Thenali

Thenali Soman Kamal Haasan is a Sri Lankan Tamil refugee who travels to Chennai seeking psychiatric care after enduring phobias that linger from the Sri Lankan civil war. The treatment path he encounters is shaped by a pair of doctors, Dr. Panchabhootam Delhi Ganesh and his assistant, who feel overshadowed by the rising fame of Dr. Kailash Jayaram. Their jealousy nudges them to divert Thenali toward Kailash, betting that a failed therapy would ease Kailash’s ascent in the field. With a clinical plan partly driven by rivalry, the scene shifts from the clinic to a vacation setting as Kailash travels with his wife, Jalaja Devayani, and their two children to his home in Kodaikanal, a place where therapy would supposedly begin only after the family’s time away.

Across the vacation, the dynamic between Thenali and Kailash’s circle intensifies. After their first appointment, Kailash asks Thenali to wait until after the holiday to start therapy, but Pancha Bhootham pushes for a meeting during the vacation itself, accelerating a collision of personalities. When Thenali arrives at Kailash’s residence, he becomes drawn to Janaki, Kailash’s younger sister Jyothika. This attraction complicates the already tense atmosphere, particularly because Kailash senses a disruption in his own household: his wife seems to show a soft spot for the enigmatic Thenali, fueling his suspicions and fear. The conflict escalates into a drastic, almost darkly comic attempt on Thenali’s life as Kailash ties him to a tree with a time bomb, believing the threat to be a device of Thenali’s manipulations rather than a real danger.

Thenali, interpreting the bomb as a harmless prop meant to ease his fears, disengages from it and instead moves the device into Kailash’s home, a choice that culminates in a sudden explosion and a serious, paralyzing blow to Kailash. The calamity reframes their relationship: Thenali later marries Janaki, amid the confusion of events and the belief that Kailash was duped by a real weapon rather than a staged one. The emotional stakes rise as Thenali’s bond with Janaki deepens, even as Kailash struggles with the repercussions of the night’s crisis.

The plot takes a further turn at a picnic, when Thenali’s long-lost wife, also named Janaki, appears and reconnects with him. This unforeseen reunion jolts Kailash and his family, prompting him to confront the consequences of the earlier ruse. In a climactic twist, Kailash leaps from his wheelchair in a fit of rage, denouncing Thenali for what he perceives as the wrecking of his sister’s life. Yet the truth emerges slowly: the dramatic reunion has been orchestrated by Thenali as a cure for Kailash’s paralysis, and the woman who returns is actually an actress hired by Thenali—Meena Meena—to pose as his wife. The revelation leads Kailash to recognize his mistake and to express gratitude toward Thenali for helping restore his mobility.

Throughout the tale, the film blends comedy, misunderstandings, and the fragile terrain of trust within a family, all while probing the boundaries between therapy, manipulation, and care. The narrative uses Thenali’s unconventional methods and Kailash’s stubborn pride to explore how fear and affection can complicate healing, and how a calculated ruse might unlock a deeper cure than any conventional treatment could offer. The performances—anchored by Thenali Soman’s intense vulnerability, Kailash’s overprotective concern, and the ensemble’s lighthearted interludes—create a tapestry of emotions that keeps the viewer engaged as the truth about relationships and rehabilitation gradually comes to light.

• Supporting cameos and appearances enrich the world without distracting from the central arc: K. S. Ravikumar appears as himself in a brief cameo, while Madhan Bob and others pop in to color the milieu with humor and local flavor.

• The film’s tone remains consistently empathetic and gently humorous, preferring character-driven moments over broad spectacle, and it leans into the idea that healing can be messy, personal, and sometimes accidental in its methods.

This portrait of conflict, affection, and reconciliation ultimately leaves the characters with a clearer sense of where healing truly begins: in understanding, patience, and the willingness to see beyond fear to the humanity that binds them.

Last Updated: October 09, 2025 at 16:41