REVIEW

Samuthirakani's movies are never meant just for entertainment. The director has used this medium to give messages and tried to showcase things happening around us in the society, while also, in most cases, making the audience understand the importance of relationships. Now, he is back with his 11th directorial in the form of Thondan. 
 
Thondan is a social drama starring Vikranth, Sunaina and Samuthirakani himself. Soori, Thambi Ramaiah, Soundaraaja, Nama Narayanan and others are also in the cast. It has Justin Prabhakaran's music, Richard M Nathan's cinematography and AL Ramesh's editing. 
 

STORY

Samuthirakani plays Mahavishnu, a conscientious ambulance driver who is proud that he has saved the life of every victim who he has taken to the hospital in his ambulance. And he calls the ambulance his mother and describes doing good as intoxicating. He rubs Manthiri Narayanan (Namo Narayanan), a local heavyweight and the son of a minister, the wrong way by saving the man who was attacked in the film’s opening scene. 

 
To make matters worse, Narayanan’s brother, Chinna Pandi (Soundararajan), who attacks a girl in her college, dies after being attacked by her classmates. And the girl who instigated the attack is Vishnu’s sister (Arthana), and the ambulance that carried the injured guy to the hospital is Vishnu’s. Narayanan wants to avenge his brother’s death by destroying Vishnu’s family. How does the pacifist Vishnu retaliate? 

 
PERFORMANCE

 
Samuthirakani is one of the best character actors around today, but in trying to be a commercial hero, he is less convincing be it in the attempts at comedy and the love portions with Sunainaa. Vikranth is wasted in an insignificant role while Ganja Karuppu also fails to evoke any laughter. Sunainaa and Arthana as Kani’s pair and sister are pleasant in the few scenes they have and Namo Narayanan, Gnanasambandham, Vela Ramamurthy and Dileepan give good accounts of themselves. Soori and Thambi Ramaiah make sudden and unexpected entries in the climax and since the audiences are so drained by the story so far find immense relief and they cannot help but laugh at their very ordinary jokes. 
 
Basically, Samuthirakani's intentions to make Thondan is very clear, as he uses emergency service as a backdrop to convey several messages. It includes harassment against women, save farmers, bring corrupt politicians to the law, save cattle,  pro-Jallikkattu statements etc etc.. but as the film ,Thondan is a boring ride. All these messages are thrown here and there, the film lacks coherency and doesn’t have a perfectly knitted screenplay. 
 
NK Ekambaram’s cinematography and Justin Prabhakaran’s music are strictly functional in Thondan, the production value is also substandard. To be precise, as a director, Samuthirakani is yet to give his best after Nadodigal. 
 

PLUS

Dialogues 
Cast 
Plot 
 

MINUS 

Too Preachy 
Screenplay 

Verdict : Go For It If You Love Movies With Message!

Stars : 3/5