Thammudu Review

Feel good movies that have been well directed and neatly packaged have always struck the right chord with the audience. When the formula is a tried and tested one and aspects such as acting and music are handled well, the success of the movie is almost inevitable. Such was the case with Thammudu. With a script inspired by the runaway Hindi hit, Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikander, and some slick direction by newcomer Arun Prasad, Pavan Kalyan got the hit he needed to follow up the success of Tholiprema.

The story, set in a small town, is woven around the rivalry between two colleges: Model College, where all the students are rich and arrogant, and the Government College, whose students are continually put down by their upper class counterparts. Chakri (Achyut), a student of the Government College, is routed in the kickboxing championship by Rohit of Model College.

Chakri's brother Subramanyam alias Subhash (Pavan Kalyan) is a happy-go-lucky guy who whiles away his time with his friends. His childhood friend Janaki (Preeti Jhingania), who is secretly in love with him, keeps providing him money to keep up a façade of being well off. He falls in love with Lovely (Aditi) and bluffs that he is from a very affluent family. Things go wrong and Subhash realizes his mistakes.

He makes amends when he has to compete in the kickboxing championships because some Model College guys beat up Chakri, leaving him seriously injured. How he trains hard and wins the championship forms the climax of the film.

Adept handling of the script, hummable tunes by upcoming music director Ramana Gogula, and great photography by noted cameraman Madhu Ambat make this movie a must see, especially for the youth. It established Pavan Kalyan firmly in the top slot of actors in Tollywood. The comedy track led by Ali has some hilarious sequences. Thammudu was a typical feel-good movie, which struck just the right chord with the younger sections of the audience. The fact that it is a re-release should not keep you away from the theater.