A Thriller That Tries Hard but Misses the Mark
On January 14, 2025, Tamil cinema welcomed Tharunam, a romantic thriller directed by Arvindh Srinivasan and starring Kishen Das and Smruthi Venkat. Released during the Pongal season, this film from Zhen Studios and Arka Entertainments promised a fresh blend of love and suspense, bolstered by a modest yet intriguing premise: a suspended CRPF officer and his lover grappling with a dead body and a cover-up. With Darbuka Siva’s music and a cast including Bala Saravanan and Raj Ayyappa, Tharunam aimed to carve a niche amid heavy competition from bigger releases like MGR and KN. Now streaming (likely on an OTT platform by March 13, 2025, though specifics are unclear), it’s time to assess whether this sleeper contender delivers. Spoiler: it’s a mixed bag—a film with flashes of promise that drowns in its own shallow waters.
The story centers on Arjun (Kishen Das), a CRPF officer on suspension after a botched mission, who’s warned to keep his nose clean. Fate, however, has other plans. A chance encounter at a bar introduces him to Meera (Smruthi Venkat), a modern, carefree woman with a vague office job. Sparks fly, and a romance brews—until it’s doused in blood. When Meera’s neighbor Rohit (Raj Ayyappa), who harbors unrequited feelings for her, ends up dead in her kitchen after a confrontation, the couple scrambles to cover it up. What starts as a meet-cute morphs into a cat-and-mouse game, with Arjun’s cop instincts kicking in to protect their future. It’s a setup ripe for tension, but Tharunam struggles to capitalize on it.
Let’s start with the good. Kishen Das brings a stoic charm to Arjun, channeling a restrained intensity that suits the character’s moral ambiguity. His boyish looks belie a calculated edge, especially in the second half when he orchestrates the cover-up with a cool-headed finesse that hints at untapped potential. Smruthi Venkat, as Meera, is the emotional anchor—her vulnerability and quiet resolve shine in moments of panic, though the script doesn’t let her evolve beyond initial shock. Bala Saravanan injects some levity as Arjun’s friend, a welcome breather in an otherwise dour tale, while Raj Ayyappa’s Rohit adds a layer of menace before his untimely exit. The performances aren’t the issue—each actor does their part—but they’re stranded by a narrative that can’t decide what it wants to be.
Visually, Tharunam has its moments. Raja Bhattacharjee’s cinematography paints a moody canvas, blending intimate close-ups with stark shadows that suit the thriller vibe. Darbuka Siva’s score is a highlight—songs like “Enai Neengathe Nee” linger, and the background music lends gravitas to key scenes. The editing by Arul Elango Siddharth keeps things tight at 136 minutes, though the first half drags like a hungover guest refusing to leave. It’s a technically sound package, but polish can’t mask a core flaw: the story lacks bite. The Times of India (3/5) praises its “tight story and modest ambitions,” but OTT Play (1.5/5) slams its “shallow writing and far-from-reality storytelling.” Both are right, in a way—it’s a film that knows its lane but doesn’t drive it well.
The first half sets up the romance with a glacial pace, leaning on clichés (meet-cute at a wedding, bar banter) that fail to spark. When the thriller kicks in post-interval, it’s a jolt—Arjun’s cover-up plan unfolds with some clever beats, and a late twist tries to reframe the stakes. But the tension feels muted. Disposing of a corpse should be a nail-biter, yet Tharunam handles it with a businesslike calm that saps the stakes. The script, aiming for genre fusion, forgets to connect—Arjun’s smarts don’t translate visually, and Meera’s backstory is a blank slate.
Srinivasan, fresh off Dejavu, swings for a Hitchcock-lite vibe but lands closer to a TV procedural. The moral dilemma—love versus law—could’ve been a goldmine, but it’s buried under predictable beats and a twist that, while surprising, adds little weight. Cinema Express sees it as a “soulful drama and heart-pounding thriller,” but the pounding is more like a faint tap. The film’s simplicity is both its strength and Achilles’ heel—it avoids overreach but sacrifices depth. Compared to tighter Tamil thrillers like Ratsasan, Tharunam feels like a rough draft, its ambition outpacing its execution.
So, is it worth a stream in March 2025? If you’re in for a low-key thriller with decent performances and a moody aesthetic, sure—it’s a passable rainy-day watch. Kishen and Smruthi fans will find enough to cheer, and the music’s a bonus. But don’t expect a genre-defining gem. IndiaGlitz calls it “crime-laced love grounded in real-world logic,” yet the logic feels flimsy, and the love lacks heat. At its core, Tharunam is a film caught in limbo—too tame for thriller buffs, too grim for romantics. It’s not a disaster, just a missed opportunity—a moment that teases greatness but settles for meh.
Rating: 2.5/5
Likely streaming as of March 13, 2025—check your OTT platforms!
Likely streaming as of March 13, 2025—check your OTT platforms!