Awards OK But Rewards Doubtful

The teaser of Chiyaan Vikram’s much-awaited Thangalaan directed by Pa Ranjith was released yesterday. Unlike Yash’s “KGF,” which used a similar setting for a commercial star vehicle, Pa Ranjith has created a gritty war drama centered around themes of greed in his inimitable style.

This theme resonates with Pa Ranjith’s previous works like “Madras” and “Kaala,” where the protagonists fight to reclaim their land and identity. However, “Thangalaan” introduces a fresh dimension with its focus on greed, marking a departure for the director.

The film looks very raw and sometimes it becomes too much to digest for a common audience. A few intellectuals and cinephiles might appreciate Thangalaan’s teaser and find the film to be promising.

But the normal audience might find it too hard to watch such kind of cinema nonstop in a theater for over 150 minutes. The film looks to be made for film festivals and might even win some awards but box office rewards may not be too encouraging.

The film is produced by Gnanavelraj of Green Studios and also stars Malavika Mohanan, Parvathy Thiruvothu, and Pasupathy. Music composer GV Prakash Kumar collaborates with Pa Ranjith for the first time. The film is all set to release on January 26, 2024.