- Date of Release: 15 August 2024
- Genre: Action, Adventure, Drama, Historical
- Language: Tamil
- Watch On: Theatres Only
Thangalaan
Introduction
The adventure genre has been pushed to surrealism and in that regard, turned on its head. The Tamil film Thangalaan can in many ways be compared to the Malayalam film Malaikottai Vaaliban simply because both adventure films have historical references mixed with a flair of surrealism that will divide the audience. This is particularly to do with the fact that the viewers need to completely surrender to the vision of the filmmakers in each of the two instances, and only by doing that would onw fully enjoy the proceedings to the core. There are vast periods of silence which is used to fuel the narrative that almost unfolds like a historical folklore of sorts. These periods of silence require patience even while the simmering undercurrents of tension threaten to trigger a potential chain of events. And while the silence is deafening and also monotonous, it does inculcate a unique flavour of absurdity even as the drama goes on to oscillate between surrealism and reality. The only catch here is whether or whether not you are invested in the vision of the filmmaker or not to fully commit to the proceedings. And in that regard, Pa Ranjith must be applauded for manoeuvring past an unconventional route in the commercial space by pushing the boundaries, or rather even adding a new dimension to the adventure genre. But then does Thangalaan impress in totality, let’s find out.
Story & Screenplay
The year is 1850 and India is still under the British rule wherein the latter are in a quest to attain the gold originating from a few portions of the land. They reach out to a tribal leader to help them navigate and extract the traces of gold. But their only obstacle lies with the fact that the gold field is protected by a sorceress who will stop at nothing to eliminate her opponents. The story here is a layered take on the atrocities faced by people of the lower strata and the amount of exploitation that they are subjected to. And within that concept, the writers introduce a flurry of surrealism that doubles up as a psychological barrier for the protagonist Thangalaan, even while he is slowly finding his identity – be that of a slave or a protector. As a result, the conflict within a conflict template is an interesting take on the tale that adds layers to the screenplay standing at 150 odd minutes.
It is very early on in the drama that the viewers are exposed to the hierarchial centers of power that were prevalent in the 1850s. So the setting here is before the first war of independence (which took place in 1857), wherein the members of the tribal village are subjected to atrocities related to the land that they own – one from the community of Zamindars and the other the Britishers, both of whom stake their claims on the land. The layered nature of the story kicks in given the importance of the barren land – a home to the gold which is essentially the source of income for the two clans of power. A quick flashback that unfolds like a folklore does give the viewers a glimpse of this detail along with the obstacle in the form of a sorceress that lives on both in spirit and reality, to protect the land from infiltrators.
One of the strong points of the drama is the characterization of the protagonist who is shown to be the only educated person from his clan. And hence, he is the bridge between the Britishers, the Zamindars and the members of his own clan, the latter who are initially sweet talked into labour. Their condition could be made out from their clothing, and in a moving scene, the women are over joyous given that they are gifted a blouse to wear in return for their contribution in extracting the traces of gold. The dangers of the land is expertly highlighted, even with the presence of a sorceress that acts as a medium of simmering tension beneath the surface, both literally and figuratively speaking. And I also liked the inclusion of other external factors that doubled up as obstacles for the group.
One of the issues that I had was with a few portions of the second and third acts that seemed to hit the pause button while going around in circles. This was particularly distracting because the writers were sitting on a gold mine (no puns intended) with respect to the portions that turned out to be the final act. And while the mystery was predictable but satisfactory, I would have liked the flashback portions at the end to be slightly more fleshed out for a better impact. The focus was on alternating surrealism with reality which was a great idea but for that to fully take shape, it needed a little more investment on an emotional level with respect to characters and their past. So the final act turned out to be slightly more abrupt than I would have liked otherwise. The screenplay though is good but a niche in many ways. It all depends on how deep you wish to invest in this adventure drama to truly have the required impact.
Dialogues, Music & Direction
The dialogues are sharp and extremely rooted to the era that the drama is set in, as well as the setting where the drama unfolds, both of which adds layers of authenticity to the drama. The music is good and the songs are well integrated in the drama, however I missed the eccentricity with respect to the BGM which could have further elevated the drama especially in portions alternating between reality and surrealism. The cinematography comprises of wide frames that offer an unwavering oversight into the drama that made me completely fall in love with the barren setting. The frames are almost symbolic of the rustic land that acts as a character in the film, even while alternating to closeups during combat sequences that make you a silent spectator. The costumes are amazing and they reflect well on the period as well as being a symbol of the hierarchy of power that forms one of the themes of the narrative. The VFX here is the weaklink and it dilutes the drama at a few places. The editing is also good while extracting flavour in the drama for most parts of the runtime even though some portions of lag could have been accounted for. Director Pa Ranjith does a pretty impressive job in pushing the boundaries of the adventure genre and dishing up a cerebral drama with traces of surrealism, rather effectively. This was a huge challenge and Ranjith is nearly successful in pulling it off with perfection.
Performances
The performances are pretty impressive by the ensemble cast. Arjun Anbudan as Ashokan, Muthu Kumar as Zamindar and Hari Krishnan as Varadhan have their moments to shine. Preeti Karan as Arasani has a terrific screen presence and she does a wonderful job. Pasupathy as Gengupattar is phenomenal to witness, right from his body language to expressions in what was a brilliant little act. Daniel Caltagirone as Clement is subtly intimidating while also putting up a facade of warmth effectively through his character. Parvathy Thiruvothu as Gangamma gets the mannerisms of her character just so perfectly. Her body language is quickly balanced by a layer of sincerity with subtle bouts of aggression reflective on her face, that makes for an incredible act. Malavika Mohanan as Aarathi probably delivers the best performance of her career. She is frightening with her presence (and kudos to the prosthetics and makeup department) and she gets to pitch of her character just right. She could so easily have been carried away but her subtle transformations acting as symbols of horror, does make for such an excellent acting masterclass. Chiyaan Vikram as Thangalaan and Kaadaiyan is exceptional here, and kudos to him for pushing the envelope with his performance. He definitely gets under the skin of his character, so much so that I didn’t see even a trace of Vikram. His body language and mannerisms with bouts of measured eccentricity and intensity were the highlight for me, in what was yet another towering act by the best in the business.
Conclusion
Despite a few shortcomings, Thangalaan is a cinematic adventure with a surrealistic twist and stunning performances that makes for a wonderful watch. But to also set your expectations straight, the narrative style is niche and needs patience, the more you allow yourself to immerse in the drama, the more rewards there are to be unlocked. Available in a theatre near you.
