Nature As A Mnemonic Archive: Environmental Memory And Trauma In Tharun Moorthy’s Thudarum

Abstract

This paper discusses the interplay of environmental memory and trauma in the notable Malayalam film titled Thudarum (2025). Set against the backdrop of the emotional turmoil which a family undergoes, the movie depicts the moral disintegration of the protagonist, Benz on the death of his adopted son, Pavi. Also, the paper strives to uncover the significance of nature and its influence on human culture and it attempts to demonstrate nature as a witness to and a storehouse of personal and cultural trauma. By using the lens of trauma theory and environmental humanities, the paper examines how nature acts as a mute witness and storehouse of buried truths through its silences, landscapes and eventual disruptions. A unique symbolic layering of characters juxtaposed with animals is another notable element. By aptly employing the natural motifs and symbolic elements, the study posits Thudarum as an ideal cinematic exploration wherein trauma is archived not merely in human memory, but in the textures and palettes of nature as well.