Rating: 1.5 stars out of 5
When director P. Vasu remade the Malayalam hit film ‘Manichitrathazhu’ (1993) with Rajinikanth, Jyotika, and others in 2005, no one expected it to turn into the blockbuster it became. The superb acting performances by Rajinikanth and Jyotika, along with the ensemble cast, made the film a classic.
Fast forward to 2023, and director P. Vasu has created a sequel to that film, starring Rajinikanth’s ardent fan, Raghava Lawrence, and Kangana Ranaut, who steps into the shoes of Chandramukhi. Actor Raghava Lawrence has many horror comedies under his belt, and he adds one more with ‘Chandramukhi 2.’ Like the previous one, this film is filled with drama, comedy, and horror in abundance, but sadly, it’s forgettable.
Radhika Sarathkumar and her entire family come to Vettaiyapuram palace to perform pacifying rituals for their ancestral deity as the family is plagued by problems.
Pandian (Raghava Lawrence) is the guardian of two children and he joins this family in the Vettaiyapuram palace. The children belong to Radhika Sarathkumar’s daughter who has an inter-caste marriage and dies in an accident with her husband. The family struggles to accept the children and eventually do. Meanwhile, the Vettaiyapuram palace is possessed by Chandramukhi says the owner (Vadivelu). And suddenly Chandramukhi comes to life through someone in the family. What ensues when the family tries to perform the pooja forms the rest of the story. Chandramukhi 2 is not a patch on Chandramukhi that came out 17 years ago. The silly comedy, low-level humour and non-spooky moments are disappointing. In fact, the movie leans more towards random humour than horror. Comedian Vadivelu, who delivered a brilliant performance with Maamanan recently, is given a substandard role here. Lakshmi Menon does a good job though. National Award-winner Kangana Ranaut is a delight in the cameo but sadly, she can’t save the film. The second half is much more tolerable than the second half thanks to her.
Chandramukhi 2 caters mainly to the Tamil audience so the Hindi version of the film might not find too many takers despite Kangana Ranaut’s presence. One must add that Oscar-winner MM Keeravaani’s BGM is fine but the songs are quite average.
Did director P Vasu really need to touch this classic? No. The writing is shoddy in Chandramukhi 2 and that’s its major downfall. Unless there is a brilliant storyline and gripping screenplay, don’t touch a classic would be the lesson.
