'Thangalaan' - A Phenomenon And A Warning

The Tamil movie ‘Thangalaan’ released on August 15 2024, has unleashed fierce debates, bitter criticisms, online abuse and heartful appreciation, from various sections of the society.

Directed by controversial young director Pa. Ranjith, the movie is a phenomenon and its impact should not be measured in terms of box office revenue it generates.

The director knows his mission and his target audience and the message he wants to communicate. In that he has succeeded beyond measure.

Every scene has been sculpted with care and craft. The scenes are designed for optimal psychological impact.

It brings out the real pain of the past. It gives a narrative that is filled with righteous anger and cry for justice. That is why this is more than a movie. It is a phenomenon.

Many of the savarna responses, at least on social media, are as expected. They abuse Pa.Ranjith. The best response they could come up with is abuse and question—'why such ‘casteist’ movies'. This is the meta-script Pa.Ranjith has scripted beyond the silver screen.

He is not talking to the casteist population. He is talking to his people. He is also talking to the right-thinking minds among the Savarna Hindus. So the abuses against him vindicate his stand and reinforce what he says in the movie to his audience as the truth.

Hence this movie should be taken seriously. Do not feel elated if it flops at the box office. Its impact is yet to come.

The grandest tragedy that can befall a civilisation is its enemies channelising the righteous anger against it. That is happening to Sanatana Dharma.

Consider the facts and the movie.

History records a recent case of a bright boy whose parents had to migrate to Kolar Gold Mines, forcing him to abandon his studies. The family toiled in the mines and later returned to a feudal landowner due to financial ruin. Does this resonate with scenes from the movie?

But the child in the real history had a name, Munusami.

He was made to drop his education and his parents were asked to pay the fees despite the earlier informal promise of free education because the educational institution was run by the missionaries and the missionaries expelled him from the boarding school when the boy barely in his teens, despite his poverty, refused to convert.

And compelled to pay the fees, the parents and the boy had to move to the Kolar Gold Fields to toil. The boy went on to become a great sage of Advaita - a Paramacharya. He also raised his voice for the downtrodden in the halls of Madras Legislative assembly. Here is an article in Swarajya on Swami Sahajananda.

You can see how a recent reality is completely changed in the movie. The pain may be real, but the story is altered to fuel anger against what is a distorted view of Hinduism. This is how classic hate narratives take hold, and it's happening right before our eyes.

Now consider the other facts of Kolar Gold Fields (KGF).

At ground zero of KGF, a battleground of ideologies had emerged.

Colonial missionaries and Buddhist proselytizers vied for influence, each presenting Buddhism as a beacon of liberation from the oppressive grip of ‘Brahminical’ casteism and entrenched superstitions.

Yet, for those earnestly seeking true social emancipation, these proselytizing efforts fell short, offering little more than superficial solutions.

In this charged atmosphere, a remarkable figure arose from the marginalised masses of scheduled communities of KGF: M. C. Madurai Pillai. A visionary leader and entrepreneur, Pillai embarked on a transformative journey to the revered Vaishnavaite temple of Sri Rangam. Here, amidst the sacred chants and spiritual vitality, he sought not just personal enlightenment but a profound, inclusive path for his community’s upliftment.

With his exceptional organisational skills and commitment to inclusiveness, Madurai Pillai forged strong, egalitarian networks with other Vaishnavite communities. His efforts culminated in a practical and enduring model for holistic social emancipation, embodying the principles of equality and justice.

Here is an earlier Swarajya article that shows the wonderful spiritual movement that was led by Madurai Pillai and his team which also brought in empowerment in secular domains which include education, technological skill empowerment, legal and organisational protection of the human rights of the labourers, even spaces for mass entertainment without discrimination.

Madurai Pillai's endeavours were profoundly influenced and supported by the venerable Sri K Pooswamy, known in his spiritual journey as Bhuminayagam Ramanujadasar.

Sri K Pooswamy, a distinguished member of the Mysore Representative Assembly (MRA), was not only adept in the realm of engineering science but also a sagacious contractor in KGF. His life was a testament to his unwavering devotion (bhakti) to Andal, revered as the incarnation of Mother Earth and the divine consort of Maha Vishnu. His contributions, both in the secular and spiritual domains, left an indelible mark on the community, fostering a legacy of devotion and service.

Defying the British goldmine owners, he courageously acquired land and founded ‘The Bisanattam Goldmines’ in Andhra Pradesh. He served as its chief engineer until his last breath, triumphantly outshining his former employers, ‘John Taylor & Sons’.

History clearly shows that the original ‘Thangalaans’—M.C. Madurai Pillai and Bhuminayagam Ramanujadasar—lived lives that far exceed what the movie portrays. Their inspiration and enduring energy come from the Sri Vaishnava tradition, an organic branch of Sanatana Dharma.

This is the true history, but in 'Thangalaan,' we see how it's being twisted and distorted right before our eyes.

But what are Savarna Hindus heatedly discussing right now?

It is whether Sri Rama was a contemporary of Triceratops or velociraptors or Stegotetrabelodons. We do not care for the atrocities heaped on Scheduled Communities.

Worse, we do not even speak about how true Dharma has performed the emancipation of marginalised communities who were impoverished by colonialism.

Imagine us to be there at the time when Ravana abducted Sita. We would have ignored the abduction and would have discussed heatedly what vegetable is Dharmic for sambar in the afternoon.

Because we see truth being abducted right in front of us. Truth of the power of Dharma. We see history being professionally distorted. And we have more important things to discuss like whether Rama walked with dinosaurs or not.

Why has Pa.Ranjith emerged as an important phenomenon?

Because we did not speak about the greatness of Madurai Pillai. Why haven’t we acknowledged and celebrated Madurai Pillai, giving him the gratitude that Hindu society owes him?

Because we have an ethical vacuum. And Nature abhors vacuum. And Pa. Ranjith and Mari Selvaraj would inevitably emerge.

‘Thangalaan’ is a warning. A society that undermines and shies away from its own Dharmic foundation will be destroyed by its own children. One hopes we will wake up as a civilization.