moments for the viewers. The climax sequences too lacked the big surprise element, which was much needed for films of this genre.

Nevertheless, the three main lead actors do keep the audiences engaged for most of the portions. Mohssin Kassim, with his different approach, does keep the audience's attention intact for most of the portions.

Verdict

Thobama is definitely a watchable fare and the movie has some good moments to offer. But still, one would get a feel that it could have been a bit more better with a tighter script.