Viduthalai: Part - 2 Movie Review : A solid political drama that ought to have been more powerful

Viduthalai: Part - 2 Movie Synopsis: Following his capture, the elusive revolutionary/extremist Perumal begins to recount his life's story to a group of policemen who are transferring him to another location. How does his blood-soaked, ideology-dripping narration impact constable Kumaresan, who had captured him?

Viduthalai: Part - 2 Movie Review: Vetri Maaran's Viduthalai: Part 2 plays out both like a sequel and a prequel. On one hand, we get the events that follow the arrest of Vaathiyaar aka Perumal (Vijay Sethupathi, who finely captures both the anger and the empathy that the character holds within), the revolutionary/extremist, who has been on the E Company's most-wanted list. And on the other, the director narrates the events that turned Perumal, a school teacher who is filled with righteous anger into Vaathiyaar, a crusader who is filled with righteousness as well as empathy.

If the first film was the story of Kumaresan, this one largely unfolds like the story of Perumal. Though this story feels familiar, given his solid craft, Vetri Maaran manages to narrate it in a largely engaging manner. This is a film that banks heavily on its dialogues to stir our emotions, and lines like "Nallavangala irukkaradhunaala mattum Indha samoogathulla endha kotpaadayum maathida mudiyadhu" and "Vazhi nadatha thalaivar mukkiyam illa thathuvam dhaan mukkiyam" hit a chord. The romantic track between Perumal and Mahalakshmi (Manju Warrier, effective) is a brightspot.

Like Vetri Maaran's other films, Viduthalai Part 2 is also richly detailed. From the backdoor politics and decisionmaking that happens in the upper echelons of power to reason behind why Mahalakshmi sports cropped hair and the modus operandi of the activists, everything is elaborated in detail, and immerses us into the film's world. The director also shows how activists can, at times, get blindsided in their quest for justice and go the wrong way. But the film is at its most engaging when it shows us the discussions that happen between the authorities, who either try to cover up their failures or think of giving new spins to developments. Rajiv Menon, in particular, as the chief secretary is a standout, superbly capturing the body language and modulations of a powerful bureaucrat.

Where Viduthalai: Part 2 feels underwhelming is in not being a truly compelling film. Like the cops circling about the same places inside the forest, the film keeps reiterating the same points - caste is evil, authority always tries to maintain status quo, power corrupts, police are nothing but a tool for oppressors, violence is the only weapon of protest for the oppressed, but it cannot provide a permanent solution. The problem is that often, especially in most of Vijay Sethupathi's dialogues, these points are made in a didactic manner, which is quite surprising from this filmmaker. There's a nagging feeling that the filmmaker in Vetri Maaran has let the idealogue in him to call the shots.

Also, the film's major arc - the coming-of-age of Kumaresan, who realises the ways of the world around him - would have been more impactful if it had happened over the course of a single film. Given that he is relegated to the sidelines in this film, the climax doesn't really deliver the gut punch it should have.