04 December,2025 04:21 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
Still from Avatar Fire and Ash
As James Cameron prepares to unveil the next chapter of his monumental Avatar saga, global anticipation continues to surge. Fans around the world are waiting to return to Pandora, eager to see how its cultures, conflicts and clans evolve in Avatar: Fire and Ash. One of the most intriguing additions is Varang, the formidable new leader from the Fire Clan, brought to life by Oona Chaplin.
For Oona Chaplin, Varang was never a one-note antagonist. Instead, she approached her as a woman driven by trauma, separation and an unwavering sense of principle. "I never saw her as a villain, and I don't think you say that as well, you're not the villain, you know, it's a little complicated, but I think both of these characters are also very principled."
"For me, you know, it was a great revelation to have the conversations with Jim around this theme where she tells a little bit about her biography, her kind of origin story, why she is the way she is. And it struck me as like she's actually a very human character, because the depth of trauma that comes from the separation from the connection to nature, which, you know, everybody here understands what that feels like, even if we've forgotten even what that feels like, but, you know, all of that, that disconnection breeds conflict."
Chaplin explains that this disconnection shapes Varang's entire worldview. "It's the source of all conflict, really, is separation, and thinking that you're somehow other. And so that route, I was like, that's so easy to connect with, and that's so actually very, very smart to put in Pandora, because it shows us that these themes are universal, you know, that you can go to some far off moon and ...and see the repercussions of pain that has not healed."
"You know, of holding onto anger that comes from a deep, deep grief, that is only perpetuating itself because, you know, she just charges towards the things that make her afraid. You know, she's got the right idea. She's got to address the things that make her afraid."
"In a perfect role, she would go over to them and address them with the intention of healing, but she just wants to destroy them. So that makes her a villain, I guess. But I have a lot of respect for Varang. I think she's a fantastic leader. She's really the hero of her people."
"She brought them back and gave them a new direction and orientation in their lives and in their society. And she's reinventing the whole way to be on this moon. You know, she's found out a whole new religion, a whole new system of power, and a whole new relationship with the sky people. She's a revolutionary," she concluded.
Varang's arrival expands Pandora's cultural landscape, introducing a clan forged in flame, discipline and spiritual reinvention.
It is the third instalment in the renowned Avatar franchise, coming after Avatar: The Way of Water and the original 2009 blockbuster Avatar. It promises to delve into darker and more emotionally complex narratives, as it takes over the saga's tradition of pushing cinematic boundaries.
The newly released two-minute-and-25-second trailer gives fans a glimpse of a full-blown war in Pandora. Neytiri (Zoe Saldana) is heard saying, "The strength of the ancestors is here," as she sets the tone for the epic narrative.
On the other hand, the tension rises as the trailer then shifts focus to Jake Sully (Sam Worthington), who faces an internal struggle amidst the onset of war. In a crucial moment, Jake states, "You cannot live like this, baby-in hate," highlighting the film's exploration of themes such as vengeance, healing, destruction, and survival. It also shows that the war is being fought on all fronts - on land, sea, and sky.
Avatar: Fire and Ash will release in Indian theatres on 19th December in English, Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, and Malayalam.
