Male ego has lately been a pet theme for filmmakers in Malayalam, with films like Ishq, Ayyappanum Koshiyum, Driving License, and Thallumaala hitting the bullseye. Prem Sankar's Thekku Vadakku also revolves around this tried-and-tested idea of an ego clash between two grown-up men—Shankunni (Suraj Venjaramoodu) and Madhavan (Vinayakan). Here, the conflict is passed on from their ancestors and they take it forward with a legal battle over the ownership of some land.

Director: Prem Sankar

Cast: Suraj Venjaramoodu, Vinayakan, Merin Jose, Vineeth Viswam, Melvin G Babu, Shameer Khan

S Hareesh and Prem Sankar have co-written the film, which is essentially a satirical take on male ego. There's a caricaturish touch to the characterisations of the two leads, but Suraj and Vinyakan, two incredibly talented actors, ensure their portrayals never go overboard. In fact, it is their delightful performances that hold the film together, despite its underwhelming latter half.

Shankunni, a rice mill owner, and Madhavan, a former KSEB employee, despise the sight of each other from childhood. But there's a lot of peculiarities to their dynamics. They have mutual friends, with whom they hang out together. Their 30-year-long legal dispute has now reached the point where frequent court visits have become part of their routine. They enjoy it so much that they heave a sigh of relief every time the judgement gets postponed. When Madhavan eventually wins the case, Shankunni decides to avenge by hiring a bunch of goons. For what? To defecate openly on the disputed land. An embarrassed Madhavan counters the 'sh**storm' by throwing a lavish party for winning the case, only to end up on a tragic note. The first half is stacked with many such crazy moments that match the silliness of the characters.

Thekku Vadakku is set in rural Palakkad, but the makers show little interest in maintaining authenticity with the dialect. This, in a way, helps Vinayakan and Suraj perform effortlessly without any constraints. Vinayakan's minute additions to the dialogues add a lot of fun, even if the scenes are supposedly serious. The two veterans also share a good rapport with their young sidekicks, played by Melvin G Babu and Shameer Khan.

Interestingly, the film doesn't try to justify Shankunni and Madhavan at any point, despite them both having hardly any likeable attributes. Madhavan is a miser who has parted ways with his wife in his 60s because her family couldn't meet his dowry demands. Shankunni, on the other hand, is also a traditionalist who doesn't allow his son to be on his own. Yet, we don't hate either of them, thanks to the comic treatment. Of the two, Shankunni is more obsessed with their rivalry, which becomes evident in the latter half after an unexpected turn of events.

From that point, Suraj tries hard to carry the film entirely on his shoulders. His guarded portrayal keeps us guessing about the character's real intentions, with Sam CS's apt background score also adding to the intrigue. However, the narrative is unable to maintain the entertaining first half's momentum and eventually fails to make an impact. Despite attempts to convey how fragile male egos fuel generational rivalries, the makers run out of interesting ideas to engage us till the end.