Vishwa Thulasi

Cast: Mammootty, Nandita Das, Manoj.K.Jayan, Sukumari, Delhi Ganesh
Language: Tamil
Banner: Sindhuja Films
Director: Sumathy Ram
Producer: Sindhuja Films
Camera: B Kannan
Lyrics: Ilayaraja, Sumathi Ram
Music: Ilayaraja, M.S.Viswanathan
Year: 2004

We are not asking for trail blazers or high art but a film which the audience can understand and relate to. Sadly, debutant director Sumathy Ram’s Viswa Thulasi is an unmitigated endurance test for the viewer as it is neither an art film nor does it have any commercial elements.

Sumathy Ram has tried to create a love story. The movie is about the journey of two lovers who fell in love in their teens and is yearning to live together when they meet after 20 long years. It’s hard to understand what the director wanted to convey and the result is a half baked love saga.

Viswam (Mammootty), is a rich zamindar who comes to learn music and falls in love with his guru’s daughter Thulasi (Nandita Das). There is a villain in the form of Shiva (Manoj K.Jayan) who is Thulasi’s cousin. Shiva marries Thulasi under pressure from her father on his death bed. The lovers see each other after 20 years at Sundarapuri, where Thulasi comes as a music teacher. Love blossoms once again but Shiva who was also missing for many years come back as a mad man to the village. Will the lovers unite?

Mammootty and Nandita Das are wasted. Mammootty, a talented actor, sleep walks throughout with a stiff body language and monosyllabic dialogue delivery. Nandita Das has tried her best to lift the film but the screenplay and characterisation has let her down. And what was Manoj.K.Jayan doing in that role of a mad man? The rest of the cast like Delhi Ganesh, Sukumari and others leaves no impression.

The only plus point of the film are the melodious background score and music by Ilayaraja- M.S.Viswanathan team along with B.Kannan’s camerawork. But too many songs mar the tempo and narration.

Viswa Thulasi is an amateurish attempt at film making. Every film has- or should have- a logic, this one defies all logic.

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