Tharun Moorthy explains why Lalitha didn’t kill George Sir in ‘Thudarum’

Director Tharun Moorthy has clarified a key creative choice in his film ‘Thudarum’, responding to a viewer’s question about the character Lalitha, played by Shobana. The question was simple but blunt: why didn’t Lalitha kill George Sir, the character portrayed by Prakash Varma?

Moorthy addressed this during a session at Hortus, Malayala Manorama’s art and literature festival, where he noted that no filmmaker can satisfy every viewer’s expectations.

“When I make a film, what matters to me is whether the viewer inside me feels satisfied,” he said. “I had to ask myself: would it feel more convincing if Lalitha killed George Sir, or if Benz did it? While writing, I realised Benz carried far more emotional conflict than Lalitha.”

He added that the decision emerged during the writing process he shared with co-writer Sunil, and not due to commercial considerations. “We didn’t reduce Lalitha’s emotional depth, nor was the choice influenced by producers or stars. Benz’s character was simply more emotionally driven.”

Moorthy said the outcome aligned with his instinct as both a viewer and director. “The viewer in me wanted it that way, so the director in me made that choice. Both were satisfied in that moment.”

He acknowledged that not all audiences felt the same, but said that is inevitable. “You can never make a film that pleases everyone.”