Thoongavanam (2015)
Streaming on: Disney Plus Hotstar
Yet another Kamal Haasan flick, Thoongavanam is an adaptation of the French film Sleepless Night (2011). The film follows the story of NCB officer CK Diwakar (Kamal Haasan) whose son Vasu is held to ransom by drug lord Vittal Rao (Prakash Raj). The demands of the kidnapper are clear: Vasu will be released only if Diwakar returns the bag of cocaine he had seized while busting a narcotics scam.
Set mostly over the course of one night in a nightclub, Thoongavanam benefits from having inventive action and stunt choreography, the major highlight being the action sequence set in the club’s kitchen. However, one can’t help but feel that the film does not reach its full potential, as the stakes don’t translate nearly as effectively on screen as one would’ve hoped. However, trust Kamal Haasan to innovate with even the most surface level material. The audience is constantly left in doubt about Diwakar’s morality.