Tangalan star Chiyaan Vikram opened up about his strong connection with the film at a recent press conference in Mumbai and called it one of the most memorable projects of his career. Sharing the stage with co-star Parvathy Thiruvothu and director Pa Ranjith, Vikram spoke about how important the film is to him.
Vikram said, “I have done some great roles in my career but Tangalan is very, very special to me. It is a film that I will always remember and if I am alive, I plan to show it to my grandchildren and great-grandchildren.”
Vikram had a fun conversation with a journalist who asked him about his impressive transformation for Tangalan. To this, he said, “It's money!” He further adds, “I'm joking. I have done films for free too when I wasn't so ambitious, but one day my wife called me and said, 'We need food on the table'”
In the film, he is often seen wearing a dhoti, to which Vikram corrected him, “It is a loin or langot. I knew many people might be hesitant or uncomfortable with it but I saw something deeper in this role. It was a big step for me. On the first day, we were all shy and kept doing it again and again (pulling the cloth down)! But when we saw that everyone was wearing the same kind of clothes, it felt great.”
Talking about the clothes in 'Tangal', Vikram said that filming for 'Tangal' was like stepping into a different era. He said, “When an outsider would come to our place, we would laugh at them. They would wear branded clothes and sunglasses to avoid the sun. We would look at them funny and wonder, 'Why are they so overdressed? Poor people!' It's not that it (wearing a loincloth) is liberating. It's a beautiful thing. It was like going back in time to its purest form. I loved how I looked, and I really miss not being in that clothes right now.”
Vikram concludes, “It is very difficult for a film like this to reach a large audience. I would like to thank my producers and Ranjith for this opportunity.”
Tangalan is a new film from the South that tells the true story of the Kolar Gold Fields when it was discovered by the British. The film shows how the British looted these gold fields for their own purposes. With its unique concept, Tangalan continues the South Indian film industry's tradition of giving new and unique stories to the audience. This is another example of how boundaries are being pushed in the South film industry.
Directed by Pa. Ranjith, 'Tangalan' was released in Kannada, Tamil, Telugu and Malayalam in South Indian theatres on August 15. The film is scheduled to release nationwide in Hindi on September 6. 'Tangalan' stars Chiyaan Vikram, Parvathy Thiruvothu and Malavika Mohanan in the lead roles. The film's music is composed by G.V. Prakash Kumar.