Thangalaan review: Pa Ranjith strikes gold in an ambitious retelling of the KGF saga

Movies By Srivathsan Nadadhur Aug 15, 2024 Read the article

Set in 18th-century, Thangalaan uncovers the trauma and the suffering that went into the making of KGF and how a village, empowered by a fierce leader, takes charge of its destiny.

[{"selector":"#anim-85acfa32-17fa-4dea-9cd9-bf5994c1eeec","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-b84acf8f-6797-43fa-be42-89b30c2b0cb6","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 42.39646%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-1f32c180-1bfa-4906-b929-1bd8d4aa19a1","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-60ccca51-ec6b-4008-8d67-f6258fd28922","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 123.03524%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-2fc61ff9-e0bc-429b-ac6b-8cdd7c12ba14 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(15.093084894569175%, 0, 0)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] Read the article Movies

Thangalaan grows up listening to a lore around Aanamalai, involving his forefather, where bloodshed paved the way to gold.

[{"selector":"#anim-dc430f0d-2de0-4c5b-8c16-94c315c308bf","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-eab45e9c-7e39-4538-8430-26811419908f","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 42.39646%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-727e1e32-cb9e-4094-a7b1-6eaf23b399fc","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-e064b540-84c7-4f36-9178-378cd79ca7ad","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 140.96747%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-83eb35f7-527c-4f36-84a5-c538d0865650 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate(0.5434782621600043%, 0%) scale(1.5)","translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] Read the article Movies

Thangalaan reminds us that the Britishers need us as much as we need them.

[{"selector":"#anim-2ebe7816-dd50-45f6-ba21-8b4a16157dde","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-23a9b5f1-9a93-49af-9b15-93987e65fc3f","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 42.39646%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-db0be91c-a84a-48e7-8448-3ab01e47764a","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-5a2cbb95-2ea4-4c6e-aafb-290d785be2c8","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 218.02465%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-70f8ff3c-500f-4168-b3d3-f390ce25c0ca [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate(0%, 0%) scale(1.5)","translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] Read the article Movies

Pa Ranjith’s voice shines through his unconventional creative choices—dealing with visions, reincarnation and ghosts—in a delightfully non-linear narrative.

[{"selector":"#anim-87961ef5-57d1-4da4-94f8-fb623e2de9bc","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-1d1309c1-b05b-4902-99fe-8aff7f11153c","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 42.39646%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-225d1a79-dfca-491d-bf08-5c2815f86930","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-65d40f9d-5670-4115-857d-b8b8118cde8c","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 140.69841%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-b9018f8e-4030-4e2c-abff-d55649c7d1e6 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(34.10937490357631%, 0, 0)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] Read the article Movies

This is precisely what Vikram deserved following his role in Ponniyin Selvan franchise, where the film caters equally to the needs of the story and showcases his performance.

[{"selector":"#anim-f71dbd78-928e-432b-bac5-2fe70b53a855","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-9145be06-eb74-4b1b-b77d-d5ddb3048d3d","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 42.39646%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-2b5cead1-91ed-4d3b-a5e0-569000f568d0","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-6e688acf-c770-43bb-8403-d8d6608a2002","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 133.26984%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-b4837d6e-b267-4b9c-99a3-b0912f2842ff [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(26.937499860057645%, 0, 0)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] Read the article Movies

Parvathy Thiruvothu is superb as Gangamma, showcasing her raw comic sense, inner strength and vulnerabilities in equal measure.

[{"selector":"#anim-fd3271cb-d63f-402c-9d9c-8aa586daa2e4","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-96d436f7-4413-4f91-b65b-dafc21c4d797","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 42.39646%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-ce36dc06-7d11-4631-8faf-fba0d5f021e8","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-2b9d3d3c-e7aa-4068-8ed9-60cefa5697f4","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 157.29402%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-1c236c2f-d344-4bbe-b24e-6d463349843c [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(5.850585710040343%, 0, 0)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] Read the article Movies

Malavika Mohanan’s Aarathi is Thangalaan’s most fascinating character and various fragments from her life are stitched together with great finesse.

[{"selector":"#anim-808c8e82-cee1-4029-bbb3-9cf5bba4f323","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-274b33b3-b464-4b97-a8b8-df48c73a0765","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 42.39646%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-7a685c81-bbcd-4375-b799-d587b32d15ba","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-815d30d6-b7a9-41a6-9897-1807b3114b7b","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 132.12700%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-6b92a3ed-7c7a-40a3-8294-54ad81292ee1 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate(-7.105427357601002e-15%, 0%) scale(1.5)","translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] Read the article Movies

Thangalaan is just the dense material that Pa Ranjith needed to widen his horizons as a storyteller and he adorns this intense, angsty historical action drama with great craft.

[{"selector":"#anim-ba7d586f-80d7-4d08-b543-33efb6d2507f","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-a47848d3-e523-4959-bc2a-c44c9ba586a6","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 42.39646%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-ee358033-6761-4bc4-91e2-b09f5b7d7a7a","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-38682e2c-952b-43c8-94f9-fa052e650140","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 115.23035%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-10142d08-e131-418b-bf85-3d37559d141a [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate(0%, 0%) scale(1.5)","translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] Read the article Movies