Thangalaan review: Pa Ranjith's film is engaging but slow; Vikram is sheer gold

The director once again takes the road less travelled in Thangalaan and it is not a film with tried and tested formulaic elements and slick visuals. Interestingly, Ranjith does not come to the core plot from the first scene, instead, he has brilliantly incorporated all the historical aspects of that period – like how Buddhism was eradicated in India and how the working class was denied land ownership for centuries by kings and zamindars in the name of tax and schemes like the Bramadeya (gifting tax free land).

The story

Set in the 18th century, the film starts off showing a group of villagers in the North Arcot district of Tamil Nadu leading a peaceful life. Some of them own a small piece of land while others just work for the zamindar. Their routine life is not disrupted much until the zamindar decides to burn all the harvested crops through his stooges.

The zamindar grabs the land and slaps high taxes on the locals. Amid this backdrop, a group of Britishers are searching for gold with the help of local villagers, as the Cholas and Tipu Sultan had in the past reaped gold in the same area. The pack led by Thangalaan (Vikram) agrees to help the Britishers since they get respect and prompt payment. But how long before greed takes over?

Ranjith is considered to be a Dalit filmmaker who raises his voice for the oppressed castes. In this film, we see another side to him. There is a beautiful scene in Thangalaan, in which the women in the village are overcome with joy when they get a chance to wear a blouse for the first time. Thangalaan buys it for them with the money he earned from British! You get to experience the privilege oppressed women feel from such simple things! This scene clearly shows Ranjith doesn’t stand just for the oppressed castes but for oppressed gender too.

Well-researched, pacing issues

Writers Ranjith and Tamizh Prabhu have done a lot of research on the North Arcot Tamil dialect, the clash between Buddhism and Hinduism, how the working class has been exploited for centuries, the blood and sweat of the people in building gold mines (and other infrastructure) etc. One can simply applaud such meticulous attention to detail in capturing those times so effectively.

While the first half of the film is engaging and arresting despite the slow pace, the second half moves into a different zone altogether delving into spirituality, the inner battle between greed and survival. The second half of the film is definitely not everyone’s cup of tea but if you are invested in Ranjith’s brand of politics, you will enjoy the pay off in the climax.

The actors give their best

Actor Vikram pours his heart and soul into his role. It is a far cry from his typical 'hero' persona and it is a great relief to see a mainstream actor shedding his image and surrendering himself to play the character given to him.There is no whistle-worthy, conventional heroics linked with the role that seems physically and emotionally demanding. We can see the sheer hard work put in by Vikram and he deserves all the awards next year!

Once again Parvathy has essayed her role perfectly. Malavika, who was only seen as a commercial heroine, has played a role that demands enormous physical effort but she has pulled it off with great elan. The other actors like Pasupathi, Hari, and Daniel impress as well!

Technical prowess

Technically, Thangalaan stands out with the amazing background score and songs by GV Prakash, who has given life to all the metaphors Ranjith wishes to convey in his film. Kishor’s cinematography and Moorthy’s production design take us back to the 18th century.

Overall, Thangalaan does not fall under your quintessential popular cinema. Yes, the film has some pace issues in the second half but you can definitely watch it. Thangalaan also deserves a watch to get an understanding into some of the dark chapters of our history!