Review of “Thangalaan” the film: Although not as stunning; this movie still gives you with a lot to think over.
By Pavethran Batmanathen
Pa Ranjith creates a breathtaking display on societal tyranny, personal avarice, and self-assertion with Thangalaan. The movie frequently has the sense of a hallucinogenic journey across historical pages, as Ranjith transports us from the eighteenth century to 5 BCE via the tale of Thangalaan (a magnificent Vikram, who gives a performance full of rage and terror).
The protagonist of Thangalaan, who is among the very few people in his village to own land, introduces us to his modest life in the eighteenth century at the start of the story. The majority of them are already employed as slaves by a landowner who has used dishonest tactics to rob them of their land. And before long, his cunning methods also claim Thangalaan as a victim.
However, he recognizes an opportunity when Clement, a British adventurer, asks the locals for assistance in retrieving riches from an area thought to be haunted. After learning about his father’s fruitless quest to extract gold from the area, Thangalaan makes the decision to travel with Clement in the hopes that finding gold will enable him to make enough money to reclaim his territory and possibly even give his people more authority.
Can he complete his task, particularly since more than just the harsh terrain stands in his way?
Though it’s used so loosely these days, Pa Ranjith can legitimately claim the title of visionary with Thangalaan.
The movie is a captivating big-screen experience that transports us to its universe and holds our attention with its striking images and gripping narrative. We haven’t seen go-for-broke filmmaking like this since Aayirathil Oruvan, when the images hypnotize us even when the story doesn’t make sense. It’s interesting that GV Prakash Kumar, who composed the music for that movie, is also responsible for this one’s soundtrack. He creates a magnificent tune, although occasionally being a touch loud. The fact that parts of the conversation are unclear also doesn’t help; subtitles would have been helpful for this movie.
However, there are four or five setpieces that are truly world-class in the way they have been conceived, such as the flashback featuring Thangalaan’s father and a lengthy section that involves a treacherous river crossing followed by a fight with a black panther and ending with a guerilla attack. However, the creatures’ visual effects are one of the main complaints.
A large portion of the movie plays out like a horror film, with social, personal, and mythological horror. The brief sweet moments that fill in between these depict the straightforward lifestyles of Thangalaan and his people. The intimacy between Thangalaan and his wife Gangamma (Parvathy Thiruvothu, who elevates the role despite the writing’s shortcomings), as well as the almost otherworldly bond between his protagonist and Aarathi (Malavika Mohanan, who embodies the fierce guardian angel who has been defending the land of gold), are masterfully captured by Ranjith.
The social component of the movie makes it into something really unique; even without it, it would have been a captivating experience. Ranjith illustrates how “varna sadhi” has succeeded in depriving a few groups of what is rightly theirs, despite the oppressor characters—particularly the British-employed Brahmin interpreter—coming across as a little caricatured.
Initially, we witness one of Thangalaan’s community members, Genguvan (Pasupathy, another actor who makes up for writing shortcomings simply by being present), encouraging them to emulate Ramanujar by donning the poonal to end discrimination. However, he later realizes that a prop alone might not be sufficient to ‘uplift’ an oppressed person.
The British are also not spared by the filmmaker. We later witness how Clement’s greed reduces him to little more than a reformed oppressor, despite his assurances of better things for those who accept to labor in his mine.
Although the last act’s magical realism raises questions about how much of what is happening is inside Thangalaan’s head, Ranjith’s decision to withhold the answers is what sets the movie apart. Additionally, the director’s revisionist interpretation doesn’t come across as fanciful—rather, it comes off as an attempt at self-assertion—even though history may have unfolded differently in terms of determining the fate of the laborers who toiled in the Kolar gold fields.
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