Thangalaan

Set in the British era, Thangalaan lives with his wife and children, only person to own a land in his village and thus, is the village chief. His co-villagers are working as bonded labourers for the Zamindar and are looked down upon by the upper caste. Thangalaan likes to tell bedtime stories to his children and one such story is about there sorceress Aarathi, protector of the forests. Elsewhere, Lord Clement is looking for the gold, buried deep in the forest and nobody has been able to find it. Thangalaan, a direct descendant to Kaadaiyan who did find the gold. Clement seeks Thangalaan's help to find gold. Thangalaan wants to use this as an opportunity to break out of slavery and build a respectable life for all. What happens on this journey and will they succeed in finding the golds? How do they defeat Aarathi and what truth gets uncovered along the way, forms rest of the story.

Pa. Ranjith has come up with an intriguing story, merging both mythology and history together while lacing it with his social commentary. He has got a solid cast led by Chiyaan Vikram and Parvathy, to carry the film which they all do with aplomb. The conviction they put in portraying their characters deserves all the applause. Having said that, Pa. Ranjith's vision is far too ambitious than the end product he had to settle with. The vfx does come in the way, in the crucial scenes and I wished for the narrative to have been stronger here, in captivating the viewers than visually trying to. This led to the lack of wow factors whenever the Aarathi confronts them, tricks them and those segments needed to be bit more sharp. The film's pace does dip in the second half and the final reveal actually deserved a better build up for a better pay off. Overall, it can be still be watched for the Director's vision and the actors' dedication.

In Thangalaan, Vikram delivers a performance reminiscent of his iconic role in Sivaputhrudu showcasing once again why he's considered a self-made actor. His acting in this film feels incredibly natural, with a depth that reflects his legendary status. The movie's storyline revolves around a tribal community and their struggles. Initially, these tribespeople work tirelessly in agriculture, but eventually, they are drawn into gold mining, leading to devastating consequences, including the loss of family members and defeat by fate.

While Thangalaan presents a powerful narrative, it hasn't quite achieved commercial success. The film's focus on the hardships of an ancient tribe, which no longer exists, is brought to life through Vikram's performance, the script, and the director's vision. Despite the film's underperformance at the box office, Vikram's portrayal stands out, proving once again that he is a truly legendary actor.

Thangalaan the movie shows the real people of KGF who got faced big sturggle from British officers & so called upper birth peoples. Fantastic making of Chiyaan Vikram who comes as Thangalaan in the movie is the main reason for me to wonder. He doesn't act. He just have lived as Thangalaan in the whole film. Each and every frame doesn't felt like it is Vikram were I didn't seen Vikram anywhere in the movie and I just saw Thangalaan throughout the movie. Malavika Mohanan had a surprising role were her presence was taken the movie into next level. She done her job great. Parvathy was fantastic and she done her job well. The unknown hero of the movie GVP was taken an avatar as a Music beast. Background score have done a important role in the film were it gives goosebumps in important scenes. Many surprises are there in the film were we couldn't expect those. Technically well mad film and with a superb making, action sequences was looking awesome. VFX & CG was good in various scenes but in some scenes, VFX was not that much good. First half was excellent, ended with a good interval were second half, you may feel some slowness but climax was extraordinary. Overall, a good film with great making and superb performances would be a good watch for an action & fantasy movie lovers.

A fantastic movie, every actor is completely immersed in their character. All the child stars, Thunai Nakshatras, and Pashupati Brahmin's character acting is superb; they give life to the characters on screen for social justice. There is a powerful scene with a verse about Ramanuja and Pashupati, delivering a poignant message about the lack of desire in birth. The film brilliantly addresses the caste hierarchies. The sight of the girls wearing shirts and showing happiness is amazing. Vikram's performance is excellent, and Parvathy gives a superb performance. The music is superb, and the hard work of the entire team is evident. VFX adds to the overall experience. I would rate it 9.2 out of 10. #HighlyRecommended#

As is the case with all Pa Ranjith's movies, he delves into politics of the caste system in this one as well. However, he deals with it in a much more poetic manner compared to his previous ones. The feels almost surreal thanks to its immersive cinematography and background music. It almost felt like GV Prakash saved all his best work for this movie.

Vikram and Parvathy Thiruvothu put up stellar performances as Thangalaan and Gengamma. The production design is top notch in showing the desert like conditions of the Kolar region. The make-up and costumes were raw and true to the world that Pa Ranjith had built. His movies are not for everyone. You either love them or hate them. I fall into the first category for this movie. I highly recommend watching it if you like Pa Ranjith's style.

CinephileIndia2023.