Director Velraj’s Thanga Magan (‘Man of Gold’) stars a clean-shaven Dhanush, and revolves around his love life and family life, with supporting roles played by Amy Jackson, Samantha, KS Ravikumar, and Radhika. Releasing on the heels of the massive devastation caused by flooding in Tamil Nadu, Dhanush said the film would be a relief to watch for people who have been dealing with a lot of stress. According to him, it’s a ‘humble film, which every viewer can relate to’.
Originally titled VIP 2, the trailer suggests that Thangamagan will be similar to VIP – a tale of an underdog fighting the odds. There’s an extended sequence of the courtship between a teenage Tamizh (Dhanush) and Amy Jackson. He has the initiative when it comes to cheesy one-liners, but she’s the one who pulls off a ‘mokka joke’ on him. Dhanush claims the film will show both the female leads in a new light in terms of their performance. Thematically focused on love and sentiment, the trailer also promises an action-oriented subplot when an auto hits KS Ravikumar’s character. Dhanush kicks into stunt mode, literally. This is also the fourth collaboration between Dhanush and music director Anirudh – popularly called DnA.
Thangamagan doesn’t look set to do anything too innovative or bold. Other than Dhanush getting rid of his facial hair. The focus is on a simple, relatable story. And that might just be what Chennai audiences want right now. Wunderbar Films has had two successful productions (Kaaka Muttai and Naanum Rowdy Dhaan) in 2015, and one film that failed to meet expectations (Maari). Let’s see what the New Year has in store for Thangamagan.
*****