The sequel to the popular Kannada film KGF was likely to hit the screens this year but due to the pandemic, the release has been postponed. During the release of the first part, there were many reports that the film might be inspired by the notorious criminal Thangam.
Thangam was killed in a police encounter in the year 1997. At the time, he was considered to be the second fiddle to smuggler Veerappan in terms of popularity. He was also called Veerappan Junior. As per a report in India Today, he had 42 offenses in his name days before he was shot dead. After the release of the first part, the family of Thangam filed a petition to stay the shooting of the second part as they felt Thangam was portrayed in a negative light. However, the director of the film, Prashanth Neel had denied any such rumors.
Two days before his death, on December 2nd, 1997, Thangam had robbed jewelry worth Rs. 1.5 lakh. Thangam enjoyed the support of the locals in the KGF area. He was considered a ‘Robin Hood’ by the locals. As per the sources, the robbery was considered as an embarrassment for the KGF police. On that day, a shoot at sight orders was given. At the time of his death, Thangam was only 25 years old.
The Similarities
In the film KGF, the character Rocky was inspired by his mother. In real life, Pauli, Thangam’s mother, was a strong figure in Thangam’s life so much so that his gang was called ‘Pauli’s Gang’.
In another scene in the film, the Prime Minister of India orders Rocky to be behind the bars. It is quite similar to the incident where the order of shoot at sight against Thangam was given. The characters in the film like Adheera, Garuda, Suryavardhan, and others might have been inspired by the real gangsters who ruled KGF.
Like how Rocky enjoys the support of locals once he lands in the Kolar Gold Fields, Thangam too enjoyed the massive support of the locals even as he faced serious charges against him. There is a report that Thangam’s family worked in the mines too. While there aren’t many similarities between the KGF and Thangam’s life, Thangam’s real-life story is worth telling on the big screen.
Source: The Newsminute
