Rating – **** (4/5)
Director Pa. Ranjith’s audacious attempts to blend storytelling with making a point through the respective world’s pertinent political climate are now known to all. But how much can be too much for a director who has braved a few topics already? The answer is Thangalaan. Undoubtedly, his most ambitious and even perplexing film yet – the film set in the British era, based on real-life events is a fascinating saga that jolts you in ways you did not anticipate.
It isn’t often that I begin praising or critiquing an actor’s performance straight off the bat – but this one is an exception. Chiyaan Vikram is now infamously associated with another actor (after Kamal Haasan), who loves prosthetics but here the man goes all out to be Thangalaan in the most fantastical way possible. The physical appearance is obviously the aspect that stands out courtesy of the impeccable makeup and wardrobe by the team but Vikram goes through a metamorphosis to become Thangalaan in a manner that is almost impossible to think of, It might perhaps be one of the all-time best performances in Indian cinema you will ever see.
Getting over that, Thangalaan is a case of several has-beens who never manage to fulfil their potential despite Ranjith’s valiant efforts. You see the brilliance and deep threads in a few instances in the film’s screenplay that veers through a scattered yet emotional journey of Thangalaan and his people but never becomes a cohesive unit to have you engrossed entirely.
It doesn’t help that a few technical departments and some technical calls dampen the storytelling even further – be it the shoddy CGI of probably 4 to 5 beast animals being slaughtered and murdered, gushing blood feeling like a pool of skimmed red wine, or even the scenic shifts through atmospheric changes. The film does manage to pull off a spectacular final act that showcases another hint of how technically sound it could have been throughout but doesn’t.
And that hurts Thangalaan the most and thus frustrates the viewer even further. When you see a trainwreck of a film with no room for redemption, you accept it and move on. Still, when you see a bodacious attempt with novelty, originality, stupendous world-building and scintillating performances – you cannot help but be disheartened by the unimpactful storytelling and abstract screenplay.
Another pro-tip: even if you are accustomed to watching South cinema in Hindi dubbed versions on satellite, you might want to give this one a miss and watch it in its intended language to appreciate it more than you would with the Hindi version. The Hindi dubbed version is jarring, loud, and almost entirely affects the organic feel of the actors in the frame more often than not; the only good thing about the dubbed Hindi version is the two songs.
Assisting Vikram spectacularly is actor Parvathy Thirovothu – a phenomenal actor with a fabulous screen presence. It is a shame that she doesn’t get much scope to shine with limited screen time but she does what she does best, and that is, to create an impact with what she has for herself. Malavika Mohanan doesn’t do much apart from screechingly shouting but that isn’t her fault, as that is what she is asked to do mostly. The rest of the supporting cast lends great support to at least keep you invested in the world and their personal stories, if not the overall saga.
The idea of blending magical realism to narrate a story about the oppressor and the oppressed is a feat that you would expect only someone like Pa. Ranjith to achieve and while he can show glimpses of the effectiveness of it, it seldom becomes a structured tale that would have been so much better than it turns out to be. The literal and metaphorical meaning of finding gold with a layered backstory that leads to a few untied threads coming together towards the end does make up for the intended message but by then, it doesn’t quite justify the hasty treatment and meandering screenplay jumps that don’t entirely come together.
Even then, you watch the film for the one man, who commands the screen and becomes Thangalaan in mind-boggling ways – Chiyaan Vikram. That is still worth it.
