‘Thudakkam’ movie review: Vismaya Mohanlal’s martial arts skills inject life into a typical revenge thriller

Published 7 August 2026 · entertainment

Rarely have we seen an actor’s name attached to the film’s name. The CBFC certificate for Thudakkam, directed by Judy Anthany Joseph, displays the film’s

Rarely have we seen an actor’s name attached to the film’s name. The CBFC certificate for Thudakkam, directed by Judy Anthany Joseph, displays the film’s name as ‘Vismaya Mohanlal’s Thudakkam’, heralding the debut film of actor Mohanlal’s daughter. Mohanlal appears in a cameo role as a martial arts master and tells Meenu (Vismaya) that this is her ‘Thudakkam’ (beginning) and to “make your father proud”. Though Sai Kumar plays her father in the film, what is implied is not lost on anyone. Part of this approach is the brand of writing that has marked Jude’s films till now. Although he has a knack for keeping the narrative engaging, he also has a habit of overstating the obvious with needless expository scenes and cliched dialogues.

This habit, combined with the inherent needs of a launch vehicle like Thudakkam, means that one would be served with several such scenes stating the obvious, which is also meant to excite the star’s fan base. Thudakkam (Malayalam) Director: Jude Anthany Joseph Cast: Starring: Vismaya Mohanlal, Sai Kumar, Ashish Joe Antony, Chippy, Manoj K.Jayan, Bobby Kurian, K.B.Ganesh Kumar Runtime: 139 minutes Storyline: Meenu’s peaceful life with her father is rattled when her paths cross with an individual with a shady past. Right from the prologue, which provides a glimpse into the levels of cruelty and criminality of the antagonist (Ashish Joe Antony), followed by a montage of the idyllic life led by Meenu and her father, the movie lays everything out in the open.

Not much is done in the screenplay co-written by Jude with Akhil Krishna and Linish Nellikkal to upset expectations or spring surprises. Perhaps the one element that stands out is Vismaya’s mastery of the martial art Muay Thai, which plays an integral part in the story, much like how her brother Pranav Mohanlal’s parkour skills were utilised in his debut Aadhi (2018). Some of these impactful fight sequences lift the film, which stays true to its generic ambitions, without any attempts at novelty. Her fighting flexibility is at times reminiscent of her father’s action sequences. ALSO READ: ‘Mohanlal, Mammootty, and Spider-Man’: Meet Adhisheshan, the boy wonder from ‘Balan: The Boy’ Much of the screenplay banks on the overused trope of sexual violence and revenge.

Yet, the tension surrounding one of the central events keeps the movie in watchable territory. A police officer’s comment that sets tongues wagging in the neighbourhood appeared silly. Some of the writing choices are perplexing, like how Ashish, the antagonist, gets to utter just one line in the entire movie, remaining mute even in scenes where another character speaks to him. Though he manages to radiate menace, the monotonous expression gets tiring after a point. The star cameo doesn’t add anything to the movie. If not for the thoughtful weaving in of Vismaya’s martial arts skills, Thudakkam would have ended up as just another generic revenge thriller. She manages to kick it up into average territory. Thudakkam is currently running in theatres