If tonal mismatch impacts the film negatively in one way, the palpable difficulty in sustaining the tonality impacts it in other places. The interval ‘bang’ is insufferably lazy given it is a no-brainer. The bride’s escapade episode too ends on a really flat note but the overall levity from start to finish compensates for every error. As a bonus, jokes mostly land. Thambi Ramaiah’s deadpan dialogue delivery of saying something goofy in a stern manner works everytime. Him correcting Jeevarathinam, who says ‘Irudhi Oorvalam,’ with ‘En Dheivathoda Therottam’ for instance was an instant chuckler. Lines from Jenson Dhivakar like ‘Room no 111-a therinje kuduthirupaanga pola’ and ‘Un peru Kannisami dhaane, porukkum bodhe therinjiruchu pola’, leaves you in stitches. The film has no antagonist in the strictest sense, but Jenson, as the opposition party candidate, fits the bill for the kind of sly schemes he comes up with.
Another compelling, even if not exceptional, aspect of TTT is the messaging part. The messages such as not to gossip, not to hold onto egos, and the tiny potshot at caste passion breezes through but also leaves its mark. However, the running gag around the dark-skinned groom — nervously muttering ‘Enakku kalyanam nadukkuradhe adhisayam’ — leans uncomfortably into colourism, briefly making us uneasy about the laughter the film has earned. But the film manages to survive this pitfall as well due to the writing that pulls back the screenplay from the brink before the damage becomes irreversible.
Thalaivar Thambi Thalaimaiyil is zany, crazy, farcical, and a largely entertaining fare. Jiiva wins big for his film choices like this one and Black for flirting with least explored genres in Tamil cinema, keeping the engagement factor intact. Despite the bumps, Nithish Sahadev, in his Tamil debut, is off to a pretty good start. In a runtime under two hours, he manages to commit mistakes, dust them all off, and keeps the damage control graceful everytime throughout this fun and compact ride.Â