Thippara Meesam movie Review: Too dull and boring

Thippara Meesam charts the story of Mani Shankar (Sree Vishnu) who works as a DJ at a night club. He gets addicted to drugs from a very young age and indulges in cricket betting and other illegal games to clear off his debts. He detests his mother Lalitha (Rohini) and often lands in difficult situations. On paper, this is a promising premise. However, the screenplay is repetitive, predictable, and the film gets lost somewhere along the way.

Cast: Sree Vishnu, Rohini, Nikki Tamboli
Direction: L Krishna Vijay

The story progresses in a dramatic and convoluted manner, and is strewn with blatant plot-holes that makes it hard to suspend disbelief. Director Krishna Vijay spends the entire first hour setting up the plot and wastes too much time establishing Mani Shankar's character. The pace at which the story unfolds feels off and the narrative meanders too much before the pre-interval moment. As for the second half, except for the emotional climax, it is entirely too dull and boring.

The thing about Thippara Meesam is that it is an ordinary story showcasing a turbulent mother-son relationship — a formula our directors have explored countless times. So, with nothing new to offer, the film fails to hold our interest. The director could have at least depicted the agony of a mother right, especially after her life has become miserable due to the humiliation of her son. But he messes it up with excessive melodrama as she endlessly reiterates the same words she has been telling her son from his childhood days.  

Sree Vishnu’s surface-level performance doesn’t help to convey the desperation his character’s supposedly feels. His plays a role with anger-management issues and an explosive nature like Arjun Reddy, but it’s not as convincing here. The way his vices are played up don't help either. Sample this: the hero’s drug addiction is celebrated with a song composed of a collection of some popular dialogues from Telugu cinema. 

Nikki Tamboli is given only a limited scope to perform. One feels she would have been a value addition had she got a meatier role.  As always, Rohini is in control and delivers exceptional performance. You truly feel sorry for her when she saves her son on many occasions.

Visually, the film is a delight with commendable camerawork by Sid. His choice of colours and themes, oscillating between black and white frames, is praiseworthy. Suresh Bobbili's music and background score contribute well to the narrative.

Overall, Thippara Meesam is quite boring and not worth the price of a ticket.