“Thangalaan” Movie Review: - Impressive visuals and sound effects

“Thangalaan” Movie Review: - Impressive visuals and sound effects 

 

“Thangalaan” emerges as a hero who defeats the villains and rescue everyone from the drudgery of gold mining. But that narrative seems more fitting for a different Kolar gold field story. As the first half of the movie begins, Thangalaan and his team set out on an expedition with their British masters, and the film takes on the tone of an adventure story. They face numerous challenges from nature—nearly drowning in a river and confronting a black panther. There is also a touch of magical realism, with a warrior-goddess haunting members of Avant's family. Is this a story that has haunted Thangalaan and his ancestors for generations, or has history transformed into myth?

 

The effect of this folklore on Thangalaan is evident, especially in the stupor he falls into after narrating it to his children. Director Ranjith toys with the intriguing concept of a folk tale coming alive in Thangalaan's life, perhaps replaying a story that affected his ancestors as well. The story is a familiar one: sacrificing pride, identity, and possessions to toil for someone else's gain, scraping together scraps for wages. It’s a tale of a dying goddess bleeding so that the earth turns to gold—a metaphor that isn't difficult to grasp.

 

Ranjith, in his quest to explore adventurous themes and settings, often lacks the time to delve into more intimate, character-driven moments. Perhaps that's why, despite all the rich ideas, Thangalaan ends up being a strangely uninspiring film, despite incredible performances—especially from Vikram and Parvathy. While their acting prowess is well known, it's impressive to see how comfortable they are with their physicality in this film. Vikram wearing Western clothes is sold as a mass moment, but watch how carefully he never fully embraces it. Parvathy, too, gets a new outfit at one point, and her reaction to it is refreshingly innocent and rare on screen.

 

Thangalaan feels like a powerful short story stretched to the length of a feature film—a tale about a haunted man who transforms the profound emotion of seeing folklore come alive in his life into something transformative. It's like the genesis of the great, tragic story of gold—perhaps inspired by Ranjith's question: what did it take for thieves to have such easy access to our wealth? But Ranjith takes it further, asking what true wealth really is. What is real gold? The film hints at this with the name of a character and the golden figure at the end of the movie. Thangalaan is a story about a quest for gold, yes, but it digs deeper to critique materialistic greed, suggesting that one's identity and existence in harmony with the environment is the real wealth. This isn't just politics; it's a philosophical exploration.

 

Pasupathi's character strikes a wonderful balance between the comic and the serious, depending on the needs of the film. His ironic ambition to reach Vaikuntha contrasts sharply with the film's message that heaven on earth is only possible if we stop exploiting the earth and each other—an insightful commentary on how religion can sometimes distance people from reality and encourage them to pray for escape.

 

Through Thangalaan, we once again see Ranjith's tendency to rely on leader figures for salvation. The villagers in the film also encounter the dangers of chasing someone else's version of happiness, highlighting the pitfalls of placing too much faith in charismatic leaders.