Review : Thangalaan – Only for niche audience

Thangalaan is Vikram’s latest film, which has caught everyone’s imagination. Thanks to the promotions, the film was released today in Telugu with decent hype. Directed by Pa Ranjith, Thangalaan has Malavika Mohanan as the female lead. Read to find out whether the film lives up to all the hype or not.

Story :

Thangalaan is set in the year 1850 CE in Veppur village, North Arcot. Thangalaan is the chief of a tribal group who is hired by the British to search for traces of gold in his village. However, this job of Thangalaam angers the locals headed by Aarathi(Malavika Mohanan). This creates a solid war between Tangalaan’s tribe and the force headed by Aarathi. How all this unfolds in the backdrop of the British empire is the basic story of the film.

Plus Points :

The basic setup created by Pa Ranjith is just amazing. His story, the cast chosen, and the backdrop give an idea of how deep the director goes when he tries to tell a story that has so many layers deep within. In Thangalaan, he discusses many topics, such as suppression, Buddhism, and the ill-treatment of women by the men from the tribe. All this makes Thangalaan quite interesting,

Thangalaan becomes even more interesting when stars like Vikram play lead roles. He is just amazing in the title role and shocks us with his performance. Be it his look, body language, and the slang used, Vikram is the mainstay of the film and delivers a memorable performance.

Malavika Mohanan is the surprise package of the film and shocks you with her intense act. All these years, we have seen her in glamorous roles, but director Pa Ranjith brings out the best in her. Malavika is amazing in all the confrontation scenes with Vikram.

Parvathy Thiruvothu Vikram’s wife was also elegant in her role. One of the biggest assets of the film is the production design. The minute details and the bygone era are showcased in a breathtaking manner. The fight sequences have also been designed well and look realistic in the second half.

Minus Points :

As the film is done in sync with sound, the Telugu dubbing looks a bit weird. One needs to get adjusted to the pace of the dialogues to get a feel of the proceedings. One of the biggest drawbacks of the film is the VFX part. The graphics are tacky and leave you irritated for the most part.

Pa Ranjith is a director who directs films in a very realistic manner and is known for his technicalities. But he neglecting the VFX part leaves a lot to be desired. There is no denying the fact that Thangalaan has a feel of art cinema told in a commercial format. It will be really hard for hardcore Telugu cinema lovers to adjust to the vibe of the film.

Pa Ranjith’s films are mostly about oppression and the same happens in Thangalaan too. After a while, the scenes showcased in this aspect look predictable and boring. Also, the character of Malavika Mohanan and her tribe should have been established in a better manner.

Technical Aspects :

As mentioned earlier, the VFX is tacky and goes against the film. The editing in the second half is a tad dull, and more care should have been taken with the screenplay to make the viewing a lot better. The camerawork showcasing the bygone era is just amazing. The production design, costume design, and makeup done are of award-winning quality.

Coming to the director Pa Ranjith, he is known to push boundaries with each passing film of his and he does the same with Thangalaan as well. He chooses a very interesting story and extracts solid performances from his cast. But to enjoy his narrative, one needs patience and an eye for scenes that are serious and have no scope for entertainment.

Verdict :

On the whole, Thangalaan showcases Vikram in yet another crazy avatar. Malavika Mohanan is the surprise package of the film and impresses in a shocking new avatar. The pacing is slow and the subject matter is for those who have an eye for art and serious cinema told in a commercial format.

123telugu.com Rating: 2.75/5

Reviewed by 123telugu Team

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