Thamassu (Tamassu) - Movie Review

Communal clashes between Hindu and Muslim communities are growing in number day by day and the line of division is becoming thicker everyday due to the political interest in India. But at the core, both Muslims and Hindus transcend all the barriers and their relationship grow beyond their respective religions. This is what social activist-cum-journalist Agni Shridhar has tried to depict precisely in directorial debut venture Thamassu (Tamassu) and no other filmmaker in Kannada film industry has treated the transformation theame with so much of deep insight as he does in the film. Hats off to the debut director.

The highlights of movie Thamassu are Shivaraj Kumar's wonderful performance, Sandeep Chowta's music and Ramya and Agni Shidhar's lyrics, Sundarnath Suvarna's camera work, Shidhar's script and preachy dialogues. As for the weakness of the film, the movie does not have comedy element and the screenplay seems too much preachy and a lecture on communal clash and its aftermath.

Thamassu is a journey from violence to humanism. It is a realistic picture of the incidents that happened a few years ago. It has beautiful message to the youths that the Human affection in the path of the intense violence can change a brute into a beautiful man. Agni Shridhar has weaved the story marvelously, touching upon issues of state sponsored religious riots, terrorism and the purity of human relationships. The hero wants to silence the violence with counter violence, but his wife's opposition to violence and Amrin's plight makes him quit the violence and take the way of non-violence to curb terrorists.

The first half of the film is a little bit dragging and it allows the audience to go out for rest now and then. But the second half is quite sentimental and makes the audience tighten their seat bests. The confrontation between Shivanna-Padmapriya, Yash-Sharth, Nasser Khan-his son's soul and the emotional conversation between Shivanna and Harshika touch even a wild man and makes him think twice before committing murderous act.

Shankar (Shivaraj Kumar) is an honest and efficient police officer. Shanthi (Padmapriya) is a humanist doctor. They have a love marriage but soon realize that their ways of thinking are very different. Meanwhile, he is seriously injured in a communal riot and Nasser Khan (Nasser Khan) and his daughter Amrin Sabha (Harshika Poonacha) shelter him and treat him with affection without knowing that he is the one who encountered Nasser's son and Amrin's brother Imran (Yash). How his confrontation with wife and Amrin's plight that is the aftermath of his violence forces him to quit the violence and shows affection even to terrorist will form the climax of the film.

As usual, Shivanna is the show man and he has shown lot of energy in fights and emotions in sentimental sequences. Although Padmpriya is considered as the heroine of the film, she does not have much scope and she has lived up to her role. Harshika covers the full second half and she too has done well. But in sentimental scenes, she looks too much dramatic. She needs training in expressing emotions.

Sandeep Chowta"s music is the second highlight of Thamassu. He has composed music for five songs which are soothing and melodious. Especially, the audience will be haunted by the songs like 'Nannanne Naa Maretenu Indu..., 'Nodu Baare Gelati...' and 'Horage Haradide Thamassu...' Agni Shridhar and Ramya Shridhar have penned five songs, which are broader in meaning and help the director express his feelings in a very short time. Cameraman Sundarnath Suvarna and art director Shashidhar Adapa have also done a commendable job.

However, the movie has a few drawbacks too. It does not have comedy and punch dialogues to appeal the mass audience. Several sequences i.e. communal clash appear to be too much dramatic. The director has used two politicians' characters to show that communal clashes are created by politicians but there is not proper connection and development and justification of these roles. Finally, the movie is more preachy.

Overall, Thamassu has a thought provoking message to youths. It does not have much melodrama and exposure and it can be a good family entertainer too. Youths should not miss to watch the film.

Producer: Sayed Ameen Bachchan, RS Ravindra

Director: Agni Shridhar

Cast: Shivaraj Kumar, Padmapriya, Harshika Poonacha, Nassir Khan, Sharath Lohithashwa, Yash, Shobharaj and several others

Music: Sadeep Chowta