| Thondimuthalum Driksakshiyum | |
| Director: | Dileesh Pothan |
| Story: | Sajeev Pazhoor |
| Producer: | Sandip Senan Anish M. Thomas |
| Starring: | Suraj Venjaramoodu Fahadh Faasil |
| Music: | Bijibal |
| Cinematography: | Rajeev Ravi |
| Editing: | Kiran Das |
| Studio: | Urvasi Theatres |
| Distributor: | Urvasi Theatres Tricolor Entertainment[1] |
| Runtime: | 135 minutes |
| Country: | India |
| Language: | Malayalam |
| Budget: | [2] |
Thondimuthalum Driksakshiyum is a 2017 Indian Malayalam-language crime drama film directed by Dileesh Pothan and written by Sajeev Pazhoor. The film stars Fahadh Faasil and Suraj Venjaramoodu, with Nimisha Sajayan, Alencier Ley Lopez, Vettukili Prakash, and Sibi Thomas in supporting roles. Syam Pushkaran served as a creative director of the film.[3] Bijibal composed the music[4] and Rajeev Ravi handled the cinematography.
Thondimuthalum Driksakshiyum was produced on a budget of 65 million.[5] The film was released on 30 June 2017 in Kerala.[6] It received critical acclaim and was also a commercial success at the box office, grossing 179.3 million from Kerala alone[7] The Hindu included the film in their "Top 5 Malayalam movies in 2017"[8] and "The 25 best Malayalam films of the decade".[9]
The film won three National Film Awards, two Kerala State Film Awards, four Filmfare Awards South, three South Indian International Movie Awards, eight Asianet Film Awards, six CPC Cine Awards, four Vanitha Film Awards, three Kerala Film Critics Association Awards, two Asiavision Awards and one at International Film Festival of Kerala.
The story follows Sreeja and Prasad, a newly married couple, from Cherthala, but currently resides in Kasaragod due to opposition of their inter-caste marriage by Sreeja's family. During a bus journey, Sreeja's gold chain gets stolen by a thief. He swallows the chain, in which Sreeja alone notices it. He was beaten up and handed over to the nearby police station by the co-passengers.
On police inquiry, the thief says that his name is also Prasad and works in a hotel at Mangalore and repeatedly denies the act. ASI Chandran asks Sreeja and Prasad to compromise the case by saying that there is lack of witness (Sreeja alone), or may be fallen somewhere in the bus. But Sreeja disagrees by saying that she had seen the theif swallowing it. Prasad asks the Policemen to find the chain as soon as possible so that he could manage some money by selling the chain to drill a borewell on their land, to harvest tobacco plants as their supporting business. Prasad too offends Sreeja by saying that she should had been careful at the time.
Prasad stays as protection to the thief all night in police station where the thief seems to be carefree, eats happily and enjoying the neighbouring Temple Inauguration. The Police accompany the thief to the toilet the next morning but don't find any chain. Eventually, after an x-ray, the chain is found stuck inside his stomach. And now, the Police were ready to register an FIR against the thief. Meanwhile, ASI Chandran allegedly asks Sreeja and Prasad to twist the Case against the thief, in order to get appreciation which is realized by the thief later. Next morning, he is again accompanied by the police to the toilet where he tries to run away. He was caught by Prasad and a quarrel happens between them at a canal and the thief is brought back to the police station. At the police station, the thief claims that ASI Chandran had told him to run away after by the chain as a vengeance. The thief was again scanned for the chain and this time, there was no chain in his stomach. Finding his job in danger, ASI Chandran asks Sreeja to help him by replacing another gold chain to settle the matter in a way that finds the thief being guilty.
Next day, As the ASI asked, Sreeja signs the document by falsely confessing that the chain found by police belongs to her. In a momentary absence of police, the thief convinces Sreeja and her husband that they should tell the court that the chain does not belong to them and tells them where he actually threw her gold chain (near the canal). Where Sreeja husband rushes to search.
In the end, the thief who is shown to be free, is writing a thank you note to Sreeja presumably for telling the truth in the court which freed him. ASI Chandran being spending time with his grandchildren. Sreeja and Prasad were shown to be happy that they found water from the borewell, as they were ready to harvest tobacco plants.
Initially Pazhoor thought of directing the film himself, before Pothan came on-board.[10] About the genre of the film, Pothen said that he is not sure which genre the film falls in, but it surely has the elements of a "family drama".[11] For some of the police roles, the film features real-life police officers in the cast. Newcomer Nimisha Sajayan was selected from general auditions. Principal photography commenced from 7 December 2016 in Kasaragod. Other locations include Vaikom and Cherthala.[12]
| Thondimuthalum Driksakshiyum | |
| Type: | Soundtrack |
| Artist: | Bijibal |
| Released: | 28 June 2017 |
| Recorded: | 2017 |
| Genre: | Feature Film Soundtrack |
| Length: | 10:02 |
| Language: | Malayalam |
| Label: | Muzik 247 |
| Producer: | Bijibal |
| Prev Title: | Ramante Edanthottam |
| Prev Year: | 2017 |
| Next Title: | Thrissivaperoor Kliptham |
| Next Year: | 2017 |
The music and background score for the film is composed by Bijibal, who has previously worked with Dileesh Pothan in Maheshinte Prathikaaram.[13]
Thondimuthalum Driksakshiyum was released in India on 30 June 2017.[14]
Critic Veeyen termed the movie has sardonic wisecracks and the continual cackles, which fundamentally holds the charm of an otherwise unexciting film. He closes of by signifying the exceptional intelligence and grace the film has in terms of flow.[15]
Bharadwaj, in the review of the film, stated that "Fahadh Faasil's equal parts lazy and wily trickster acting and Alencier Ley Lopez's character acting as luminously exceptional." He praises on the beauty of police office politics that Dileesh & Sajeev was able to portray as the drive that calibrates the film. Manorama praises real-life police officer Sibi Thomas for his comedic and yet balanced performance.[16]
Baradwaj Rangan of Film Companion South wrote "Simply put, Pothan’s films aren’t about the incidents suggested by the titles, but around them. Instead of zooming in, narratively speaking, he goes for the wide shot. This is a generous approach to filmmaking. It says that the main characters are a part of the world around them, and this world needs to be acknowledged as well."[17]
Director Shekhar Kapur, jury chairman of 65th National Film Awards commented: "Brilliant film, impressive performance. First you will think it is a simple film with usual romance and elopement. But how subtle are the things introduced in the film? The movie takes a serious turn by the end, leaving you appalled. I have never seen such an excellent performance by actors,".[18]
Thondimuthalum Driksakshiyum has collected 50 million gross in the first weekend, in 50-days movie collected 173 million gross from Kerala box office.[19] The film was a commercial success. It grossed 175 million from Kerala box office in its lifetime.[20]
See main article: List of accolades received by Thondimuthalum Driksakshiyum.