'Chandramukhi 2' a failed attempt in treading path of nostalgia

Chandramukhi 2 is a scruffy attempt at becoming a sequel to the parent movie, Chandramukhi (2005), which starred Rajinikanth and Jyothika in the lead. The plotline heavily confuses itself and fails to stand alone in either genres, as a horror or a psychological thriller.

The first movie, despite being commercially inclined, managed to sustain a balance between the two. The psychological issues of Ganga helped thicken the paranormal activities that happened in the palace. The latest release starring Raghava Lawrence, Kangana Ranaut and Lakshmi Menon in the lead comes across as an indolent project, which did not bother to rectify the plotholes or labour in characterising saturated drama/action/comedy scenes.

The movie is a multi-starrer where we get to see Raadhika Sarathkumar, Vadivelu, Y G Mahendra, Rao Ramesh and Suresh Chandra Menon along with the leading actors. The first half of the movie revolves a lot around establishing Lawrence as the hero which could have been minimised. It is only in the second half of the movie that Lawrence gets the opportunity to exhibit his talent as a nifty actor. His ability to establish Sengotteyan as a powerful character is impressive.

Kangana Ranaut too manages to deliver a decent performance as Chandramukhi, despite the dull dialogues and inadequacies in the recreation of a past era. Vadivelu’s presence, on the other hand, appears as a desperate effort to highlight the nostalgia, which falls flat after a point. Yet, his performance as an actor is decently executed. Lakshmi Menon, who plays one of the central characters, delivers a convincing performance as one who is possessed.

The screen time does not dwell too much on other characters, thereby limiting their performances. Overall, Chandramukhi 2 does not convince as an absolute entertainer.