thotta movie review

Cast: Jeevan, Priyamani, Raghuvaran, Livingston, Mayilusamy, Santana Bharathi, Mallika, Sabitha Anand, Vagai Chandrasekar, Vishnupriyan

Direction: Selvah

Music: Srikanth Deva

Production: Ram New Light Productions Ltd.
It is obvious that Jeevan is in the path of shedding his earlier image of crookedness on screen with this blend of action and sentiment. However, director Selva’s Thotta offers nothing new and is a hodgepodge of all commercial ingredients that includes a past-its-sell-by date plot and other inevitable elements such as songs, stunts, love, sentiment, and sacrifice. Priyamani, and a sub plot involving her desire to become a cop, is what makes the movie a little interesting.

Jeevan’s mother is beaten to death by his father,Rajkapoor, and Jeevan is driven away from home. The kid finds shelter in a shady cop’s arms, Sampathraj, who eventually trains him under the auspices of another thug to raise him up as a ferocious hoodlum. Jeevan grows to become a terrifying gangster. However, when he is given orders to throw acid on Priyamani to disfigure her, he falls in love with her instead.

Priyamani aspires to become a cop and Jeevan helps her fulfill her wish. In the process, Jeevan brings her to Sampathraj who demands that she sleep with him to help her get the job. Jeevan comes to blows with his mentor and takes a vow to get Priyamani the job without his help. In an unprecedented climax, he helps Priyamani prove her mettle in the shooting test eventually gaining her the job and fulfilling her ambition.

Jeevan is at ease playing the thug and proves that he can emote well- watch the scene when he takes revenge on his father for his mother’s death. The script has scope for nothing more than a typical action hero’s antics and Jeevan pulls it off successfully. Priyamani has all it that takes to be the next bombshell. She scorches alongside Jeevan with skimpy outfits in songs and plays her part to perfection in other scenes where she’s required to act.

Other performances worth mentioning are Sampathraj, Livingston, Saranraj, Rajkapoor, and Chandrasekhar. Mayilsamy’s comedy doesn’t blend with the flow and is tiresome in places.

Balamurugan’s camera flips from frame to frame to provide the scenes with the necessary action-flick effect. T. Ramesh’s dialogue strikes the right chord in a few places. Srikanth Deva’s music is deafening, typical of an action-masala flick.

All said and done, Thotta seems to be director Selva’s attempt at reviving the 80s mindless action adventure flicks with an overdose of mother sentiment and sacrifice.


Verdict: Mindless action flick saved by Priyamani