Oh boy, Shankar’s back with “Indian 2,” and guess who’s joining the party? Our favorite centenarian vigilante, Senapathi, played by none other than the actor par excellence, Kamal Haasan! But before you rush to the theaters, let’s take a moment to dissect this much-anticipated sequel.
Remember the good old days of “Indian” (1996)? Well, it’s 2024 now, and Senapathi’s still kicking… and killing. But this time, he’s got a new mission: inspiring India’s youth to expose corruption in their own homes. Talk about family drama!
The premise? Solid as a rock. The execution? Well, let’s just say it’s as focused as a centenarian in a Gen Z rave party. Shankar serves up his signature dish of anti-corruption lectures, but it’s a recipe we’ve tasted too many times before. The film spends most of its seemingly endless three-hour runtime (yes, you read that right) jumping from one generic scene to another, leaving us wondering if we’re watching a Kamal-Shankar movie or a Diwali Pattimandram.
The gut wrenching thing about ‘Indian 2’ is the dismal makeup that Kamal dons as Senapathy. 28 years back with lack of modern technology it was nailed a hundred times better than this. The result of this is that for the first time ever the Ulaganayagan seems to be completely out of touch with the world class histrionics that he possesses. The star-studded cast, with the exception of Siddharth and Bobby Simha come and go faster than you can say “Corruption” This includes the girls Rakul Preet Singh and Priya Bhavani Shankar. It’s like watching a game of celebrity whack-a-mole! There are four stars namely Vivek, Nedumudi Venu, Manobala and Marimuthu who passed away since, calling attention to the seven years in the making. And let’s not forget the action sequences. Remember when Varma-kalai was cool? Now it’s reduced to making corrupt businessmen gallop like horses and turning effeminates. We wish we were kidding, folks. Logic is thrown to the winds and there are lip sync issues as well.
But wait, is there no hope at all! The film does start on an interesting note with Siddharth and Co’s ‘Barking Dogs’ YouTube channel coming up with innovative videos with Guru Somasundaram in a cartoon avatar as the Common Man. Kamal is in his elements in the action sequences that includes a space simulation fight and an interesting but overlong chase sequence on a one wheel bike. The clean your house first before taking the vacuum cleaner to the streets message is a much needed one.
A lot is said in social media about Anirudh’s music in ‘Indian 2’ but what could the youth icon do with such uninspiring visuals. The legendary A. Sreekhar Prasad for some unknown reason forgot to use the scissors key on his editing software like from start to finish. Ravi Varman on the other hand has done his best to capture the sequences in every which way angles that he or Shankar can think of.
In true Shankar style, “Indian 2” tries to be a spectacle, but ends up feeling more like a trailer for “Indian 3.” Yes, you heard that right – there’s more coming. Because apparently, we haven’t learned our lesson about corruption yet.
So, should you watch “Indian 2”? If you’re a die-hard Kamal Haasan fan or enjoy your vigilante justice served with a side of repetitive lectures, then sure, go for it. Just remember to bring a cushion – your backside will thank you after three hours.
In the end, “Indian 2” proves that even a 100-year-old vigilante can’t clean up India in one go. Maybe third time’s the charm? We’ll have to wait and see. Until then, stay corrupt… I mean, stay tuned!