Indian 2 Review: Kamal Haasan’s Vigilante Returns With More Grandeur
Indian 2 Review: Kamal Haasan is back as Senapathy in Shankar’s Indian 2 (Hindustani 2 in Hindi), battling corruption on a national scale. This time, the culprits include corporate leaders, government officials, and business tycoons. Director Shankar leaves no stone unturned in presenting his famed extravaganza, continuing the vigilante themes. Besides the grandeur, issues, and use of technology, Kamal Haasan‘s unparalleled ability for experimentation elevates the film; however, the music feels like a mere extension of Anirudh‘s past work, lacking the magic AR Rahman brought to Indian (1996).
The main character of Indian 2 is not just Kamal Haasan, but the issues faced by the common man. Shankar’s story and screenplay, along with effective dialogues by B. Jeyamohan, Kabilan Vairamuthu, and Lakshmi Saravana Kumar, highlight problems like corruption in education, public health, job creation, politics, and the failure of the system. The collusion of all these elements makes the common man’s life miserable, and the film brings these issues to the forefront effectively.
(Spoilers ahead) When curtain raises, Indian 2 reveals to where Senapathy left for as the first part ended and you will get to know that he was in Taipei, where he kicks off violent endeavours starting with killing a fugitive Indian who looks almost similar to a certain businessman who is also known as ‘King of good times’.
From where, he comes back to India after a group of young Tamilians demand his return and then goes on rampage taking down the bad guys in his fight against corruption.
The movie however fails to meet the expectations of the a normal Kamal Haasan fan or Shankar fan as it goes on to the zone of predictability from the beginning. The movie evades this factor only when it approaches the end credits and when the viewer gets to know that Shankar made the second part, so that he can go for another edition of Indian, with Indian 3. But, interestingly, as we see it in the trailer, Indian 3 seems more promising with more action from pre-independence era and from the present day as Senapathy is in the hands of law finally.
Indian 2 is being added to the long list Tamil vigilante movies those often showcase an individual taking the law into their own hands to combat corruption, crime, and injustice, resonating deeply with audiences. Movies, starting with iconic vigilante Baasha (1995) starring Rajinikanth, then Indian (1996) directed by Shankar and featuring Kamal Haasan in dual roles and Shankar’s own Anniyan (2005) starring Vikram, have been exploring the theme with a protagonist transforms into a feared vigilante to avenge tragedies inflicted upon them by the system. In recent years, like Thani Oruvan (2015), Vikram Vedha (2017) and Jawan (2023) have also delved into this genre. Indian 2, in fact, does not carry anything to match these vigilante movies in the form of story or presentation. Because, the predictability factor either kills your enjoyment or prolong your entertainment.
In Indian 2, Shakar loses his touch of presenting you a movie with their gripping narratives and strong moral undertones. He discontinues to captivate you as a viewer, but, make sure that the movie in a way reflects the ongoing struggle for justice and integrity in society.
Like Anbe Sivam (2003), in which Kamal delves into themes of social justice and humanism, portraying liberation through compassion or Vishwaroopam (2013) where he features a protagonist fighting terrorism, emphasizing personal and national liberation or Thevar Magan (1992) in which he examines social liberation and conflict resolution within rural dynamics, the Ulaganayakan has tried to blend intense storytelling with profound messages, addressing societal issues and advocating for justice, equality, and freedom, by portraying his character as catalyst for change in Indian 2 as well.
The supporting cast with Siddharth as Chitra Aravindhan, Bobby Simha as CBI officer Pramod, Priya Bhavani Shankar as Aarthi, Samuthirakani as Varadharajan among others have done a decent job.
Compared to his previous works, director Shankar, who is known for his pioneering use of advanced technology in Tamil cinema, setting new benchmarks in visual storytelling, has used minimal VFX or technology in this movie compared to films like Jeans (1998), Boys (2003), Enthiran” (2010) and its sequel 2.0 (2018) where he employed cutting-edge visual effects, animatronics, and state-of-the-art CGI to create stunningly realistic visuals and futuristic settings. However, bringing Vivek and Nedumudi Venu back the screen is effective and good watch as the talented actors return.
The makeup department has excelled in the movie with remarkable prosthetics, transforming lead actor Kamal Haasan into Indian, like the previous edition.
Timeline verdict: Indian 2 is not about Indian 2, but its about what is going to happen in Indian 3. So, you may wait till the third edition comes or take a risk.
