Don't want to just entertain people but also enlighten them, says filmmaker Pa Ranjith

MUMBAI: Director Pa Ranjith on Monday said he wants to use cinema as a medium to address caste divide in the country and his latest offering "Thangalaan" is a step in the same direction.

The acclaimed filmmaker, who belongs to the Dalit community, said he has been a longtime follower of social reformer Dr BR Ambedkar, a key architect of India's constitution, whose teachings have helped him over the years.

"The caste problem is everywhere in India. I (was) affected by the system. I understood (the problem) in my childhood and what Babasaheb Ambedkar wanted to tell (about) modern India.

"I followed him and I got (to learn) a lot from him. I 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). We need to address (this issue)" Ranjith, known for "Kaala" and "Sarpatta Parambarai", told reporters here.

He was speaking at the Hindi trailer launch of "Thanglaan", starring Vikram in the title role.

Vikram, popular for roles in "I", "Ponniyin Selvan I & II", and "Raavanan", said every time he decides to embark on a project, he aims to pick characters that are nothing like his real self.

"Cinema has always been my passion, my dream. Every time I do a role, I try to do something that's very far (away) from me. I think 'Thangalaan' is just another (result) of that want. I want to work on great characters with great directors like Pa Ranjith... All my directors have inspired me through all my characters," he said.

Set in the 19th century, "Thangalaan" is based on the real story of the Kolar Gold Fields (KGF) during its discovery by the British, who exploited and looted it for their own gain.

The actor, known for undergoing extreme physical transformations for his roles, said he grew his hair and lost weight to embody the character of Thangalaan.

"I realised I can't look like a hero. I should look like a labourer. I'm actually part of the oppressed. I had to be someone who just barely had a square meal a day. I needed to be like that, so I had to shrink a little. But apart from that, we had a lot of makeup done, like almost five hours every day were spent on that.

"I had to remove my tattoo, then put on fresh tattoos. I have a scar which I had to hide, then add scars. All of that took time. Then, we had blood, mud, ash and gold in every scene. There's no scene where we look nice," added Vikram.

"Thangalaan" also stars Parvathy Thiruvothu, Malavika Mohanan, and British actor Daniel Caltagirone.

Produced by Studio Green, it is slated to be released in Hindi on September 6.