Indian 2 Movie Review: Kamal Haasan becomes the saving grace in a half-baked screenplay with great concept and story | PINKVILLA

Kamal Haasan has finally arrived on the big screens with his much-awaited movie, Indian 2 directed by Shankar. The film marks the second installment in the Indian film series, serving as the sequel to the 1996 cult classic Indian.

Besides Ulaganayagan in the lead role, the movie also has actors Siddharth, S. J. Suryah, Rakul Preet Singh, Bobby Simha, Vivek, Priya Bhavani Shankar, Gulshan Grover, and many more in key roles. Additionally, the film also has Anirudh Ravichander helming the musical tracks and scores with certain scores by AR Rahman from the first part to be reused.

If you are planning to watch the Kamal Haasan movie in theaters near you, check out the Pinkvilla movie review of Indian 2 before you go!

The Plot of Indian 2

The story of Indian 2 starts in modern-day India where the people and society have once again dwindled down to their corrupt practices, creating a distress-filled land for the common people. Focusing on a group of youngsters who run a YouTube channel called Barking Dogs, the film showcases how the youth want to make India a better place.

However, despite having been effective with their voices and generating immense following on social media platforms, corruption only continues to rise. Now, going on the whims of their intuition, the group decides to start a trend on social networks, with “#ComeBackIndian.”

The rest of the film focuses on how Indian returns to his vigilante activities but this time issuing a two-track mission called Zero Tolerance.

The Good

Indian 2 features a high concept and a pan-Indian level threat that must be thwarted by Senapathy aka Indian with his vigilante methods and adept skills. The film’s biggest takeaway is seeing Kamal Haasan once again donning the iconic role and teaching everybody a lesson with his martial arts skill called Varma Kalai.

Besides Haasan, the only actor who managed to stand out as impressive and noteworthy was Siddharth who managed to be a saving grace in various instances. Coming to the story’s perspective, Indian 2 grasps onto openly abash modern-day social issues that are evident in various sectors of the country, even today.

Many instances that were used in the film were either inspirations of real-life tales we have heard from newspapers. This is where the comprehensive story manages to connect with the audience, making its way into a more technologically driven section of society. 

The reflection on the ways of corruption creeping into various sectors was intricately crafted with us wanting to root for Indian and hope that one day the nation is rid of such heinous practices. Moreover, the films also featured the hypocritical nature of human beings in a day-to-day manner and how mob psychology kicks in whenever they suit it useful for themselves.

Moving ahead, the technical aspects of the film that served brilliantly in the movie were the grand visuals, production design, VFX, and the editing of the film. Despite having a dragged-out screenplay, the technicians like cinematographers Ravi Varman and R. Rathnavelu, editor Sreekar Prasad, and production designer T. Muthuraj.

Moreover, the songs and background scores by Anirudh Ravichander were thrilling and emotional in places. However, the themes by AR Rahman reused from the first installment stood out more prominently, making us nostalgic for the impact the former has on everyone.

The Bad

Indian 2 despite having a magnificent concept and huge star cast, falters in its ways due to a half-baked and outdated style of narration by Shankar. The ace director did not manage to capitalize on the vigilante trope and establish a well-rounded connection with the audience.

Even though the film started off in an exciting manner with the set-up for Indian’s arrival being more and more grander, the first half saw some sheepishly crafted sequences that only extended the viewing time and not the story, leaving our patience being tested.

In the second half, which is conveniently better out of the two halves, the movie still did not manage to create a euphoric feel towards the story or the lead character. The film also leaves several questions unanswered which may or may not be addressed in the third installment.

Moreover, the cat-and-mouse chase between Senapathy and the CBI still leaves behind a distasteful effect. What makes the film more annoying are the haphazard and amateurish dialogues. They do not even come close to the prominence of the first installment, written by the late Sujatha.

The half-baked screenplay of the movie would have been saved if only it wasn’t decided as a two-parter. Besides, the whole movie simply remains the catalyst that bridges the first and the third movie together.

The Performance

Kamal Haasan is undoubtedly the saving grace of the entire film. The movie strongly benefits from Ulaganayagan’s image from the first half itself. On the other hand, Siddharth played the role of Chitra Aravindan, the person who was the admin of the creative work.

However, no other actors including Rakul Preet Singh and SJ Surayah managed to exhibit their prominence in the film. Moreover, the movie also had actors Piyush Mishra and Gulshan Grover in minor roles, making us question their significance.

Despite all the other actors doing their best bid for the film, actress Priya Bhavani Shankar did not manage to appeal with her portrayal in the movie due to her stoic performance.

The Verdict

Kamala Haasan starrer Indian 2 is still an entertaining film that suffers from quite some pros and cons. The film trying to appeal to a younger audience seems to do random things for the sake of being meta. However, the true essence of the movie still has the potential to be uncovered, especially with the next installment.

Moreover, director Shankar’s use of vigilantism and the two-sided nature people have towards such heroes is commendable. In short, the film is a good watch for those who love socially just movies and is also essential for the direct sequel that also presents a historic origin for Senapathy.

PS. Those who decide to watch the film in theaters near you should stick around after the credits to see the trailer of Indian 3: War Mode, set to release in 2025.

Check out the trailer of Indian 2:

Comment down what you felt about Kamal Haasan starrer Indian 2, directed by Shankar.