‘Till
my
wife
called
me
up
one
day
and
said,
“Hey,
we
need
food
on
the
table”.’
Rediff.com‘s
Rajesh
Karkera
and
Mayur
Sanap
bring
back
interesting
moments
from
the
Thangalaan
launch
in
Mumbai.
As
the
barriers
of
language
have
gone
down
and
audiences
want
to
see
cinema
from
every
part
of
India,
the
makers
of
the
Tamil
film
Thangalaan
took
the
opportunity
to
present
the
Hindi
version
of
their
film
after
its
positive
box
office
reception
across
the
southern
states.
The
lead
stars
Chiyaan
Vikram,
Parvathy
Thiruvothu
and
acclaimed
film-maker
Pa
Ranjith
came
together
to
turn
the
announcement
into
a
star-studded
affair
in
Mumbai.
“Thank
you
for
accepting
us
here,”
Vikram
addresses
the
media
with
a
gleaming
smile.
“It’s
amazing
that
Bombay
has
so
many
films
happening
here
and
yet
when
I
entered
this
room
to
see
that
smile
on
your
face,
the
excitement
to
take
pictures
and
videos,
that’s
something
I
am
really
not
going
to
forget.
It
is
memorable
that
you
guys
take
cinema
so
seriously.”
When
Vikram
was
asked
what
prompted
him
to
take
up
such
a
difficult
role,
the
actor
joked
it
was
“for
the
money”,
only
to
make
it
clear,
“No,
I
am
kidding.”
“I
have
done
films
for
free
too,
when
I
was
less
ambitious
till
my
wife
called
me
up
one
day
and
said,
‘Hey,
we
need
food
on
the
table’.
So
it
changed
after
that,”
Vikram
laughs
and
continues,
“I
loved
acting
since
I
was
in
third
grade
and
have
always
wanted
to
act.”
“Cinema
has
always
been
my
passion,
my
dream.
Every
time
I
do
a
role,
I
try
to
do
something
that’s
very
far
from
me.
Thangalaan
is
just
another
repercussion
of
that
want.”
Vikram
hails
Thangalaan
as
his
“super,
super
special
film”
and
shares
that
this
is
one
film
he
would
like
to
show
his
grandchildren
and
great
grandchildren.
The
actor
is
known
for
wacky
get-ups
and
undergoing
extreme
physical
transformations
for
his
roles
as
seen
in
films
like
Pithamagan,
Anniyan
(Aparichit)
and
Iru
Mugan.
To
embody
his
character
of
a
tribal
in
Thangalaan,
Vikram
said
he
grew
his
hair,
lost
significant
body
weight
and
sported
a
loincloth
for
the
maximum
runtime
of
the
film.
WATCH:
Vikram
talks
about
his
physical
and
mental
preparation
for
Thangalaan.
Set
against
the
backdrop
of
gold
mines
of
19th
century
Karnataka,
Thangalaan
revolves
around
a
courageous
tribal
leader,
played
by
Vikram,
who
goes
against
the
British
to
protect
his
community
and
ancestral
land
from
exploitation.
Talking
about
the
thematic
representation
of
the
film
and
its
significance,
Ranjith
explains,
“I
love
magical
realism.
I
read
a
lot
of
novels
by
Gabriel
García
Márquez
but
never
used
that
in
my
films
before.
This
is
the
first
time
I
am
using
it
in
this
movie.”
“Thangalaan
has
elements
of
mythology
and
historical
events.
I
wanted
to
use
the
magical
realism
to
connect
with
the
audience
through
a
mythological
story.”
Parvathy
plays
Gangamma,
who
is
Vikram’s
wife
and
mother
of
their
five
children.
She
said
it
was
a
very
challenging
shoot
for
her
as
they
shot
at
real
locations
under
harsh
conditions.
WATCH:
Parvathy
shares
her
experience
of
shooting
for
Thangalaan
During
the
press
event,
Parvathy
expressed
her
adulation
for
“Aamchi
Mumbai”,
a
city,
she
revealed,
she
had
shifted
to
before
the
COVID-19
pandemic
hit
and
things
became
“difficult”.
Talking
about
her
experience
of
working
in
Bollywood,
Parvathy
fondly
remembered
Irrfan
Khan,
with
whom
she
was
paired
in
her
Hindi
debut
Qarib
Qarib
Singlle.
When
quizzed
if
she
found
any
similarities
between
Vikram
and
Irrfan,
Parvathy
took
a
brief
moment
to
reflect
on
the
question
and
said
it’s
their
“generosity”
as
co-stars
that
she
found
very
special.
WATCH:
Parvathy
draws
similarities
between
Vikram
and
Irrfan
Pa
Ranjith,
who
is
known
for
exploring
socio-political
themes
and
packing
poignant
messages
in
his
films
such
as
Kaala,
Sarpatta
Parambarai
and
Natchathiram
Nagargiradhu,
said
he
wants
to
use
cinema
as
a
medium
to
address
caste
issues
in
the
country
and
Thangalaan
marks
his
efforts
in
the
same
direction.
“The
caste
problem
is
everywhere
in
India.
I
am
affected
by
the
system,”
the
film-maker
says.
“I
understood
in
my
childhood
and
what
Babasaheb
Ambedkar
wanted
to
tell
modern
India.
I
followed
him
and
wanted
to
discuss
this
through
my
art.
I
don’t
want
to
only
entertain
people;
I
want
to
try
to
enlighten
them
through
my
films.”
Thangalaan
is
making
waves
in
South
India
since
its
Independence
Day
release.
The
Hindi
dubbed
version
will
open
in
cinemas
on
September
6.
