thugs tamil movie review

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Thugs review: An engaging prison-break drama with impressive performances

Sam CS’ background score and Priyesh Gurusamy’s cinematography stand out in this Brindha’s directorial.

Published:Feb 25, 2023

Brindha's latest film 'Thugs' is a prison-break drama. (BrindhaGopal1/Twitter)

Not a masterpiece but has its moments!

Thugs (Tamil)

Cast: Hridhu Haroon, Anaswara Rajan, Bobby Simha, Munishkanth, RK Suresh, PL Thenappan, Sarath Appani, Arun, and Aravin
Director: Brindha
Producers: Riya Shibu and Mumthas M
Music: Sam CS
Runtime: 2 hours 12 minutes
Cast: Salman Khan, Katrina Kaif, Emraan Hashmi, and Revathy
Director: Maneesh Sharma
Producer: Aditya Chopra
Music: Pritam Chakraborty
Runtime: 2 hours 35 minutes

In her latest film Thugs , director Brinda tells a grim, intense story about a bunch of prisoners looking to break out of a heavily-guarded prison.

The story is set in Nagercoil in south Tamil Nadu where a young boy Sethu (Hridhu Haroon) gets sentenced to life imprisonment for trying to loot ₹1.75 crore from his boss Annachi (PL Thenappan).

Annachi is no angel and Sethu, who works as Annachi’s accountant, has his reasons for indulging in the crime.

One part of the story deals with the circumstances that made Sethu a convict, while another part deals with how Sethu, along with a group of other inmates inside the prison, plans to escape from the high-security facility.

What works and what doesn’t?

To Brinda’s credit, certain parts of Thugs are exceptionally well-made. However, there are those other parts that drag the intensity down and make it a monotonous, illogical and dull affair.

The portions where actors Bobby Simha and Munishkanth appear are the highlights.

On the technical front, Sam CS delivers a brilliant background score to make Thugs stand out.

His music, along with Priyesh Gurusamy’s spectacular visuals, play a big part in raising the stature of Brindha’s film.

Coming to lapses, Thugs has quite a few of them and they are pretty evident.

Also Read: Akshay Kumar-Emraan Hashmi’s Selifee review

Take, for instance, the sequence where the convicts are shown digging a tunnel. It does not require a genius to know that the biggest challenge facing those looking to dig a tunnel in a prison is disposing of the debris!

thugs still Hridhu Haroon, Anaswara Rajan

Hridhu Haroon and Anaswara Rajan in a still from ‘Thugs’. (Supplied)

Films in the same genre made until now have shown how prisoners find ingenious ways to get rid of the soil they displace. However, the director makes no effort to address this crucial issue!

Also, the tunnel, created in a short span, seems to have enough space for more than one individual to comfortably crawl through. There is so much space that there is even a fight sequence inside the tunnel!

Charming performances

Hridhu Haroon, who makes his debut as an actor, does a reasonably good job as Sethu. He scores handsomely in fights and romantic sequences.

But he looks too relaxed and settled in sequences that demand a bit of anxiety and restlessness to be showcased. Also, the actor can dance like a dream.

Sadly though, his dance number is screened as the end credits song.

Also Read: Director Veerabhadram Chowdary interview

Anaswara Rajan, who plays a speech-impaired person, makes quite an impact as the girl who wins the heart of Sethu. Blessed with expressive eyes, she exudes charm and grace all through the movie, making her a delight to watch.

A still from Brindha’s ‘Thugs’ movie. (Supplied)

National Award winner Bobby Simha delivers a commanding performance as Durai, a convict serving a life term with dignity and conscience.

Munishkanth, who plays convict Marudhu, does a neat job as well. His jokes provide the only relief in what otherwise is a grim tale.

RK Suresh impresses as Arockia Doss, the ruthless cop heading the prison facility. So does PL Thenappan who plays Annachi.

To sum up, Thugs may not be a sensational masterpiece but certainly does have its moments and is worth a watch!

Here’s a small glimpse from Thugs – A Prison Break Action Thriller! Watch Here – https://t.co/1Xof4CzSTo A @BrindhaGopal1 Master Film 📽️ A @SamCSmusic Musical🎵 @hridhuharoon @actorsimha @jiostudios @SonyMusicSouth @studio9_suresh #ThugsFromToday #KumariMavattathinThugs pic.twitter.com/sOSO2ss3g7 — Brindha Gopal (@BrindhaGopal1) February 24, 2023

(Views expressed are personal.)

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Thugs Is A Technically Sound Prison Break Drama That Lacks Feeling

Director: Brinda

Cast: Hridhu Haroon, Simha, Munishkanth , RK Suresh, Anaswara Rajan

Brinda Gopal’s Thugs has all the trappings of a clean, sleek prison drama. With its crisp runtime of two hours, the film wastes no time in elaborate introductions. What it instead does with its establishing first few minutes is depict its hero’s complicated psyche with a superbly choreographed action set piece that plays out in slow motion. Sethu (Hridhu Haroon) is the newest recruit at Nagercoil’s unsparing old prison. So, when he is inadvertently caught in the middle of a prison break situation, all eyes are on what kind of an inmate he will turn out to be — the one to flee or help the police? Sam CS ’s thumping score makes us sit right up as Priyesh Gurusamy’s camera swerves in the rain to depict the rousing chaos. And just like that Sethu’s moral conundrum is swept to the side for more swagger. This is essentially the bedrock of Thugs . But what really is technique without perceptive writing?

The film has all the pieces needed to make up an interesting premise. Sethu is not your average, muscular prison joe who is a killing machine. He is a scrawny 24-year-old who does most of the heavy lifting with his intellect. Durai (Simha) is the prison’s reigning king, with a soft spot for his family. And then you have Marudhu, the prison jester played by Munishkanth, who knows the ins and outs of the prison. He also surprises with a heavy dialogue or two when you least expect it. “ Thappu panumbodhu maatikita prachana illa. Thappikkambodhu maatina dhan prachana : it’s no problem if you get caught when you do something wrong. It’s when you get caught fleeing the prison that real trouble starts,” he says referring to the messed up power dynamics that prisoners share with their guards. While a few laughs work, a few don’t, including a glaring homophobic joke. But when this gang of misfits do plan to make a run for their lives, things start looking up. An escape plan is excruciatingly executed piece by piece every night, accompanied by gripping sequences. But is the result as amusing as it is on paper?

The film has bits and pieces of what we found invigorating in jail titles Prison Break (2005) and The Shawshank Redemption (1994), both dramas that dealt with escaping captivity and grim realities. But what Thugs doesn’t emulate from these classics is its emotional payoff. So, when Sethu and gang toil together, we only see that through their physicalities, and not through their emotions. As the film keeps moving forward, we keep pulling away from its universe as there is no emotional thread for us to register or care for its tired inmates. Priyesh’s choking closeups capture the increasing claustrophobia and anxiety that the prison atmosphere brings along with it. But this hardly translates into emotions, despite a sincere performance by Haroon.

But to its credits, Thugs also manages to cram in moments of piercing prison reality. Police brutality is obviously an uncredited character in the drama, but it isn’t grossly overlooked. When Sethu asks a cop why this happens in prisons, an old constable responds, “There are 222 prisoners and 42 cops. You do the math. Fear is everything in such a setup,” he says calmly. In another instance, we see Suruli, a prisoner infantilizing himself for staying out of trouble and his own secret benefit. If only Thugs wasn’t interested in just the thugs of the slammer, it would have perhaps made a unique addition to the genre.