Oru Thekkan Thallu Case review: A remarkable adaptation of Amminippilla Vettukase by debutant Sreejith

The directorial debut of Sreejith N, Oru Thekkan Thallu Case is based on the short story Amminippilla Vettukase written by GR Indugopan. Rajesh Pinnadan adapted the script.

It is a gritty, rural action story. This level of rawness is not common in Malayalam cinema. I was eager to see how they adapted the story.

Oru Thekkan Thallu Case is a story related to the lives of the people of Anju Thengu village in the Kollam district. The story takes place in the 1980s.

Ammini Pillai (Biju Menon) and his wife Rukmini (Padmapriya) are living a happy life. Ammini is fondly called “Ammini Annan” by the locals. He is the keeper of the lighthouse at Anju Thengu.

Meanwhile, the love between Rukmini’s friend Vasanthi (Nimisha Sajayan) and Podiyaan (Roshan Mathew) progresses. This affair creates a conflict between Podiyan and Ammini Pillai.

One night, when Ammini Pillai gets stabbed, and the course of the film changes.

Few slip-ups, but notable technical work

The film’s premise is quite simple, and the story is straightforward with minimal twists. It is along the lines of the recently released action entertainer Thallumaala, but in a different setup and mood. We have to be ready for action at any time after the title card. It is like watching an accident.

When making a movie based on a book or story, we cannot avoid comparisons. The first half manages to please the readers and the audience alike. The second half, which tries to move away from the story, slips up now and then.

But what works here is the way it has been narrated, even though we can see inconsistencies in some parts.

Sreejith N’s direction is great, and the script is funny, thrilling and exciting most of the time.

It is tough to portray the village, its environment, and the characters of Amminippilla Vettu Case on the big screen. However, Sreejith does it with aplomb.

A few minutes into the film, we are taken to the period and the location where the story is happening. I enjoyed the geographic setting. They made it relatable and everything looks believable.

Dileep Nath’s art direction, Sameera Saneesh’s costume design, and Madhu Neelakantan’s cinematography deserve applause.

The music by Justin Varghese is another part that works majestically. He is sure to reap awards for scoring such brilliant background music and outstanding songs.

The BGM may not work independently, but in Oru Thekkan Thallu Case, it not only blends but also pushes the plot many layers higher.

Brilliant casting, well-built suspense

The overall casting and acting are good. I liked the performance of Padmapriya, who seemed a natural choice for the role of Rukmini. She evokes the most amazing presence even with limited screen space. She is a scene-stealer.

Then comes Ammini Pillai, a local hero, played by Biju Menon. Roshan Mathew is impressive as usual in a character (Podiyan) that is harsh, egoistic and aggressive, with an equal amount of fear.

Nimisha handles the role of Vasanthi — Podiyan’s girlfriend, who is innocent and lives in a kind of a dream world — with in-the-moment spontaneity. All the actors in Podiyan’s gang are impressive, too. The actors are in great hands with such well-drawn, compelling characters.

There is enough humour in Oru Thekkan Thallu Case to enjoy as a festival movie. And more than that, many tension-filled scenes keep you on the edge of your seat. That works mainly because of the casting.

We will start liking all the characters, and that plays a major part in building humour, bonding and also tension. They all engage you till the last minute and don’t let you go.

Overall, Sreejith and his team have made a highly watchable film. It is too good in so many ways.

It has atmospheric realistic settings, well-built suspense, nice touches of humour, firmly-edited scenes, incredible music tracks and songs, and powerful performances. Try not to miss it!