'Indian Cinema Will Crush Hollywood,' Says British Actor Daniel Caltagirone

"Indian Cinema is on the verge of becoming the biggest film industry in the world. It is on the verge of crushing Hollywood, says British actor Daniel Caltagirone. The actor recently made his Indian film debut in Pa Ranjith's Tamil period drama, "Thangalaan".

Even as the Indian film industry grapples with low box office returns, Daniel Caltagirone says the fact that there still exists a cinema-going audience is a big plus, in comparison to Hollywood which has gradually lost its touch in making epic.

"You still have a cinema-going public, and that's very important. In the West apart from the occasional Top Gun, all we do is stream. We have lost the big epic movies such as RRR, and the SS Rajamouli type of movies. People took to that film because of its scale, vibrant soundtrack, colours and character, insane action sequences, with a nice story at its core. We've lost that in the West because we kind of stopped going to the cinema, he says. But, it comes with a caveat. According to Daniel, it is the lack of international themes which tends to restrict the global reach of the audience.

"The one thing that is missing is if you look at Indian cinema as a whole, is it lacks international themes in their storylines. Yes, the focus is on India-centric stories, and characters which is fantastic for the Indian going public, but at large, it discounts maybe a lot of your international market. So, it would be great if Indian directors hire international actors to come in, and not play, just the colonialist, but a love interest, or something more substantial, it would be great," says the actor.

That's exactly what his collaboration with Pa Ranjith has given Daniel Caltagirone. The actor whose resume includes credits such as "The Pianist", Lara Croft: The Tomb Raider", and Legionnaire, says he was initially hesitant to sign up for "Thangalaan", fearing a stereotypical portrayal of foreigners before him in several Indian films. "However much I loved RRR, what I didn't like at all was the portrayal of the British character in the film. There were some actors there that were not British and were pretending to be British, and that came through."

On the other hand is all praise for Thangalaan director Pa Ranjith, for being meticulous in his casting. "He was straightforward with me. He told me I was being signed up because neither was I an amateur nor did he want a cliched British Army officer in my character Clement. He wanted me as the mirror image of Chiyaan Vikram's Thangalaan in the film recalls Daniel Caltagirone.

Two years in the making Pa Ranjith's Thangalaan brings to life the much-loved folk tale tribal leader Thangalaan, who is regarded as the savior of his people, and his village's fortunes. The movie, like Pa Ranjith's previous works Madras, Kabali, and Sarpatta Parambarai addresses societal issues, oppression and the search for identity. Since its release on August 15, Thangalan has steadily maintained its hold at the box office, inching towards₹ 100 Crore mark. Daniel confesses the film gave him ample scope for performance.

" You have not seen British characters portrayed the way Clement has been. There is a lot in terms of Interaction with one another. There were a lot of subtle things I did as well as physical, but what drew me in was the way the story and character was pitched to me."

Describing his collaboration with Pa Ranjith and Chaayan Vikram as enriching Daniel Caltagirone says "Pa Ranjith's grammar as a filmmaker even within the Indian context is very different, from those who have made epic sagas like this one. Chayaan Vikram, is a chameleon, a power ranger. He brings his own story and energy to the set. He gives everything to the role, and in many ways, in him, I found a soulmate, as we understood each other as artists, and it's very rare to find a team like this."

Calling his first Tamil film experience an incredible journey, Daniel hopes that Thangalaan sets the template for the way foreigners are portrayed in Indian films.