Tharunam - Review

One of the most difficult cinematic challenges when dealing with a corpse is making sure the audience doesn’t lose interest. Tharunam, however, approaches this delicate matter with an unexpected calmness and composure, avoiding any sense of panic or moral conflict.

The film opens with a series of chance encounters—a lively bar, a fateful car accident, and Arjun (Kishen Das), a CRPF officer returning from a troubling mission. He is warned to avoid trouble while awaiting the end of his suspension. Fate then leads him to cross paths with Meera (Smruthi Venkat), a woman whose friend, Rohit (Raj Ayyappa), harbors dangerous intentions that put her life at risk. Arjun and Meera quickly form a connection, and their impending engagement sets the stage for a series of events involving hidden motives and an eerily composed protagonist determined to handle every complication with meticulous precision.

As the plot unravels, we see Arjun and Meera sharing their hidden pasts and secrets of heartbreak, while Rohit seeks to destroy their chances at happiness. The supporting cast brings moments of levity—Bala Saravanan’s garrulous character provides some comic relief, although his role is primarily as a pawn in the evolving drama. The story remains focused on one central question: how far will a man trained in covert operations go to protect the future he believes in?

Director Arvindh Srinivasan deserves praise for his restraint, steering clear of typical cinematic clichés—there are no wandering subplots, unnecessary comedic scenes, or forced police investigations. Instead, we are offered a focused narrative, which, despite moments of dryness, stays engaging through the latter half. Its strength lies in its simplicity, though this same trait occasionally works against it, especially in the first forty minutes where the pace feels almost agonizingly slow.

Kishen Das brings a quiet, fascinating stoicism to the role of Arjun, subtly conveying much through his impassive demeanor. Smruthi Venkat plays Meera well, though her character becomes somewhat stagnant during the crisis, locked in a constant state of shock instead of evolving with the unfolding events. The film’s conclusion provides her some redemption, but it’s a late development. Bala Saravanan’s role adds necessary comic relief, though Arjun seems to control his character as if on remote, using him when necessary.

The film’s musical numbers feel somewhat out of place, contributing little to the tension or the narrative. Tharunam’s deliberate pacing and measured approach sometimes undermine its thriller aspects, with certain moments lacking the anticipated suspense, leaving some scenes feeling flat.

In the end, Tharunam delivers a tightly-knit story with modest ambitions. It knows exactly what kind of film it wants to be—and for the most part, it succeeds in its execution.