Chandramukhi 2 review: A perfect mix of old and new

Director P Vasu, who is known for making wholesome family entertainers, succeeds in delivering an entertaining and enjoyable sequel to a hugely successful blockbuster.

In Chandramukhi 2, Vasu comes up with a plot that has factors that are common with the first part and factors that are completely and refreshingly new.

He cleverly retains some aspects that worked well in Chandramukhi and looks to experiment with others in the sequel.

Synopsis

Ranganayaki (Radhika Sarathkumar), the matriarch of a rich and powerful business family, is troubled after a mill that the family owns is gutted by fire.

When she turns for spiritual advice, she is told that she must visit her ancestral temple with her family and perform rituals before lighting a lamp at the temple to ward off the evil effects.

Ranganayaki’s family — including her daughter, brothers, and their families — arrive at a palatial mansion close to the place where the temple is located. They intend to stay there until the rituals are completed.

Simultaneously, Ranganayaki’s grandchildren — through one of her daughters who went against the wishes of the family and married a man from another religion — are brought to the same palatial mansion by Pandian (Raghava Lawrence) who has taken over as their guardian after the death of their parents.

Little do these guests know that the princely structure, owned by Murugesan (Vadivelu), is haunted and there is Chandramukhi’s spirit lurking in the southern part of the structure.

When the entire family heads to the temple, they find it enveloped in darkness and surrounded by tall weeds, grasses and bushes. The family is warned that Chandramukhi’s spirit will not allow light to fall on the temple because it means that it will revive the power of her arch-rival, Vettaiyan.

Therefore, the family is discouraged from clearing the place and lighting a lamp in the temple.

However, despite the warnings, they decide to go ahead and complete the rituals. What happens next is what Chandramukhi 2 is all about.

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In comparison to prequel

To be fair, Chandramukhi had a huge star cast — Rajinikanth, Nayanthara, Nasser, Jyothika, Prabhu, Malavika, and Vadivelu — that was immensely popular and the comedy was exceptionally brilliant.

Expecting P Vasu to deliver a film that exceeds the first part in intensity and entertainment would be an unrealistic and unfair expectation.

Nevertheless, to his credit, the director manages to deliver a neat, clean, engaging entertainer that, despite not measuring up to the level of its prequel, is still good to watch.

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Performances

This time around, Vasu’s got his casting absolutely spot on. He cleverly cast Kangana Ranaut as the original Chandramukhi and uses her selectively in portions where he has to show the dancer Chandramukhi.

To deal with Chandramukhi’s portions that require heavy acting, he uses Lakshmi Menon — a brilliant actress — who plays the character Divya in the movie.

Kangana Ranaut delivers an impeccable performance as Chandramukhi. She owns the part and plays it with panache.

Many wondered if Raghava Lawrence would be able to reprise Superstar Rajinikanth’s Vettaiyan role convincingly. Surprisingly, he delivers a more-than-convincing performance in the film.

In fact, Lawrence is exceptional as army chief Sengottaiyan in the battle sequence where he aids his king and friend Vettaiyan in taking over Vijayanagaram.

Mahima Nambiar, who plays the female lead role of Lakshmi, is just another treat to watch. This immensely talented actress delivers yet another commendable performance in this film.

Vadivelu, along with Nassar, was probably one of the biggest strengths of the first part. He delivers in parts in the sequel. Some of the jokes of the ace comedian work while others appear forced or out of place.

One particular joke that works is Vadivelu’s Murugesan trying to appease Lawrence’s Pandian (who is possessed by the spirit of Vettaiyan), and Lakshmi Menon’s Divya (who is possessed by the spirit of Chandramukhi) at the same time.

Chandramukhi 2 has some really mellifluous songs set to tune by MM Keeravani and some eye-catching visuals shot by RD Rajasekhar.

The time has finally arrived! 👀 You can now peek behind the Chandramukhi-2 door and unravel the mysteries surrounding it! 🚪🫴🏻🔥 Are you ready for the epic face-off? 🏇🏻🗡️#Chandramukhi2 🗝️ is now at cinemas near you! 🎟️🍿📽️#PVasu @offl_Lawrence @KanganaTeam @mmkeeravaani… pic.twitter.com/CQd6GKrtVt

— Lyca Productions (@LycaProductions) September 28, 2023

Final take

In all, Chandramukhi 2 might not be as outstanding as Chandramukhi but it still comes across as a wholesome entertainer that works nonetheless.

(Views expressed here are personal.)