Actor Raghavendra Lawrence in Kanchana 2 Movie Stills
Raghava Lawrence is a self-indulgent performer. In Kanchana 2 – the third in the Muni franchise – he goes a little overboard at several junctures. The writer Raghava seems to have aimed at satiating the actor Raghava. He doesn’t worry about the run-time. He doesn’t give a lot of thought about those excruciatingly long scenes where he plays many avatars (from an old lady to a young child). And, he doesn’t worry about repeating his actors – most of them ordinary save for the hilarious Kovai Sarala and Sriman.
Or, perhaps, Ragava just chose to assume many responsibilities this time, seeing he is not supported by seasoned actors like Rajkiran and Sarathkumar, whose performances were memorable in the first two films.
*****
Taapsee is one of the surprises in Kanchana 2. Not a happy one, though. But the most bewildering addition is Suhasini. After hours of wrestling with my reasoning, I still can’t comprehend why Suhasini had to play that trivial a role.
*****
Comedy has always been the spine of the Muni franchise. The endearing, cowardly protagonist, who wants his mother to escort him to the loo, is a laugh riot. He is more special because he can laugh at himself, and can still instill terror an hour later.
Kanchana 2 has those amusing moments, too. However, a few homophobic jokes were way below the belt. The irony? This is the filmmaker who had earlier taken up the cause of transsexuals. In Kanchana.
And, that – just that – underscores how lax the writer Raghava has become. This time, he goes for mere entertainment.
Nothing beyond that.
*****
Another popular franchise in Tamil cinema that managed to fare decently is Pizza. Muni might have been the pioneer, but the variety that the Pizza franchise could offer is missing in the Muni films. I like the funny Raghava all right. However, the possessed man has become way too predictable.
Recommended
Also, Kanchana 2 doesn’t scare you out of your mind. Blame it on the mind-numbing drama in the second-half which makes thrill a thing of the past.
*****
Before the credits roll in the end, Raghava offers a sneak peek at Muni 4. Clearly, the actor is going to have a whale of a time in the next instalment as well. But I wish Raghava the writer would pause to introspect more. He seems shorn of his creativity.
*****
The Kanchana 2 review is a Silverscreen original article. It was not paid for or commissioned by anyone associated with the movie. Silverscreen.in and its writers do not have an advertising relationship with movies that are reviewed on the site.