Thangalaan review: Pa Ranjith’s magic realism film is a must watch

Magic realism as a genre has rarely been explored in Tamil cinema. But Pa Ranjith, using the element of mysticism, has delivered the stunningly magical Thangalaan, a film that leaves you euphoric for a long time.

Thangalaan stars actors Vikram, Parvathy Thiruvothu, Malavika Mohanan, Pasupathy, Harikrishnan, Preeti Karan, and Daniel Caltagirone among others. 

Vikram plays the titular character of Thangalaan, and the film revolves around an indigenous community from North Arcot in Tamil Nadu, who were exploited by the British as labourers to dig out gold in the Kolar Gold Fields. This indigenous group is treated as ‘untouchables’, and faces hardship from both the casteist feudal system and the British who exploit them for their labour. 

Thangalaan is a period drama based on the history of labourers who mined gold in Kolar Gold Fields, and filmmaker Pa Ranjith tells a solid story blending fiction and reality. The film is set in the 1850s, when Thangalaan is forced to lead his tribe to a mystic land promising gold. He is haunted by Arathi (played by Malavika Mohanan), a mythical being. But why is Arathi haunting Thangalaan? Would they find the gold? And can they escape from this dual oppression?  The answers to these questions form the rest of the story. 

Undoubtedly, this is Ranjith’s best work yet. The film is overtly political, with the filmmaker tackling the caste system head-on, and perhaps more aggressively than usual. Through the film, he makes a strong commentary against Brahminism and the varna system. He also pays tribute to Alejandro González Iñárritu’s Birdman (2014), which Ranjith had listed as one of his favourite films in an interview. 

The film, based on the oppression of a marginalised tribe, reflects Ranjith’s political clarity. He chooses not to traumatise the audience with brutal violence, and does not deprive the oppressed group of their dignity. 

Thangalaan is a Ranjith film through and through, and I was reminded of this especially on two occasions. The first was when, in one of the scenes, Thangalaan is shown to understand and translate an English speech delivered by a British officer, Clement. Though this makes little sense logically, the power of the screenplay ensures that the logic does not matter. 

The second time was during another scene, when the women wear blouses for the first time. The way they put on the garment and the unfiltered conversation around it add much flavour to the rustic nature of the film.

Notably, this is Ranjith’s second collaboration with screenwriter Tamil Prabha after Sarpatta Parambarai (2021). Together, the duo has peppered the film with some brilliant scenes and memorable dialogues.

Despite the heavy political and historical contours of Buddhism and Brahminism, Ranjith strikes a balance and narrates a brilliant story aided by the spectacular performances of Vikram, Parvathy, and Malavika. 

This is one of Vikram’s best performances in a long time. It feels like after filmmaker Bala, he has finally met the right director who could challenge the actor in him and extract a good performance.

As Gangamma, Parvathy too has delivered a fine performance. She is absolutely convincing as a strong and caring mother. It is also hard to believe that she is not a native Tamil speaker. The actor has delivered the dialogues perfectly with no shortcomings. 

Malavika is simply terrific, matching the prowess of Vikram in terms of both stunts and acting. Her character leaves a lasting impression.

Besides the performances, Thangalaan is also a technical marvel. Instead of dubbing, the filmmaker has used live sound to capture the emotions of the characters and the arid land. This is a brilliant call as it elevates the drama and pumps the adrenaline in the film. Director of Photography Kishor shines through in the film with his breathtaking shots and his smooth transitions, switching from reality to fiction. 

Similarly, music composer GV Prakash delivers a fantastic background score, particularly the war theme. After Aayirathil Oruvan, this will be another memorable film in his career. 

In a film where all crafts have given their 100 %, the visual effects are a minor letdown.

Disclaimer: This review was not paid for or commissioned by anyone associated with the film. Neither TNM nor any of its reviewers have any sort of business relationship with the film’s producers or any other members of its cast and crew.