Debutante director Baiju 2D's debut film `Thavalam' stands out only in the guts that the director has shown to cast the super star Suresh Gopi, known for his action roles, in the mean looks and mannerisms of a cobbler. The actor indeed has tried earnestly to look as natural as he can, carefully studying the activities of the profession. But the real handicap that comes in between the actor and his character is his non flexible body language that never makes any one believes him as one. Apart from this grave sync out, `Thavalam' is a better movie, particularly considering this as one from a debutante.
The movie is more a melodramatic rendition on the lives of a poor, cobbler and his only girl child, played by Baby Diya. `Thavalam' takes its clues from a large number of movies like `Bhoothakannadi' to the nineties hit 'Aakashadoothu' to make a storyline for a movie that lasts just below two hours.
Suresh Gopi is Sivan in `Thavalam', an orphan living inside a bus stand at Mayil petty, a village in the borders of the state. He is a cobbler by profession but also does some menial jobs to make a living. In one of his outings, he saves a girl Kanakam (Sindhu Menon) from the grip of some goondas headed by Gouri and in the fisticuffs Gouri kills one of his fellow mates, and is sent to jail. Meanwhile Sivan marries Kanakam, who incidentally is also an orphan. After a year of happiness, she dies after giving birth to a baby girl. Sivan finds his lone living tough but manages to bring up his daughter with the help of local tea shop owner, Panikkar and his family.
Thamara (Rathya), a girl from a gypsy family who makes a living by selling small sculptures of gods, loves him but Sivan doesn't let her enter his life. With the return of Gouri from Jail, to take a vengeance, Sivan avoids encountering him for the fear of the life of his daughter. But fate has something else in store for him, who has to face the most upsetting twists in his life.
The film is fashioned as a tearjerker of the nineties, with plenty of melodramatic and forced moments. Baiju 2D, as a director has managed to create an average product in his limited budget and time and shows some promise.
Suresh Gopi, Sindhu Menon and Ridhya try hard to give natural performances all through. But the mushy script doesn't offer anything that is amusing or intriguing. Only Meena Ganesh who appear as Kaliyamma' have a role to treasure in `Thavalam'. Comedians Salimkumar and Bijukkuttan appear in intervals to fast forward the arduous proceedings, which otherwise tests your patience most of the times, dragging on interminably.
In the technical front, there is nothing really worth mentioning. The music by Natesh Shankar is also disappointing, with a couple of songs that won't last in the hit charts.
`Thavalam' seems to be one film that offers little to engage the audience. What we are left to see, is a stretched-out effort marked by characters who simply fail to convince.
