Review: Thangalaan

True, Pa Ranjith doesn’t make his points as forcefully or as convincingly in Thangalaan as he did in Sarpetta Parambarai but that cannot be reason enough to turn a blind eye to the significant story he looks to narrate.

Thangalaan review

Film: Thangalaan
Director: Pa Ranjith
Cast: Chiyaan Vikram, Parvathy, Malavika Mohanan, Pasupathy and others
Music: G V Prakash Kumar
Cinematography: A Kishor Kumar
Editing: Selva R K
Rating: 3.5 stars

Synopsis:

The story is set in 1850 in Veppur village in North Arcot district, where Thangalaan, a farmhand who has his own land, is leading a happy life with his wife Gangamma (Parvathi) and four children. The zamindar of the region, who cannot digest the fact that Thangalaan has risen to the stature of a land owner, destroys Thangalaan’s bumper crop by stealthily setting fire to the produce. This puts Thangalaan in a predicament. Exploiting Thangalaan’s helplessness in not being able to pay off the heavy taxes imposed by the British, the Zamindar not only usurps the land owned by him but also decrees that the man and his family have to work as farm labourers on his fields to pay off the remaining debt. It is at this time that a Britisher, who is desperate to find gold in the region of Kolar, arrives on the scene. What happens then is what Thangalaan is all about…

Director Pa Ranjith returns with yet another gripping story of those from the oppressed classes, rising against all odds to claim what is rightfully theirs in Thangalaan. Usually, Pa Ranjith’s stories are the ones that take centre stage in his films. In fact, it is the story that stands out as the singular most significant entity in his films. However, in Thangalaan, for the first ever time, the performances outshine the story.

There is nothing wrong with the story Ranjith looks to narrate. It is just that the performances of his gifted cast are so remarkable that they steal the thunder from the story that Ranjith is looking to narrate.

Vikram, in particular, as Thangalaan is nothing short of outstanding. If there was ever an award for dedication given to an artiste, it must certainly go to Vikram for his whole-hearted commitment to bringing the character he plays to life on screen.

Two minutes from the time he first appears on screen, you forget how the real Vikram looks. Vikram’s first shot in the film is that of him being fast asleep. It is only for a brief minute or two when the camera zooms in on a sleeping Vikram that you are conscious of the fact that the person you are looking at on screen is Vikram. From the moment he wakes up, what you see on screen is just Thangalaan. The conviction with which Vikram plays the character is so contagious that you don’t even realise that it is Vikram you are looking at. Just for his acting, critics and film lovers can watch Thangalaan.

One other actor who really takes your breath away is Malavika Mohanan, who plays the role of Aarathi. She has quite a few action sequences in the film but the way she carries herself in these sequences is a sight to behold. Calling her performance a spell-binding one would be an understatement.

Parvathi too comes up with a neat performance as Gangamma. But this is something that we have now come to expect of Parvathi as an actress.

Pasupathi, as a devout Vishnu devotee, trying to find acceptance in upper castes, Hollywood actor Daniel Caltagirone, as a desperate Britisher desperate to find gold, also impress with their exceptional performances.

Technical Aspects:
The film’s biggest strength comes from its music by G V Prakash, whose songs as well as background score come in handy for Pa Ranjith. While his songs seek to lighten the mood, his background score accentuates the mood that Ranjith looks to create.

SS Murthi’s art direction is equally impressive. The caves the team travels through, the hillock that is made of gold and which the team seeks to capture and confiscate. The weapons used in fights — all add to the authenticity.

Speaking of fights, the film’s action sequences by Stunner Sam deserve a special mention. The fights are bloody, brutal and brilliant.

What doesn’t work in the film…
There are a few drawbacks that work against the film. The first of these is the way the character of Aarathi is established. You are not sure if Aarathi is a real person or if she is a sorceress or a person with supernatural powers. The element of fantasy that is brought in with the arrival of Aarathi’s character severely dents the credibility of the story that Pa Ranjith looks to narrate.

Next, another big drawback is the manner in which the dialogues are delivered, especially in the initial portions of the film. The dialogues are loud and in a dialect that is hard to understand. As a result, you have to strain yourself to understand what the characters are saying and don’t get the complete essence of what it is that they are tyring to communicate.

The third biggest drawback is in the manner in which Ranjith has narrated the story. Ranjith seems to have been in a state of confusion on what he must focus on in the film and the best way to make his point. As a result, you get the point that Ranjith is looking to make but it comes across as a point being made by someone who is not entirely convinced about what he is putting across.

COIN’s recommendation :
Make no mistake about it. Thangalaan is a masterpiece and I call it a masterpiece, not just for the message that Pa Ranjith is looking to send across but also for the exemplary acting and extraordinary efforts his entire cast has put into this film.

True, Pa Ranjith doesn’t make his points as forcefully or as convincingly as he did in Sarpetta Parambarai but that cannot be reason enough to turn a blind eye to the significant story he looks to narrate.