When the teasers and trailers of Thalavan and Thalavi dropped, it seemed fun and interesting story. Like many others, I expected something powerful. But there were a wave of negative reviews and criticism. I assumed the same. Maybe the movie encouraged the couples to stay even though it was toxic.
At its core, the movie reveals a raw, uncomfortable truth: the real conflicts in a couple’s life are often not between them, but created externally especially by in-laws and family pressures.
In India, unlike in many Western contexts, couples rarely live fully independent lives. Except in cases of job migration, most couples either live with or eventually have their parents living with them. And unlike in countries where old-age insurance or government systems help the elders, in India the responsibility falls directly on children. This isn’t a criticism. It’s just the reality of our setup and the family dynamics weigh heavily on marriages.
If you look closely at Thalavan and Thalavi, the couple themselves never really had core issues. Their friction was initiated by the external world, then amplified into a ripple effect. The hotel business they ran only added another layer of stress, but the truth is, even without a business, many households in India face the same struggles such as ego clashes, generational differences, and power battles.
Most of the people struggle here. This reminds me of what I wrote about partner selection. Its not just being a “vibe check”, but about knowing yourself first. Because in our cultural context, a relationship is never just about two people in love. It’s about how strong their understanding is when dealing with unavoidable external challenges, especially family.
The parents in the movie (both sides), like in real life, cared deeply about their own children’s happiness, but failed to focus on the collective happiness of the couple. That imbalance naturally strains a marriage. And when couples break down under this pressure, the quickly solution suggested is divorce without realizing the source of the problem isn’t always the couple, but the external nuances around them.
Overall, Thalavan and Thalavi don’t give you a cinematic escape. They hand you a mirror. They remind us that interdependence with parents can be healthy, but letting them dictate a couple’s life can bring conflict too.
Give it a try, if you want to see a raw portrayal of marital realities. Available in Prime.
Cheers!
Check out the previous post: Subjective Nature of Every Solution! & Movie Reviews
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