'Chandramukhi 2', the sequel to 'Chandramukhi' (2005), hit the screens this Thursday. Director P Vasu recently indicated that the film could be called 'Chandramukhi 3' if 'Nagavalli' (2010) is taken into consideration. Leaving the complex job of numericals to his imagination, let's find out what is in store in the latest release.
Plot:
Centuries ago, a palace dancer named Chandramukhi (Kangana Ranaut) was in love with Gunasekharan, a common man in a kingdom somewhere in today's Tamil Nadu. During an expedition, Vettaiyan Raja fell in love with her at first sight. When she fell in danger, his lieutenant (played by Raghava Lawrence) saved her. What transpired back then comes back to haunt a joint family living in a mansion in the present.
Chandramukhi is provoked to make a return and finish her unfinished agenda of eliminating the assassin of her lover. Her vengeance traps a woman from the joint family. How a young man (played by Raghava Lawrence) known to the family saves them is what the film is about.
Performances:
Both Raghava Lawrence and Kangana Ranaut were expected to portray equally important roles. They do have equally consequential roles. However, the screentime of the latter is far less. Lawrence is seen doing comedy and playing that good-natured guardian to two orphans. In the flashback, he gets to play a grey role.
Vadivelu, Mahima Nambiar, Srushti Dange, Rao Ramesh, and Radhika Sarathkumar are seen in roles that are modelled after what we saw in 'Chandramukhi' a good seventeen years ago. For that matter, everyone in the film has a role with a predictable parallel to the old movie.
Technical Departments:
MM Keeravani's background music and RD Rajasekar's cinematography leave the film high and dry. Lyca Productions seems to have left art director Thota Tharrani to fend for himself. The lack of effort to mount a visually pleasing (let alone grandiose) product is appalling.
Perhaps, the film's Editor was asked to watch the 2005 movie before sitting at the edit table. He was asked to remove any scene that didn't remind the audience of the 2005 movie.
Merits:
The nostalgia factor is the only element that might work in favour of the film. While the opening-day collections are poor in the Telugu States, many audience members will watch the film on OTT and TV. It's not a masterstroke to revive the 'Chandramukhi' nostalgia, but let's give a pat on the back of director P Vasu for persisting with the franchise with unreal passion. Most other filmmakers would have gotten tired after letting Chandramukhi live rent-free in their minds for nearly 20 years.
Demerits:
Stale narration.
Sickeningly unoriginal.
Primitive VFX. The snake, the owl, the panther - nothing looks real.
The flashback episodes are bland and overlong.
The climax doesn't pack a punch.
Dull costumes and duller atmospherics.
Vox Verdict:
There is a ghost in 'Chandramukhi 2'. It is the ghost of 'Chandramukhi'. This ghost was never welcomed by the audience. The sequel is supremely predictable, uniformly stale, and occasionally frustrating.
Rating: 1.75 / 5
