You might have still not forgotten Jayasuriya as Joy Thakkolkkaran in Ranjith Sankar's 2013 movie Punyalan Agarbattis. The Thrissur slang, the rich humour, the positive attitude and the social commitment are a few major highlights that make its sequel Punyalan Private Limited, a highly anticipated outing. Written and directed by Ranjith Sankar, Punyalan... has been produced by himself and Jayasurya under the banner 'Dreams n Beyond'. It is also the first movie to be released by Punyalan Cinemas, the distribution company of the director-actor duo.
Following the lead of the prequel, Punyalan... also has a deep commitment to the society. The movie raises many questions that have been consistently asked by the smart and the thinking class in Kerala. Almost all the important issues addressed by the people come alive on the screen, ably aided by a neat screenplay. The director has succeeded in comparing what is being done and what can be done by the governing bodies. Punyalan... is a reminder that the common man or the voter is the king, and the politicians are here to serve and not to rule.
Picking up from where he left, Joy Thakkolkkaran (Jayasurya), the vibrant entrepreneur is establishing a new business idea along with fighting social injustice. His friends-cum-employees Abhayakumar (Sreejith Ravi), Peer Thanesh (Dharmajan) and Greenu Sharma (Aju Varghese) stand beside him in his clash with the system and, attempt to realise his dream.
Jayasurya's performance is the highlight of the movie. Styled in kurta and dhoti, he swiftly portrays all emotions of a common man as well as a budding entrepreneur. Sreejith Ravi who rose to fame handling comedy in Punyalan Agarbathis continues in the same vein. While Aju Varghese plays an extended cameo, Dharmajan Bolgatty, the new addition to the Punyalan gang, enriches the movie with his humour. Sunil Sukhada, Guinness Pakru, Arya Rohit and Vinod Kovoor play their roles neatly and create a good supporting cast. Vijaraghavan shines as the antagonist, Chief Minister Sakthan Rajasekharan, the crooked politician.
Vishnu Narayanan's cinematography is rich in colors that make Punyalan... attractive and lively. The background score in the film has some good tunes that carry over from the prequel.
The flip side is every sequel will inevitably be compared with its prequel. A few section might like the first part, but when comparing Punyalan... with Punyalan Agarbattis in detail, it can be perceived that even though it is rich in humour, the sequel is a better directorial and makes for an interesting political thriller.