Dhonima Movie Review : Falls short of becoming a solid drama

Dhonima Movie Synopsis: Dhanam is struggling to make ends meet and is trying to collect funds for her son’s surgery. Her drunkard husband makes matters worse and puts her in a very difficult situation. How does she navigate through it all?

Dhonima Movie Review: Dhonima follows the lives of Dhanam (Roshni Prakash), who works as a domestic help in posh apartments. Her son, Dravid, has partially lost his hearing and has to undergo surgery to prevent hearing loss. They are living with Dhonima’s husband Kotti’s (Kaali Venkat) parents while the latter is away from home due to his work as a construction worker.

While Dhanam is working hard to assemble funds for her son's surgery, Kotti is least bothered about all of it and is a big-time alcohol addict. Dhanam as a standalone character is solid. But, even after conceptualising such a strong protagonist, Dhonima fails to create an equally solid world around her. For one, it is because many of the characters in the film, like Kotti’s mother and almost all of the supporting characters, are poorly written. Also, the arcs of certain supporting characters, which initially seem interesting, aren't explored in their entirety.

Take, for instance, the characters of James and Suganthi. They play a couple who are Dhanam’s neighbours. Initially, the way these characters are introduced and how they stand up for each other comes across as very progressive and laudable. But the way the makers decide to end their arc brings down the initial impact of their characters. Since we never get an idea of what Suganthi wants and the makers don't seem to put in the slightest effort into letting us know what she wants, even an interesting subplot ends up being, for the lack of a better word, uninteresting.

But, even though the subplots and supporting characters fail to make you feel anything, the relationship between the three main characters and the performances of the actors who are playing them keeps you invested in the film. Kotti, Dhanam, Dravid and even their pet dog Dhonima (after whom the film is named) are all characters that are intriguing as standalone characters. But the makers fail to completely justify the setting and the situations the characters find themselves in. On a brighter side, one of the pluses of the film is its music. Even though a few of the songs work better as individual tracks rather than in the setting of the film, the songs act as a major highlight.

Kotti, a huge cricket fan, names his son Dravid and his dog Dhonima. These touches are beautiful and bring a smile to our faces. But, even though Dhonima gets many moments right, it falls short of becoming a solid drama.