Movie Name: Thangalaan
Rating: 2.5/5
Cast: Vikram, Parvathy Thiruvothu, Malavika Mohanan, Pasupathy
Director: Pa. Ranjith
Produced By:  K.E. Gnanavelraja
Release Date: August 15th, 2024

Pa. Ranjith’s films have always managed to create great buzz before their release. Owing to a great trailer and Vikram’s mind-blowing makeover, Thangalaan has also managed to create huge anticipation in Tamil markets as well as Telugu states. This is undoubtedly Pa Ranjith’s most ambitious project and has been shot on a grand scale. Let’s see if the film has enough to make an impact on the audience.

Story:

Set in 1850, Thangalaan (Vikram) is a local tribal chief who leads his life with his wife Gangamma (Parvathy Thiruvothu) and 5 kids. He joins forces with the Britishers in search of a mythical gold. The search for treasure is filled with surprises, deceit, and agony. What happens next and how this journey turns Thangalaan’s world upside down is what the movie follows.

Performances:

To describe in one word- Vikram is “outstanding” as Thangalaan. Much like his previous movies, he has given his complete physical and emotional devotion to his role which will surely fetch him awards. Like all Pa Ranjith’s women characters, Parvathy Thiruvothu as Gangamma is well-written and the talented actress provides great support to Vikram. Malavika Mohanan is a true surprise and manages to impress one and all with her intense performance.

Analysis:

Thangalaan truly manages to transform us to the 1850s. The production design and the cinematography are top-notch. While the cast and technical crew have given their everything to the film, Thangalaan still has some flaws owing to its weak screenplay and failure to mix myth with reality. The film suffers from some pacing issues throughout and might test your patience. The Telugu dubbing also lacks quality and the audience might have to pay real attention to understand the proceedings well.

Positives:

• Vikram
• Production design
• Basic premise
• Cinematography

Negatives:

• VFX and sound design
• Tedious screenplay
• Writing falls short at many places

Verdict:

Thangalaan is an exciting concept on paper and with Pa Ranjith and Vikram collaborating for the first time, the excitement is huge. Unfortunately, apart from the lead actors’ performances and some technical brilliance in production design, the film lacks in quality and engaging moments. Thangalaan is certainly not the best work of the director and would have been a great watch if the world-building and storytelling was better.