Chandramukhi 2 – Clicks to an extent
Release Date : September 28, 2023Rating : 2.75/5
Starring: Raghava Lawrence, Kangana Ranaut, Vadivelu, Mahima Nambiar, Radhika Sarathkumar, Lakshmi Menon, Rao Ramesh, and others
Director: P. Vasu
Producer: Subhaskaran
Music Director: M.M. Keeravani
Cinematographer: R.D. Rajasekhar ISC
Editor: Anthony
Related Links : Trailer
Chandramukhi is one of the best-ever films made in the horror genre, and P. Vasu has now come up with its sequel, which is titled Chandramukhi 2. The sequel stars Raghava Lawrence and Kangana Ranaut in key roles. The movie has been promoted quite well and it has hit the big screens today. Let’s see how it is.
Story:
A wealthy family headed by Radhika Sarathkumar which has been going through a lot of issues is advised by Rao Ramesh to offer prayers to their family deity. The temple at which they need to conduct prayers is situated near Vettaiya’s palace. Basavaiah (Vadivelu), leases out that palace to Radhika’s family. But little do they know about Chandramukhi’s evil spirit’s presence in the palace. What challenges did Radhika’s family go through later? How is Madhan (Lawrence) related to Radhika’s family? What exactly does Chandramukhi’s spirit want? This is what Chandramukhi 2 is all about.
Plus Points:
National Award-winning actress Kangana Ranaut doesn’t disappoint a bit and she is in top form in the film. She fits the bill rightly as Chandramukhi and gave a stunning performance. Her screen presence is terrific and she looked ravishing. Her dance moves are stunning.
The good part about the film is that the backstory of Chandramukhi is polished. As Kangana played the titular role, the makers tweaked the original story. The drama in the second half is decent. Lawrence played the Vettaiyan role pretty well and he has shown a lot of conviction.
The action sequence that comes over the end between Kangana and Lawrence is superbly composed. Both Lawrence and Kangana showed solid intensity in this action set piece. A couple of emotional scenes came out well. Lakshmi Menon got a surprising role and she aced it.
Minus Points:
The major problem with Chandramukhi 2 is it hardly has any thrilling moments. Leave out the jump scares, the spooky environment which is the basic requirement for a horror movie is completely absent here. These are the elements one expects from a horror film, but they aren’t found in this sequel.
The focus was more on drama and this franchise fans will get disappointed as far as thrills are concerned. The whole first half is disjointed with some random scenes. Comedy was the USP of Chandramukhi, but here in Chandramukhi 2, it became a huge drawback.
Vadivelu’s character is cliched, and the outdated and over-the-top comedy irritates audiences heavily. If this wasn’t enough, the poorly written love track also acts against the film. It would have been a lot better had the original ‘Vaarai’ track been retained as the new version fails to pack a punch.
Except for a few changes in the backstory, the screenplay format is the same as the original. While the first part succeeds in building the tension, this sequel runs on a flat note without any sense of urgency. Many portions in the first half could have been chopped off.
Technical Aspects:
M.M. Keeravani tried to lift the film with his background score, but the writing department should be blamed for not being able to come up with thrilling scenes. The cinematography by Rajasekhar is fine. The set work is appreciable. The VFX portions are below par. The editing is also not up to the mark.
Coming to the director, P. Vasu, he just did an okay job with Chandramukhi 2. He embellished Chandramukhi’s backstory by adding some drama. He had a terrific performer like Kangana by his side, but the screenplay and silly comedy scenes in the first hour brought down the impact. Also, it is surprising to see the way the horror element is sidelined.
Verdict:
On the whole, Chandramukhi 2 works to an extent due to the second half which is better than the first half. The original story is slightly altered here. Kangana Ranaut steals the show with her performance and Lawrence also leaves his mark in the king role. But the film doesn’t have the thrilling moments one expects from a horror flick. The silly comedy and the first half are the main drawbacks. Chandramukhi 2 isn’t a bad film and at the same time, it isn’t a memorable one like the first part. Hence it will end up being a just okay watch.
Rating: 2.75/5