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Actor Daniel Caltagirone on his latest act in the film ‘Thangalaan’
Pa Ranjith’s latest theatrical release Thangalaan, starring Chiyaan Vikram, is creating ripples across the nation for its hard-hitting account of exploitation and oppression. English actor Daniel Caltagirone, known for his roles in Oscar winner film The Pianist, Angelina Joliet starrer Tomb Raider – The Cradle of Life, Shekhar Kapur’s The Four Feathers, The Beach and iconic shows Friends and Tudors among others, is also a part of Thangalaan, We speak with the actor about the same.
Tell us about your role. What attracted you to role?
My role is of a former high-ranking army officer (Lord Clement) who comes to KGF in search of Gold. He is a good man, who just wants to secure his family’s future. He hires Thangalaan (Vikram) and the village. Unfortunately, in that desire to find gold he ends up slowly losing himself. What is interesting is that Vikram’s character and mine are two sides of the same coin. We both want to have better lives and will do anything to have it. We reflect each other.
How did you prepare for the role?
I did research into KGF and the era of colonialism. It was important to understand the world of my character. I also had to think about Clement’s physicality. He needed to have a powerful presence. I came up with the idea of making him heavier and I put on weight for that. The problem was losing the weight after a year!
How was it working with Chiyaan?
He is my brother, simple. We had an amazing working relationship and became very good friends as time went on. Vikram is a fantastic actor who works very hard. We understood each other implicitly which meant that we could push our characters knowing that we had each other’s support.
How was the experience with Ranjith?
Ranjith is an extraordinary film maker who trusted me as I trusted him. He never stops. He is full of energy, so he only hires actors that reflect his working practices.
What inspires you?
Talent and life.
How do you grow yourself as an actor?
I was fortunate enough to meet the legendary Hollywood actor Elliot Gould once.
When I asked him for advice as I was a young actor at the time, he responded, “Always be humble. From there everything else will come”. I never forgot it.
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Any filmmaker you want to work with?
There are quite a few including Karan Johar, Zoya Akhtar, Farhan Akhtar, Anurag Kashyap and SS Rajamouli.