Movie Review : Indian 2
Thambesh ( Jagan), Chitra Aravindan (Siddharth) Arathi ( Priya Bhavani Shankar) and Harish ( Rishi) run a You Tube channel called Barking Dogs, which showcases corruption at various levels.
When this group finds corruption increasing by leaps and bounds even leading to suicide and highhandedness by authorities , they start a campaign to bring back Indian thatha who they believe is the only saviour who can weed out corruption in society.
Their social media campaign succeeds in bringing Senapathy ( Kamalhaasan) to India from Taiwan where he is spotted. But a CBI team led by Pramod ( Bobby Simha) gets wind of his return and is determined to nab him.
In the meanwhile Senapathy is on a killing spree, snuffing out the lives of corrupt tycoons and bureaucrats across India. He urges youth to clean out the system by reporting corruption wherever it may be, even within the family. Many youngsters take his words seriously, including the Barking Dogs team.
When Senapathy finally arrives in Chennai to meet the barking dogs team, what happens next? Does Senapathi succeed in his mission? Does the Barking Dogs team achieve its goal? Does Pramod capture Senapathy?
Shankar is back with a theme he is adept at handling, namely, showing a mirror to society to cleanse it by making people mend their ways. Via the charactor of Senapathy, the film highlights the corruption across various parts of the country, in a wide range of issues connected to the common man. From student loan scams and loan sharks, absconding corrupt businessmen, small traders, corrupt government officials, corporates, land developers, and scamsters, to illegal mining, recruitment scams for government jobs, unqualified doctors and scholarship scams, right from the small traders to the biggest fish high up the ladder, Shankar underlines every kind of greed in people.
Kamal Haasan as Senapathy is undoubtedly the highlight and keeps you glued to the screen especially with the various varmam sequences (be it on the yatcht, in the gold filled vault or the space journey module). Though some of the action blocks do seem to stretch a bit longer and could have done with some editing , the grandly made pre -climax chase and action sequence on the roads and in the glass factory are to watch out for, though again, a tad lengthy. Kamal's various get-ups dont disappoint and he nails every look with panache. Thatha is back and the sequences using social media and latest gizmos, give the story a contemporary touch.
Siddharth, Rakul Preet, Priya Bhavani Shankar Bobby Simha and all the other actors shine in their roles. The presence of the late Vivek and Manobala adds to the film and also reminds us of the gems that cinema has lost. All the supporting cast have been well cast.
The stunt team deserves special kudos, as does Ravi Varman's camera work and Anirudh's bgm and songs.
On the flip side, the length at 180.04 minutes could have been trimmed a bit, to tackle the lags that seem to arise with corruption issues scenes that seem a tad repetitive after a while.
There is high drama and emotion in several places, but an emotional connect is tough to establish with various characters,perhaps largely due to the fast pace of the narrative.
The art department comes in for praise at the various scenes filled with trademark Shankar grandeur. The calendar song, filmed aesthetically is a case in point.
SJ Suryah's presence seems limited but hopefully will be explored more in part 3 the lead of which comes after the end credits roll.
Overall the film is a clean family entertainer with action and emotions galore, Kamal Haasan in full form with the varma kalai adding to the mystique, a range of contemporary issues that touch daily lives of millions, all showcased in a grand manner with Shankar's trademark flourish.
Rating 3/ 5
