Debutant director Ram Sangaiah’s Thandatti is a sweet little film that brings us a rooted rural story with a lot of heart. The film is a neat representation of human emotions, greed and love for the kith and kin.
The film is about Subramani, a local police officer who is on the last few days nearing his retirement, and how he gets to solve a case about a lost thandatti (long ear-ring) in the nearby village. The film gets to the point within the first fifteen minutes, and introduces us to the characters through an interesting screenplay which is predictable yet nice to see. The first half of the film moves at a decent pace and is packed with humor here and there.
It is in the second half that the emotional weight of the film actually is set into motion, and comes with many interesting junctures one after the other. Thandatti comes with an unexpected climax (you can call it a twist) which is a real surprise at the end of the film, and pulls the curtains with a high.
Pasupathy gives the film an earnest performance, and though he is not at extreme ease with the comic sequences, he manages to hold an emotional strength through the film. The supporting cast is highlighted by Rohini’s excellent presence which is a big plus, and the others like Deepa and Vivek Prasanna who are good fits.
The film has very good music by Sundaramurthy KS and the background score is effective as well. The cinematography by Mahesh Muthuswami is earthy, and does the job.
Ram Sangaiah’s film is not entirely consistent in delivering the laughs or the emotional highs, but it gets the point across and drives home an interesting last 30 minutes which are the best part of the film.