Thaandavam

"Thaandavam" (2012) is a Tamil action thriller film written and directed by A. L. Vijay. It features Vikram, Anushka Shetty and Jagapati Babu in lead roles. In short, a great film: not to mention a timely one, as the titular blind man uses echolocation to find and murder those responsible for a terrorist bomb explosion that has left him eternally altered.

The curtain opens in London where a bomb explosion on New Year’s Eve 2010 takes the lives of many innocent victims. Fast forward a year, and one of the main characters of the film, Kenny Thomas (Vikram), is a blind man mourning Danny’s death at the memorial. With the aid of a technique known as echolocation, Kenny starts to hunt down and kill those responsible for the assault. He’s supported by Sathyan (Jagapathi Babu), an accidental taxi driver who gets sucked into the drama, and by Sara, a young Anglo-Indian woman who works as a volunteer at Kenny’s church. Initially, Kenny resists Sara’s advances, but eventually, the two develop a friendship. Inspector Veerakathi investigates the murders and learns that Kenny has a connection to the crime scenes. As Sathyan finally identifies Kenny’s body from a photo, the truth begins to come to light.

As the story progresses, it is unveiled that Kenny is none other than Shivakumar, a one-time RAW officer who lost his eyesight in a botched London operation. His presumed story illuminates the plight of his fellow agent Meenakshi (Anushka Shetty). Shivakumar lived and regrouped in the guise of Kenny, joining forces with his partner and wife, Geetha (Lakshmi Rai), to take revenge for the betrayal and cover-up by those within, including Sharath. With Sara and Sathyan’s assistance, Kenny eventually faces off against Sharath in a suspenseful final encounter where justice is delivered for all the innocent lives lost in the explosion.

The best thing about “Thaandavam” is its concept of a blind hero who uses echolocation, which contributes a lot to the freshness of the action-thriller genre. Vikram gives an incendiary performance, all racked emotional turmoil and full body industrial strength devotion. The screenplay artfully intertwines suspense, emotion and patriotism, creating a deeply compelling film. Great visuals and racy action sequences supported by G. V. Prakash Kumar’s music take the movie ahead.