There's definitely novelty in Dominic Arun's debut feature film that boasts of art more than a solid narrative. Tharangam is hugely experimental in nature as you have a God, among others, as a character who is quirky enough to keep you hooked. Primary characters Pappan and Joy - cops in suspension - get embroiled in a mess when they try to earn some quick cash. And it is up to the God and the cops themselves to get them out of the confusion. Things are always going wrong in this film that relies heavily on its characters' eccentricities than the actual story. While the first half is bearable and sets you up with more to look forward to, the second half chugs on and on without a tinkle of fun. There are so many elements crammed into this half that you lose track of the events and end up drowning in your chair. Both Tovino Thomas and Balu Varghese are great, but the rest of the cast, excluding Unni Mukundan, put up a very bad show. It's the direction that diminishes their performances as Arun seems to be focusing only on the lead stars. Santhy Balachandran has nothing else to do other than shouting while co-star Neha Iyer considers shouting her profession. Tharangam is a good effort at bringing in unconventional filmmaking in Malayalam cinema, but as a whole it is still a failed attempt. TN.
