Name of the film: Thangalan
Release date : 15 August 2024
123telugu.com Rating: 2.75/5
Cast: Vikram, Parvathy Thiruvothu, Malavika Mohanan, Pasupathy
Director : Pa. Ranjith
Manufacturer: KE Gnanavelraja, Neha Gnanavelraja
Music Director: G.V. Prakash Kumar
Camera: Kishor Kumar
Editor: Selva Rk
Related Links: Trailer
Thangalaan is Vikram’s latest film that has captured everyone’s imagination. Thanks to the promotions, the film has released in Telugu today with decent hype. Directed by Pa Ranjith, Thangalaan stars Malavika Mohanan in the female lead role. Read whether the film lives up to all the hype or not.
Story :
Thangalaan is set in the year 1850 AD in the village of Veppur in North Arcot. Thangalaan is the chief of a tribal group who is hired by the British to search for gold in his village. However, this assignment of Thangalaan enrages the locals led by Aarathi (Malavika Mohanan). This leads to a full-scale war between Tangalaan’s tribe and the force led by Aarathi. How all this unfolds against the backdrop of the British Empire is the basic plot of the film.
Plus points:
The basic concept created by Pa Ranjith is simply amazing. His story, the cast he chose and the background give an idea of how deep the director goes when he tries to tell a story that has so many layers. In Thangalaan, he discusses many issues like oppression, Buddhism and the mistreatment of women by the men of the tribe. All this makes Thangalaan quite interesting.
Thangalaan becomes even more interesting when stars like Vikram play the lead roles. He is simply magnificent in the title role and shocks us with his performance. Be it his looks, his body language or the slang used, Vikram is the mainstay of the film and delivers an unforgettable performance.
Malavika Mohanan is the surprise of the film and shocks with her intense performance. All these years we have seen her in glamorous roles but director Pa Ranjith brings out the best in her. Malavika is great in all the confrontation scenes with Vikram.
Parvathy Thiruvothu Vikram’s wife was also elegant in her role. One of the biggest strengths of the film is the production design. The minute details and the bygone era are presented in a stunning manner. The fight sequences are also well designed and look realistic in the second half.
Minus points:
Since the film is in sync with audio, the Telugu dubbing seems a bit odd. One has to get used to the pace of the dialogues to get a feel for what is happening. One of the biggest drawbacks of the film is the visual effects. The graphics are cheesy and mostly leave you feeling confused.
Pa Ranjith is a director who directs films in a very realistic manner and is known for his technical skills. But his neglect of the VFX part leaves a lot to be desired. There is no denying that Thangalaan gives the feel of art cinema told in a commercial format. Die-hard Telugu cinema lovers will find it really hard to get used to the mood of the film.
Pa Ranjith’s films are mostly about oppression and the same thing happens in Thangalaan too. After a while, the scenes in this context become predictable and boring. The character of Malavika Mohanan and her tribe should also have been better developed.
Technical aspects:
As mentioned, the visual effects are cheesy and detract from the film. The editing in the second half is a little boring and more effort should have been put into the script to make the experience much more enjoyable. The camera work that shows the bygone era is simply incredible. The production design, costume design and makeup are of award-winning quality.
As for director Pa Ranjith, he is known for pushing boundaries with each of his films and he does so with Thangalaan too. He chooses a very interesting story and elicits solid performances from his actors. But to enjoy his narrative, one needs patience and an eye for scenes that are serious and don’t leave any scope for entertainment.
Verdict :
Overall, Thangalaan presents Vikram in another crazy role. Malavika Mohanan is the surprise of the film and impresses in a shocking new role. The pace is slow and the subject is for those who have an eye for art and serial cinema in a commercial format.
123telugu.com Rating: 2.75/5
Reviewed by 123telugu team
Click here for Telugu review
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