After a 5 and a half year long wait, Ulaganayagan Kamal Haasan's espionage thriller Vishwaroopam 2 has finally hit the screens today. This is the sequel to the much acclaimed Vishwaroopam that came out in 2013 after crossing various hurdles. The film stars Pooja Kumar, Andrea Jeremiah, Shekhar Kapur and Rahul Bose alongside Kamal Haasan.
It's going to be a very difficult task to speak about a film like Vishwaroopam. This isn't the first time we see Kamal Haasan working on a script which has multiple layers that one might find it very hard to comprehend in one watch. You might want to pause and get a read of all the little details that the genius in Kamal has infused into the writing and onto the screen. His knowledge, rather his learning of staging a scene is exquisite. It seems to come very naturally to him and it is aesthetically constructed.
Handling a story that involves relationships, terrorism, politics, countries and countless layers requires a certain sense of expertise and it all comes together with our protagonist, who is also the writer, director and a visionary.
We have often discussed Kamal Haasan's acting adroitness, so no amount of compliments won't serve the purpose. But there is one man who has aided his vision like a master. Without a doubt, it is Shamdat Sainuddeen, the director of photography. He takes off exactly where Sanu Varghese landed in the first part. It wouldn't suffice to call him just a cinematographer, because his work in the film speaks for itself. The frames speak the unwritten dialogues and reflections play a supreme role in Kamal's storytelling.
The dialogues are given utmost importance and the references to the contemporary world are plenty. There are some metaphorical representations that might catch you off guard. There are innumerable sub-plots, some that have their inception in this part and some that perpetuate from the first part. If you had any questions that lasted 5 years, find your answers in Vishwaroopam 2.
Kamal might be the Ulaganayagan, but he is certainly not the only Nayagan in this franchise. Much like the first part, this sequel too gives enormous importance to all the supporting characters.
Andrea shines in the action sequences, and her little reactions are commendable. Pooja Kumar takes control of the emotional sequences and proves that she is a better performer than what we reckon her to be. We have the lovely Waheeda Rehman playing Wisam’s disease-struck mother and her character in this film is effortlessly woven into the story. We also have Anant Mahadevan in an important character and his scenes with Kamal Haasan are a treat to watch!
The freeze frames from the first part are given meaning in this film. It becomes greater when we see them being used efficiently. This makes the editing an ultimate positive.
However, the biggest negative factor in this film would be the VFX. The soul of the film might be lost when we are clearly able to realize that the background isn't real. Apart from that, it could be hard for some to follow the non-linear narrative pattern used. While the end credits roll, one might want a more satisfying end, but Kamal stays within some patterns. Due to the number of sub-plots, one might feel that there was a slight distraction from its core. The intensity was high on the pre-intermission sequence, but was it convincingly portrayed is debatable.
Essentially, Kamal's vision to provide a film of International standards isn't lost amidst this multi-layered storytelling. The screenplay has been constructed in an engaging manner that we have reveals almost every 5-10 minutes. It keeps us hooked to the seats.
Ghibran, in collaboration with Kamal, has provided an interesting soundtrack that works in favor of the film and he seems to have mastered the art of silencing when necessary.
On the whole, Kamal has masterfully crafted this prequel+sequel, traced back and tracked forward Wisam Ahmad Kashmiri’s life in a polished manner. If you’ve watched Vishwaroopam, try not to miss this one.