THANMATRA

[padmanabha]

[tscii:be1c485d08]Thanmatra a mohanlal film
Direction Blessy
CAST MOHANLAL, MEERA VASUDEV. NEDUMUDI VENU, ARJUNLAL AND NIRANJANA,

This is story of a middle class happy family. The parents, wants to educate their children. They want their son to become an IAS official. THE head of the family suffers from Alzheimer’s disease. The story takes a different turn and the family rises to the occasion. The son and the mother boldly faces all adversities. The film revolves round the trauma of dealing with the Alzheimer’s, especially when it affects the head of the family
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[snrajan]

Excellent educative film for family viewing, I enjoyed it very much. Very good acting by all stars.

[Alan]

I didn't like the first half- toooooooooo artificial & larger than life. for eg: Mohanlal wearing the saree for his wife is simply GROTESQUE. If she doesn't know how to wear a saree even after all these yrs, can't she wear a salwaar instead?

Mohanlal 'preaching' to the other students' parents is simply a character magnified beyond the screen thing. He's not an IAS or IPS officer or anything. Nor a doctor nor a very educated person himself. He's just an employee at the Collectorate!


Meera Vasudev was a poor choice as a plus Two Student's Mother. I admire her dedication to put on 15 kgs for this role but she still does not look 'maternal' enough. We've had Shanti Krishna, Madhavi, Suhasini etc handle such elderly roles brilliantly before .

Last but not the least, the potrayal of "alzhimers' wasn't to convincing but yeah good enough for awards and media hype.

[romio]

:roll: :lol:

Thanmatra - Mind over matter
IndiaGlitz [Monday, December 19, 2005]

It takes lot of conviction and confidence to go against the grain. Tanmatra is certainly a film that goes against the conventional trends in Malluwood these days. It is a sensitive as well as sensible film that deals with the life of a loving father who is laid low by a debilitating disease. It is a touch tale woven with directorial touch.The film deserves unstinted praise for the manner in which director Blessy has gone about his work. Of course, no praise can ever be high for Mohanlal. He turns up a virtuoso performance, underlining once again his amazing talents. For those who saw him in the masala potboiler Naran, this must be a totally different experience. In a director-backed role, Mohanlal shines like an effulgent meteorite.

The story, in simple terms, is about a father who dreams big for his son. But he has to contend with the dreaded Alzheimer’s disease. And life is never going to be same again for him.

Ramesan (Mohanlal) is a hard working ,bright government employee. His family is a close-knit one. His wife Lekha (Meera Vasudevan) and son Manu dote on him. Ramesan also guides his son at every step, wanting him to make it at the civil services --- a dream that Ramesan couldn't personally accomplish.

But fate has some rude ideas. Ramesan, faced with falling memory, goes to the doctor who diagnoses him to be suffering from Alzheimer’s. Suddenly, after being in the position of guiding others, Ramesan needs others’ help to lead his everyday life. He goes back to his ancestral home while son Manu is faced with a precarious predicament.

Tanmatra is a courageous story that can shatter any urban individual’s life. Its strength is in its everydayness. Blessy fleshes out all the right emotions and makes you ponder poignantly at the cruel roll of dice in Ramesan’s life.

If Blessy makes you think, then Mohanlal makes you cry with a performance that qualify to be one of his best ever. No _expression is out of place, No nuance is missed. He is of the highest class. Meera Vasudevan, an untested talent at this level, comes out with a surprisingly confident portrayal of a mother caught between a sinking husband and the ambitions of a son.

Nedumudi Venu as Ramesan’s father, Jagathy as Ramesan’s friend have lifted the scenes to new high.

The camera work of Sethu Sriram is seamlessly natural. Mohan Sitara’s music is mellifluous.

Blessy, as a director, has shown that if you have the courage of conviction you can make the film you believe in. It is a case of mind over matter, which is incidentally also the cure for Alzheimer’s disease.

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Thanmathra

By Moviebuzz


Perhaps love can conquer everything - but not Alzheimer's.
At a time when crass commercials rule Malayalam cinema, Blessy has been successful to deliver a film with the right sensitivity and restraint required when sketching an intimate portrait of a man doomed by Alzheimer disease.

If further proof is required that Mohanlal is India’s finest actor, watch him in Thanmatra as Ramesan Nair. His anguish, agony and anxiety as he dreams big about his son, but gets inflicted by Alzheimer. The actor is mesmerizing and has given his best-ever performance since Vanaprastham and re-invents the idiom of acting once more with feeling.

Ramesan (Mohanlal) is an officer at the state secretariat in Thiruvananthapuram who has a 9 to 5 job in which he is honest, hardworking and goes by the rule book. His happy family consists of wife Lekha (Meera Vasudev), teenage son Manu who is preparing for the crucial 12th standard exams and a little daughter.

Ramesan is a good husband and the perfect dad for his children. His colleagues and friends envy them and the way Ramesan guides his son Manu who is an all rounder in sports, cultural activities and is the best student in school. Joseph (Jagathy Sreekumar), a colleague is Ramesan’s friend, philosopher and guide who get things done.

Ramesan’s big dream is to see his son prepare for civil service exams and get an IAS, something which he was not able to achieve in spite of being a very bright student himself. Ramesan slowly discovers that he often forgets small things in life and consults a doctor (Pratap Pothen) who dismisses it off as tension seen in parents about their ward’s exams and future!

But one day life turns topsy-turvy in a bizarre incident at office; Ramesan is hospitalized and is diagnosed for Alzheimer’s disease that causes loss of memory, intellectual decline, changes in personality and behaviour and an increased dependence on others. The rest of the film is how Lekha, Ramesan’s father (Nedumudi Venu) and especially Manu faces this big crisis as Ramesan takes voluntary retirement and goes back to his ancestral home where he was born and brought up.

Thanmatra asserts that Blessy is a path-breaking writer-director, one to be admired and concerned about. He has been able to convey an individual coping with his middle-class urban life suddenly devastated by a dreaded disease. Blessy has also brought out the relationship of Ramesan with his father as well as his son and in the end when Manu is being interviewed by the Civil Service board he says it all- “My father has been my biggest inspiration”.

Above all, it is Mohanlal’s performance which is the major highlight of the film. Meera Vasudev is simply terrific as Lekha who gives love and support to her husband till the end. The chemistry between the lead pair is touching and honest. Arjun as Manu is the scene stealer and has the making of a good actor. Jagathy Sreekumar and Nedumudi Venu have once again proved that they are the best. Kaithapuram’s lyrics and Mohan Sitara’s music creates the right mood. Sethu Sriram’s camera work is marvelous.

Thanmatra is an intelligent, insightful and unconventional film. It is a touching, thought-provoking drama for sophisticated audiences.

Verdict: Brilliant

[kannannn]

The movie ends with a scrolling phrase in malayalam. Can someone provide the translation?

On another note, I was surprised and impressed by Mohanlal's singing skills (and his recitation of Bharatiyar poems and Tirukural) in the movie. Turns out, he has sung quite some numbers in malayalam movies. Is he a trained singer?

[Saamy]

this should be a great film.. where can i get it???

when we are going to support films like this.. why are we supporting trash like bollywood...????

[kannannn]

Saamy, I am sure the movie must be available in local video shops for rent. Alternatively, it is also available on the net (though the DVD is not out yet). Write your thoughts after watching the movie :).

[Saamy]

thanks kannan..