Thondimuthalum Driksakshiyum

Thondimuthalum Driksakshiyum (transl. The mainour and the witness) is a 2017 Indian Malayalam-language family drama film directed by Dileesh Pothan and written by Sajeev Pazhoor. The film stars Suraj Venjaramoodu and Fahadh Faasil, 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
Poster
Directed byDileesh Pothan
Produced bySandip Senan
Anish M. Thomas
Written bySajeev Pazhoor
StarringSuraj Venjaramoodu
Fahadh Faasil
Music byBijibal
CinematographyRajeev Ravi
Edited byKiran Das
Production
company
Urvasi Theatres
Distributed byUrvasi Theatres
Kalasangham Films[1]
Release date
  • 30 June 2017 (2017-06-30) (India)
Running time
135 minutes
CountryIndia
LanguageMalayalam
Budget₹65 million [2]

Thondimuthalum Driksakshiyum was produced on a budget of ₹65 million.[5] The film was released on 30 June 2017 in Kerala.[6] It received positive reviews from critics and was also a commercial success at the box office, grossing ₹179.3 million from Kerala alone[7][8] The Hindu included the film in their "Top 5 Malayalam movies in 2017"[9] and "The 25 best Malayalam films of the decade".[10]

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.

Plot

The story follows a newly married inter-caste couple, Sreeja (Nimisha Sajayan) and Prasad (Suraj Venjaramoodu), from Cherthala who move up north to Kasaragod. During a bus journey, Sreeja's gold chain gets stolen by a thief also called Prasad (Fahadh Faasil). He swallows the chain, but not before Sreeja notices it. He gets caught by the passengers, who take him to a nearby police station.

On police inquiry, Prasad (thief) denies the act. Police accompany him 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. How to extract the chain, then, becomes the question. Next morning, he is again accompanied by the police to the toilet where he tries to run away. He was caught by Prasad (Sreeja's husband) near a canal and brought back to the police station. At the police station, he claims that a police officer called ASI Chandran had told him to run away after taking the chain. Prasad (thief) was again scanned for the chain and this time, there was no chain in his stomach. Finding his job in danger, ASI Chandran gives Sreeja another gold chain to settle the matter in a way that finds Prasad (thief) being guilty.

Next day Sreeja falsely confesses that the chain found by police belongs to her and signs the document which claims that Prasad (thief) is guilty. In a momentary absence of police, Prasad convinces Sreeja and her husband that she should not lie and tells his sympathetic story. Prasad (thief) tells Sreeja that she should lie in the court that the chain does not belong to her and tells her husband where he actually threw her gold chain. Sreeja's husband (Prasad) finds the chain.

In the end, Prasad is writing a thank you note to Sreeja presumably for telling the truth in the court which freed him.

Cast

Production

Initially Pazhoor thought of directing the film himself, before Pothan came on-board.[11] 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".[12] 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.[13]

Music
Thondimuthalum Driksakshiyum
Soundtrack album by
Bijibal
Released28 June 2017
Recorded2017
GenreFeature Film Soundtrack
Length10:02
LanguageMalayalam
LabelMuzik 247
ProducerBijibal
Bijibal chronology
Ramante Edanthottam
(2017)		 Thondimuthalum Driksakshiyum
(2017)		 Thrissivaperoor Kliptham
(2017)

The music and background score for the film is composed by Bijibal, who has previously worked with Dileesh Pothan in Maheshinte Prathikaaram.[14]

All tracks are written by Rafeeq Ahamed.

Track listing
No.TitleSinger(s)Length
1."Kannile Poika"Ganesh Sundaram, Soumya Ramakrishnan3:16
2."Aayilyam"Sithara, Govind Menon3:07
3."Varum Varum"Bijibal3:39
Total length:10:02

Release

Thondimuthalum Driksakshiyum was released in India on 30 June 2017.[15]

Critical reception

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.[16]

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.[17]

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."[18]

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,".[19]

Box office

Thondimuthalum Driksakshiyum has collected ₹50 million gross in the first weekend,[2] in 50-days movie collected ₹173 million gross from Kerala box office.[20] The film was a commercial success. It grossed ₹175 million from Kerala box office in its lifetime.[21]

Accolades
Main article: List of accolades received by Thondimuthalum Driksakshiyum

References
  1. "Thondimuthalum Driksakshiyum". MovieBuff. Retrieved 11 August 2019.
  2. "Thondimuthalum Driksakshiyum made on a budget of Rs. 6.50 crores". The News Minute. 6 July 2017. Retrieved 16 May 2020.
  3. "Syam Pushkaran: The poster boy of realism". The New Indian Express. 28 October 2017. Retrieved 23 May 2020.
  4. "'Thondimuthalum Driksakshiyum' song is hit". Sify. 26 June 2017. Retrieved 23 May 2020.
  5. "Thondimuthalum Driksakshiyum made on a budget of Rs. 6.50 crores". The News Minute. 6 July 2017. Retrieved 26 May 2020.
  6. "Thondimuthalum Drisksakshiyum releases on Jun 30". Sify. 29 June 2017. Retrieved 26 May 2020.
  7. "Box Office collections of Thondimuthalum Driksakshiyum". APHerald. 13 September 2017. Retrieved 26 May 2020.
  8. "Malayalam Films Of The Decade That Made It Big At Box Office". Republic World. 24 December 2019. Retrieved 23 May 2020.
  9. "Top 5 malayalam movies in 2017". The Hindu. 28 December 2017. Retrieved 23 May 2020.
  10. "The 25 best Malayalam films of the decade". The Hindu. 19 December 2019. Retrieved 23 May 2020.
  11. Praveen, S. R. (13 April 2018). "In conversation with Sajeev Pazhoor, this year's National Award winner for original screenplay". The Hindu. Retrieved 14 April 2018.
  12. James, Anu (25 July 2016). "Exclusive: Dileesh Pothan opens up on Fahadh Faasil-starrer 'Thondimuthalum Driksakshiyum'". International Business Times. Retrieved 13 April 2018.
  13. "Thondimuthalum Driksakshiyum starts rolling". onlookersmedia. Retrieved 17 December 2016.
  14. "Bjibal to compose for Thondimuthalum Driksakshiyum". indiatimes. Retrieved 17 December 2016.
  15. "Thondimuthalum Driksakshiyum review: magically realistic". OnManorama. Retrieved 1 July 2017.
  16. "Thondimuthalum Driksakshiyum Malayalam Movie Review". Veeyen Unplugged. 30 June 2017. Retrieved 30 June 2017.
  17. http://www.manoramaonline.com/movies/movie-news/2017/06/30/thondi-muthalum-driksakshiyum-original-poice-in-theatre.html
  18. "Thondimuthalum Driksakshiyum Movie Review". Film Companion. 3 July 2017.
  19. Deepak Joy, "'Thondimuthalum Driksakshiyum', a film that redefines concept of right and wrong" The Week 14 April 2018
  20. "'തൊണ്ടിമുതലും ദൃക്സാക്ഷിയും' 20 കോടി ക്ലബ്ബിലേക്ക് അടുക്കുന്നു". The Times of India. 20 August 2017. Retrieved 16 May 2020.(in Malayalam)
  21. M. K., Surendhar (5 October 2018). "Devadas earns Rs 29 cr in four-day opening weekend; Fahadh Faasil's Varathan rakes in record breaking numbers". Firstpost. Retrieved 10 November 2018.
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