The much-talked-about film Thangalaan, starring Vikram, produced by Gnanavel Raja, and directed by Pa Ranjith, is set for a worldwide release in Tamil, Hindi, Telugu, Kannada, and Malayalam on August 15. KVN Productions will distribute the film in all five languages in Karnataka. The Pa Ranjith directorial has a fictional narrative set during the British colonial era in KGF. The film also features Malavika Mohanan, Parvathy Thiruvothu, Pasupathy, Hari Krishnan, and British actor Daniel Caltagirone. Team Thangalaan was recently in Bengaluru to promote the film.
Vikram, sharing his thoughts, said, "I’ve played many unique roles in films like Anniyan and Pithamagan, but Thangalaan is a standout. This is the most difficult film of my career. We encountered numerous challenges in every scene, including injuries during the shoot. Even the romantic scenes were tough. The real challenge was portraying characters from the British colonial era and indigenous tribes—people we didn’t fully understand. We had to embody them, not just act like them. It felt like we were transported back a century."
To prepare for his role, Vikram underwent six months of intense preparation and lost a significant amount of weight. He shared that the mental transformation was far more demanding than the physical one, with four to five hours of makeup required each day during filming.
Vikram also mentioned that Kantara, directed by and starring Rishab Shetty, was a major inspiration for making Thangalaan on a grand scale. He noted, "That film demonstrated that good content can reach any corner of the world."
Talking about films reaching wider audiences, Vikram also praised Baahubali for opening doors and KGF for expanding boundaries. Despite initially targeting a specific region, Kantara became a significant commercial success due to its strong emotional connection with viewers.
Vikram also hopes to act in a Kannada film in the future. "I've worked in all South Indian languages but wonder why I haven't done Kannada yet. Someday, I'd love to. I'm waiting for the right opportunity," he said whie adding, "Yash, Rakshit Shetty, and Srinidhi Shetty are my good friends, and I would love to act alongside them, and even work under the direction of Prashanth Neel."
Director Pa Ranjith and actors Malavika Mohanan and Daniel were present at the event. Malavika shared, "Thangalaan came to me unexpectedly when I was eager to try something new." Known for her roles in the Kannada film Naanu Mattu Varalakshmi and the Malayalam films Pattam Pole and Nirnayakam, Malavika discussed the challenges of her role and what drew her to the project.
Talking about her career choices, Malavika expressed, "I was keen to explore something different." She also expressed admiration for versatile actors like Sridevi, Shobhana, Urvashi, and Madhuri Dixit, who noted that diversifying her roles is crucial for her growth as an actor.
On the other hand, Pa Ranjith described Thangalaan as a historical film that differs from Prashanth Neel’s KGF, starring Yash. "While KGF focused on Rocky Bhai, Thangalaan is about a community from a century ago. During the Mysore state period, diverse people inhabited the KGF area. The film also examines the aftermath of discovering gold, along with colonialism and societal inequalities that affected the community," Ranjith explained.
