Early on in his “man versus wild” thriller Alangu, writer-director SP Sakthivel makes an effective storytelling decision of portraying his central character Dharman (Gunanidhi) as an ordinary man to gain our empathy for him. The filmmaker achieves this portrayal by showing Dharman being socially marginalised, partly due to his lack of education. Even his own mother (Sreerekha) judges him for it.
Rescuing a female stray dog further endears Dharman to the audience as she then serves as a surrogate for a romantic interest in his life. There is a wonderful scene early on where Dharman wages a bet with his sister on whether the dog will come back home for him if he leaves her back in the woods just to prove that she loves him. Predictably, Alangu exploits the emotional bond between man and dog for dramatic effect, yet it avoids excessive sentimentality or manipulation.
Alangu features a plot without much complexity, but it has enough conflicts to keep you rooted in your seats. We follow the lead character as he goes to a village on the Kerala-Tamil Nadu border, alongside his friends and uncle (Kaali Venkat), for a job to help provide for his family. Augustine (Chemban Vinod Jose), a Malayali who dominates the village, has a Tamil wife and a daughter with a fascination for painting animals when stationary.
Like how Dharman loves the dog, Augustine adores his daughter to the extent that he demands complete silence in and around his house so that she gets enough time with the still animal and concentration to paint to perfection. Augustine’s order to kill all village dogs, after one of them bites and severely injures his daughter, is a logical, albeit brutal, outcome that is in line with his personality.
The rest of the plot is rather predictable for one with some sort of familiarity with the genre, but it remains engaging nevertheless. The film prematurely reveals some climactic scenes, unnecessarily extending the runtime, particularly when the plot transitions into a “survival thriller”. The interesting setup of his character notwithstanding, the film underutilises Chemban Vinod Jose’s acting range by failing to fully develop the antagonist. He remains a one-dimensional villain, primarily issuing orders over the phone.
Appani Sarath becomes the primary antagonist, and he also has a right-hand man taking orders from him. In a straightforward film such as Alangu, which is about good versus evil, the scope for two antagonists and a sub-villain is limited. But then again, Alangu avoids some of the major pitfalls and cliches of the genre, such as excessive melodrama and repetition. Sakthivel effectively conveys the theme of violence and retribution through subtle symbolism, such as a character who is in immense pain after losing an arm, and consuming a heavy dose of a painkiller to seek revenge.
There is also a clever scene where a snake slithers harmlessly over the protagonists while hissing at a perpetrator who tries to break peace in the jungle. This scene helps ensure that the film conveys its cautionary tale message without overt sermonising. Despite a somewhat anticlimactic ending, Dharman’s final choice also remains consistent with his character.
The film’s primary strength lies in its central performances. Despite his limited screen time, the always reliable Kaali Venkat delivers a powerful scene or two that stay with you long after the end credits roll. Venkat’s ability to cry on cue is commendable. Appani Sarath also does some of his best work here as a man whose blood boils with rage with the mere consideration of revenge.
On the other hand, Sreerekha delivers the goods, whether it be in the rather melodramatic portions or in a more transformative avatar. Ultimately, however, the film belongs to Gunanidhi. For an actor without much experience, Gunanidhi shows admirable restraint as Dharman and embodies the vulnerability and quiet strength of his character as he faces overwhelming odds.
He summons up the right emotions wherever necessary and makes them all palpable, mostly through his expressions. Furthermore, Sakthivel effectively utilises the dog, particularly in scenes of violence and chaos or during moments of tenderness between Dharman and the animal, to ground the story emotionally and enhance relatability.
After all, there are some stories about man and his best friend that tug at our heartstrings with their simple premise itself, even if the novelty is more in the performances. Warts and all, Alangu is one such film.
Director: SP Sakthivel
Cast: Gunanidhi, Kaali Venkat, Appani Sarath, Chemban Vinod Jose, Sreerekha
Rating : 3/5