Oru Thavaru Seidhal

“Oru Thavaru Seidhal” is a 2024 Tamil drama film directed by Mani Damodharan. Featuring M. S. Bhaskar, Ramachandran Durairaj, Namo Narayana, and Upasana RC, the film examines the effects of disinformation and social media manipulation. The film was released on April 5, 2024.

The film tells the tale of a group of jobless youth who devise a money-spinning idea. What do they plan to do? To fabricate a scandal on a politician and sell it to his opponent. With simple video editing and doctored WhatsApp messages, they prepare a manipulated clip and upload it online. Even though the video is low-quality, it goes viral, fooling the public as well as politicians.

One of the gang members, “Paari Vasan”, is surprised whether or not people would believe their work. But to their astonishment, the false news is believed unquestioningly, indicating the risky influence of social media in determining public opinion.

In a time and age filled with AI-generated videos and deep fakes, the film hones in instead on good old-fashioned tricks like simple video morphing and manipulated messages; however, it misses a huge opportunity to touch on more modern issues like online rage farming.

Aside from politics, the movie contains cringe worthy comedy. Upasana RC is the lone female member of the gang and frequently endures double-meaning jokes as well as objectification. As much as her character condemns sexism, the movie goes against its own message by persistently capitalizing on her presence to perpetuate male-fueled comedy.

Veteran actor M. S. Bhaskar provides some humor, but the movie does not utilize his potential. It also depicts youth as irresponsible and opportunistic, particularly in an election year, when such themes need to be more realistic and deep.

Although the movie tries to bring out the risks of social media manipulation, it fails to make a significant impression. Currently streaming on Amazon Prime Video, it might still appeal to those who want a lighthearted approach to a serious topic.