Magic realism as a genre has rarely been explored in Tamil cinema
But Pa Ranjith, using the element of mysticism,
has delivered the stunningly magical Thangalaan, a film that leaves you euphoric for a long time.
Thangalaan stars actors Vikram, Parvathy Thiruvothu, Malavika Mohanan
Pasupathy, Harikrishnan, Preeti Karan, and Daniel Caltagirone among others.
Vikram plays the titular character of Thangalaan,
and the film revolves around an indigenous community from North Arcot in Tamil Nadu,
who were exploited by the British as labourers to dig out gold in the Kolar Gold Fields.
This indigenous group is treated as ‘untouchables’,
and faces hardship from both the casteist feudal system and the British who exploit them for their labour.
Though this makes little sense logically, the power of the screenplay ensures that the logic does not matter.