Indian 2: Kamal's action and Shankar's grandeur hardly justify the long runtime 

It is common knowledge that 'Indian' released in 1996 attained cult status not in the history of Tamil cinema and remains one of the best works in the film journey of Kamal Haasan, Shankar and AR Rahman among others. The filmmaker gained the reputation as the biggest showman in the country due to his innovative use of technology backed by a solid screenplay co-written by the late Sujatha.  After 28 years the sequel 'Indian 2' hit the screens carrying sky high expectations. Lets see if the long in the making big ticket film has succeeded in recreating the magic of the original or not.

Chitra Aravindhan (Siddharth) and his friends Aarthi ( Priya Bhavani Shankar), Thambesh (Jagan) and Harish (Rishikanth) run a YouTube channel called 'Barking Dogs' that exposes rampant corruption in the society.  They face the wrath of those in power and are rendered helpless.  Chitra then feels that there is only one man who can clean the society of its evil and that is Senapathy from 1996.  He is confident that the over hundred year old vigilante is still alive and starts the hashtag #ComeBackINDIAN on social media.  It is then learnt that Senapathy in fact is alive and is residing in Taiwan and the centenarian, impressed by the youngsters, decides to return home.  How the 'Indian Thaatha' deals with the corrupt men and women and how he outwits his old enemies (the cops) is what the three hour tiring marathon is all about.

Kamal Haasan sadly has to deal with the hideous makeup and still emote with middling results.  It is his voice that reminds loyal Senapathy fans as to who he really is.  One should laud the Ulaganayagan's physical efforts in the high octane action sequences. Siddharth as the modern day crusader holds ground and so do Priya Bhavani Shankar, Jegan and Rishikanth who play his cronies.  All of them are effective in the scenes where they go against their families to uphold their values.  Rakul Preet Singh has too little screen time as Siddharth's love interest to make any impact while Samuthirakani stands tall as the hero's father with different shades to his character.  Bobby Simha is apt for the role of the relentless cop on the hunt for his family enemy Senapathy.  Its good to watch the late Vivek, Nedumudi Venu, Manobala and Marimuthu in their final appearances.  Among the rest of the cast Kalyani Natarajan as Siddharth's mother has done a neat job.

The main reason for the huge success of the first part of 'Indian' is that the film brought to light the pain of the common man through the petty corruption that takes place even in the nooks and crannies of the country. Especially the Manorama scene at the beginning of the film, followed by Senapati's entry, draws us in right from the start.   The first twenty minutes of 'Indian 2' is also in the same vein with the innovative campaigns of Siddharth and co drumming up the interest to a certain extent.  Senpathy's advice to the youth to first clean up their own families before taking on the society also produces a few engaging scenes especially the Samuthirakani and Renuka episodes.   The grand old man traps his enemies on a luxury yacht, a secret golden chamber and space simulation enclosure which are novel.  Production Designer T. Muthuraj deserves praise for those splendid sets.

The biggest flaw in 'Indian 2' is that unlike the original there are no aspects that  the audience can relate to.  Due to the seven year delay the issues that the film speaks about are all outdated.  Kamal mouthing long monologues listing the crimes of the big businessmen before killing them make the audience and not his victims beg for mercy.  Ditto for his moral lectures that seem even more shallow considering his recent political stand as well.  The Varma Kalai moves that turn one villain effeminate and the other a horse are more comical than impactful.  Similarly the long drawn scenes that have no relevance to the story and lengthy action sequence are mind numbing.  The logic loopholes are unforgivable even for this out and out masala fare especially the Thaatha hoodwinking a CBI battalion, hundreds of gangsters and thousands of common people chasing him baying for his blood.

Anirudh has tried to add strength to the film with his background music but he too would have been put off by the painfully long scenes.  The cinematography by Ravi Varman is the saving grace while its a rare miss for the legendary editor A. Sreekhar Prasad.   Lyca Productions Subaskaran has pumped in insane money into the film leaving no stone unturned to bring the director's vision on screen.  Red Giant Movies is also involved in the production..  The legendary Shankar may redeem this debacle with 'Indian 3' releasing in January 2025.  But it could also be the right time for him to revamp his writing team though his grandeur touch is still intact in the frames.

Verdict : Die hard Kamal and Shankar fans will take the grind and carry home the 'Indian 3' glimpse at the end that is promising.