#Thangalaan Review

#Thangalaan - Tamil - 2024

Starring : Chiyaan Vikram , Parvathy Thiruvothu , Malavika Mohanan , Pasupathi and Daniel Caltagirone

Directed by Pa Ranjith

Plot : Set in 1850, the story follows Thangalaan , A Group Leader of an Outcast Tribe who is employed by British Officer Lord Clement to fight down Sorceress Arathi who is the fabled angel guarding the Kolar Gold lands. Who is this Arathi ? How is she involved with Thangalaan? How does this Mission change Thangalaan and his People's life forms the rest of the crux.

Chiyaan Vikram as Thangalaan has given a fantastic performance . This performance will standout as one the best in his filmography as he dons 3 different shades and has succeeded in all. Parvathy as Thangalaan's Wife Gangamma gets a rather less screen space but has put up a great performance. She has proved her acting calibre in the emotional sequences. Malavika Mohanan as Arathi gets the most meatiest role as the entire story revolves around her. Her role onscreen is very limited with very few dialogues but the impact that leaves is huge. Easily one of her best performances. Daniel Caltagirone as Clement gets the typical British Villain role and has done a good job. Pasupathi wasted. Though his character had good potential, it was wasted largely. Special mention to Hari Krishnanan .

Technically the film is top notch. The main technical hero of this film is G V Prakash Kumar. His songs and Rerecording are just fantastic and elevate the film to the next level. Cinematography by A Kishore Kumar is great as he captures the essence of British Period India and the mysterious vibe surrounding the Gold mines on screen perfectly. Editing by Selva RK was unique as he used a very different edit pattern which was so visceral onscreen. Decent VFX (though it could've been much much better at times)

The Film's First half opens on a very promising note introducing the world of Thangalaan , his family , his people and the problems they face. While this might be a little template driven , it immediately starts to focus on plot points with the introduction of Lord Clement. The Film then gets into the main point fully and gets into Adventure zone with Thangalaan and his team going in search of the land. The First half flashback sequence was terrific as it helps understand the character need and the backstory properly. With a neatly choreographed and brilliantly edited pre Interval block , and a beautiful revelation, the first half comes to an end.

The Second Half then becomes a bit more predictable and more than that the film doesn't move anywhere else and tries to be circling around the same place and same point. Though the Second Half has some really wonderfully etched character elevation sequences and , the film however feels a bit stretched. The film's last 10 mins are the core point of the film. With a major reveal and a final relief the film ends. 

Talking about the negatives of the film , the main negative was the Live Sound usage. Due to the unique accent used without Dubbing, majority of the dialogues didn't land properly and give the expected impact. They definitely could've gone for secondary dubbing. Next the screenplay becomes a bit confusing at times. The Director has tried to use Magic Realism and major fantasy elements to make the story move forward but not sure how all of them are connected and how much audience understood about the subtle context and references. Finally the climax revelation which was supposed to be biggest twist in the film feels rushed and conveniently placed. Yes , it still gives the high that is needed but if placed much before , the impact could have been much higher.

Writer Director Pa Ranjith who is known to speak Politics in his movies has done the same in this film too but that nowhere hampers the core plot he wanted to say. Pa Ranjith has seamlessly blended the social justice points he wanted to say with the core story of a fantasy drama. Special mention to writer Thamizh Prabha who has co written the Screenplay with Pa Ranjith. This might be the most divisive film of the Year and as well Pa Ranjith's filmography post Natchathiram Nagargiradhu. Either you might love for the uniqueness of the film or you might be completely disconnected. There is no middle.

Highlights :

1)Chiyaan Vikram's Spellbinding Performance

2)GVP's Top Notch Music

3)Frames of A Kishore Kumar

4)Pre Interval Fight Sequence 

5) Climax - Twist & the Ending of the film.

Overall: Thangalaan is a very brave attempt from both Pa Ranjith and Chiyaan Vikram . While they tick majority of the boxes right that make a film work, some parts here and there could've been much better. Beyond everything, the film feels like a Experience which has to be experienced in big screen only! Personally the film worked largely for me , not sure about how everyone will perceive it.

Rating : 2.75-3/5

Digital Rights: Netflix

Television Rights : Unsold