After winning accolades for his performances, Samuthirakani returns to direction with the drama Naadodigal 2, the spiritual sequel to his superhit 2009 drama Naadodigal. Starring Sasikumar, Bharani, Anjali, Athulya Ravi, Pawan in principal roles, the film is produced by Madras Enterprises. 

If the film’s plot were anything to go by, Sasikumar plays Jeeva, a firebrand leader, and an unfortunate bachelor, with less luck in finding his life partner due to the fact that he is against caste-based discrimination. He is accompanied by fellow activists Kuttiyappan (Bharani) and Sengodi (Anjali). 

Out of the blue, Jeeva gets a suitable bride (Athulya Ravi), but things get worse post their marriage when the new bride reveals her plight. N2 has all the trademarks of a Samuthirakani film, where messages take precedence over story. Jeeva is shown as an activist who goes against the “leader” of his own caste, a powerful man.  

The film presents it’s characters and situations in black and white, with underwritten characters. In one scene, a scattered group of protesters gains courage when Jeeva shouts the names of revolutionary leaders. Despite having the potential to be a  great inspiring moment, the scene becomes less-interesting due to middling execution. The screenplay devotes its major first half to tell messages. 

That doesn’t mean N2 lacks good writing or finesse. The humour during the initial bride-seeking portions works well. The film presents an interesting conflict in Jeeva’s character arc, where he is pushed to a question- Does he practice what he preaches?. Jeeva unknowingly becomes a pawn to a scheme that goes against his principles, and he must face dire consequences for correcting his mistake. 

Unfortunately, this knot is hardly explored in the film, as it is predominantly interested in giving a moral science message. In the second half, Jeeva has to protect the couple from casteist villagers who are planning to kill them. The film becomes a pointless cat-and-mouse game, where every plot-twist and the villain’s actions are predictable. 

Naadodigal 2 would’ve been more powerful had the film tried to convey messages through story and characterization. Everything is literal when we have characters whose sole purpose looks to convey only messages. Adding to the preachiness is the predictability.  

N.K. Ekhambaram’s cinematography stands out, particularly during the pre-interval block, with the golden street-lit scenes creating the required stark mood for the film. Justin Prabhakaran’s background score works in a few places. 'Raila Raila' number looked promising out of all the songs. Overall, Naadodigal 2 is an average fare that is not as impactful as its prequel.