Movie Name : Thammudu
Release Date : July 04, 2025
Cast : Nithiin, Sapthami Gowda, Laya, Varsha Bollamma, Saurabh Sachdeva, Swasika, Hari Teja, Srikanth Iyyengar, Temper Vamshi, Chammak Chandra, etc.
Director : Sriram Venu
Music Director : B. Ajaneesh Loknath
Telugumopo.com Rating : 2.25/5
Story:
Nithiin is the perfect Jai, a talented national-level archer who is hell-bent on making his country proud by winning gold at the World Championships. His skill and dedication are absolute, but deep down inside him lies a block that prevents him from realizing his true potential. His coach feels this mental hurdle and pushes him to address whatever is troubling him.
As Jai starts looking for answers within himself, memories of his childhood rise up before him — particularly the agonizing moment his sister (Laya) left his life. Her loss has created an emotional hurt, and he comes to understand that his healing process starts only when he traces her back to his life. The only thing he desires more than winning is to be lovingly called “Thammudu” by her once again.
What begins as a quest for closure soon becomes a cause of urgency. Jai realizes that his sister is now in danger, with an enigmatic gang threatening her and her family. Who are they? Why are they after her? And can Jai rescue her before time runs out? The rest of the story unfolds these emotional and action-packed answers.
Review:
Nithiin plays Jai, a national-level archer grappling with unfinished emotional baggage. Although he suits the role as far as appearance and physicality are concerned, his performance is stilted. The emotional spectrum of the role is limited, leaving him too little leeway to demonstrate variety, and there is a feeling that the baggage of his recent outings might have taken some of the glow off him on the screen.
Marking her comeback after a long hiatus, Laya plays a role with emotional weight. She makes an impressive entry, but her character’s arc falters as the story progresses. Despite the inconsistent writing, Laya manages to bring authenticity to her scenes and proves she still has a strong screen presence. Varsha Bollamma, portraying Jai’s girlfriend, is charming and performs with ease, delivering a grounded and relatable character.
Sapthami Gowda, who gained fame playing Kantara, plays the role of Ratna but ends up ruining the flow of the story. Her scenes are disjointed and unemotional. Saurabh Sachdeva, an actor in Animal, is cast as a villain with an intriguing premise in the beginning, but his subplot soon becomes monotonous and loses its bearing for the central story. Srikanth Iyengar and supporting actors provide good performances but don’t leave an impression.
The sister’s subplot of alienation from Jai is well-established at first. Her choice, based on an ingrained wound, has initial validity. But as her tale progresses—specifically, the notion that reconnecting with her brother would revive old emotional scars—it starts to ring false. Her extended isolation, even after her husband encourages her, is not emotionally and logically plausible.
Characters such as Jai, his sister, and the villain are plagued by sketchy writing. Despite having substantial screen time, the movie cannot provide a single compelling emotional scene between Jai and his sister. This is a gigantic missed chance for director Venu Sriram, who had all the building blocks for an engaging family drama but doesn’t quite get there due to lackluster dialogue, poor character trajectories, and uninspired narrative.
While the first half promises with a series of strong turns, the second half falters. Grand action sequences may titillate mass audiences, but they’re not supported by emotional substance. The core relationship within the film—the brother and sister—isn’t given soul, so it’s difficult for the viewer to remain emotionally committed.
The latter half of the film is dominated by forest-based action sequences. The scenes are engaging at first but become repetitive later. The tribal community subplot brings some freshness but doesn’t integrate well into the main story. The Ratna character and her moments around her seem unreal and separate from the emotional heart of the film.
On a technical plane, Thammudu has high production standards. Ajaneesh Loknath’s background score provides some edge, and the songs are adequate. The cinematography is good, with three DOPs providing a visually slick product. Production values are apparent, with the film appearing grand and well-mounted. But good visuals alone cannot redeem a weak script.
Overall, Venu Sriram has an emotionally intriguing idea, although failing to have a tight screenplay or a genuine emotional connect renders Thammudu pointless. The movie has a sufficient cast, is technically impressive, but nonetheless falls flat—being nothing more than a hollow experience in a family drama format versus an action entertainer.
