Indian 2 Review: Promising intentions fall short in sequel

Shankar’s ‘Indian 2’ entirely runs on this spirit, where the film aims to deliver heavy-handed political commentary on issues such as corruption, healthcare, and education.

Hyderabad: Remember when Senapathy’s (Kamal Haasan) wife in Shankar’s ‘Indian’ (1996) poignantly questions his decision to kill his own son – turning his fight against the British to his loved ones for wrongdoings?

Shankar’s ‘Indian 2’ entirely runs on this spirit, where the film aims to deliver heavy-handed political commentary on issues such as corruption, healthcare, and education.

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The film questions if the individuals have the strength to choose between justice and their loved ones, emphasizing the need to cleanse one’s home for a better society, and delves into the repercussions of those choices.

‘Indian 2’ had all the good intentions, actors, a saleable story, and the iconic Kamal Haasan’s ‘Senapathy’, however, good intentions doesn’t always translate into good cinema.

‘Indian 2’ begins with a reformist YouTube channel called ‘Barking Dogs,’ a team of four earnest, enthusiastic, and politically naive youth, led by Siddharth’s Chitra Aravindan. The channel uses VFX animation featuring RK Laxman’s cartoon character ‘The Common Man’ to question the injustices around.

Overwhelmed by the pervasive corruption, they launch a ‘ComeBackIndian’ hashtag that trends worldwide, prompting Senapathy to return to India from Taipei, where he has been teaching martial arts to children.

Now, likely over 100 years old, Senapathy continues to fight corruption with his ‘handgun’ (Varma kalai) and impassioned speeches.

He transforms into a social media crusader, rallying the youth to expel the corrupt. However, when ‘Indian thatha’ instructs these young people to clean up their own houses before tackling the world, everything backfires.

The film explores the fickleness of social media and the complexities of living with corrupt yet loving parents with some degree of effort.

While Shankar addresses societal issues in ‘Indian 2,’ he neglects the core of the ‘Indian’ theme with his weak script, over-written scenes, and mockery of Senapathy’s personality.

The sequel is filled with “eat-the-rich” scenes, caricaturing familiar figures like Vijay Mallya.

Everyone is corrupt in the film except Senapathy and a few naive youths— rich people are portrayed as beyond redemption, and the middle class is depicted as corrupt for their children’s sake.

However, these exaggerated sequences lack entertainment value and feel repetitive, reminiscent of earlier Shankar films.

Despite some heart-wrenching scenes, the emotional moments fail to leave a lasting impact.

The first half is filled with lengthy scenes that serve as mere fillers and add little relevance— like ‘The Calender’ song.”

Siddharth stands out in a few moments, particularly in his confrontation with Haasan, who succeeds in conveying power through his eyes despite being hindered by cakey makeup.

Although Indian 2 fails to meet audience expectations, it concludes with a teaser trailer for Indian 3.

This upcoming film appears promising as it delves into Senapathi’s life before India’s independence, suggesting a potentially more engaging story-line than the current film.

 

Director: S Shankar
Cast: Kamal Haasan, Siddharth, SJ Suryah, Rakul Preet Singh, Priya Bhavani Shankar
Duration: 150 mins