As if saving the world countless times, winning a war,
giving us the best guide there is to a living a life wasn’t enough, Krishna also
saves your movie going experience now –
KARTHIKEYA 2
Cast – Nikhil Siddharth, Anupam Kher, Anupama
Parmeswaran, Adithya and of course Bhagwan Sri Krishna
Director – Chandu Mondeti
I am going try and keep my rant about Bollywood out of this
review. The key word here is ‘try’. After all, movies don’t exist in a vacuum.
I agree that each movie has to be reviewed on its own, but the timing of
release, the general conditions surrounding the release of a movie often have an
impact on not only its commercial success but the way it is perceived. If let’s
say- The Matrix was not released just before Y2K, when computer programming was
reaching a booming stage- its themes would not have been as relevant when the
first time you watched it. Although it’s themes are still relevant but the
viewing experience would not have been as great. So, try as you might, the story
surrounding a movie’s release has a lot of impact on how you will perceive it. But
more on that later.
Karthikeya 2 is the sequel to the 2014 Telugu Mystery
thriller Karthikeya- which deals with themes of religion and science amidst the
backdrop of a murder mystery connected to a Lord Subramanya/ Karthikeya temple.
The first one was a surprise hit with practically no big stars, its real star
being its tight knit thriller mystery and its nuanced commentary on religion
and superstition. Its refreshing to see the unstoppable scientific temper of
the lead character balanced with the utmost respect for culture and tradition. A
mind that is dedicated to finding the logical truth at all costs but yet accepts
that it cannot presume to know everything by logic. This balance is what makes
the character unique and hence makes the story unique too.
Karthikeya 2 carries forward the same curious traits of Dr.
Karthikeya Kumarswamy (we saw him earlier as a medical student in 1). Let me
make it clear that you do not need to watch 1 to understand 2. However, you
would enjoy it a lot more. Its available for free on Youtube and you can watch the
Hindi dubbed version here. (https://youtu.be/tyozBQ8z10g). If you want to enjoy
it in original Telugu, its also available on Amazon Prime.
In this grander sequel,
we see the story of the after math of Bhagwan Shri Krishna’s death. There is a
search for a mysterious object that he left behind. The object may also hold
key to curing a deadly pandemic. There are secret societies and killer cults
involved. There are also several clues that our lead characters have to follow
in a race against time. A character is murdered and by both design and destiny,
our hero is caught in the middle of this tangle.
In case this sounds like a Dan Brown story. It is. But it’s
not a shitty remake of a good English movie (yes. Fuck you Laal Chaddi. Fuck
you forever.) It is Dan Brown-ish (?) (Brown-esque…Brownie?) in the best
possible way. It also has National Treasure and Indian Jones style treasure
hunting elements. Also, in the best possible way. In fact, this is the best
historical Indian thriller I have seen. One that not only moves at a fast pace,
rarely stopping to breathe but also treats its’ themes with the highest of
respect. The movie respects and explores Indian history and culture while never
trying to bring down others. One of the funniest characters in the movie is a
Muslim driver and there is a subtle but interesting way they showcase Hindu-Muslim
unity without hamming it up.
Nikhil Siddharth settles into the role of the Sherlock
Holmes-esque Karthikeya with backwards ease. Although, he needs some work on
his action acting, the fire of curiosity is now bundled with a certain maturity
in the character. There are scenes where he has to portray his frustration with
ritualistic practices yet also not completely dismiss them. The script makes it
look easy and Nikhil’s acting makes look even more easier. The rest of the cast
also do their roles well, though there aren’t any stand out performances. Anupam
Kher shows up for a special cameo and of course Anupam Kher being who he is,
delivers one of the most fantastic monologues about Krishna I have ever seen. It
is portrayed by Director Chandu Mondeti in a visually striking way that I do
not want to spoil here.
The story is somewhat predictable and the screenplay kind of
loses focus sometimes. However, it is fast enough to keep things rolling where
in you do not easily notice any flaws. Also, bits of humor are sprinkled around
to keep it light. The best part is of course the background score. The score
near the climax scene is…fantastic. Music composer Kaal Bhairava delivers a catchy
yet intense Krishna chant that’ll stay in your mind even after you leave the
theatre.
The only little nitpick I have is that I wish this movie had
a bigger budget for the VFX. They could have used some refinement. Lets hope we
get a big one for the three-quel which they smoothly set up in the climax. With
the rate, that all the Indian audience – not just Telugu- is lapping this movie
up, am sure it gets a bigger budget. The movie was made on a budget which is
15-20% of Shamshera but looks faaaar better. The title sequence itself is very
GoT/Avengers Age of Ultron inspired.
Coming back to the context surrounding its release, in a
time when the erstwhile major film industry of this country – Bollywood- seems almost
psychotically hell bent on telling you that all your cultural values suck and
you should keep feeling guilty of your past- the movie seems to almost do the
opposite and bring people together. It makes you feel proud of your culture and
makes you easily connect to its story.
But forget about Boycotts or nationalism or casual Hindu-hatred
for a second. The main reason why Bollywood movies don’t seem to work these
days is simple – bad storytelling. People are still watching good movies. In fact,
they’ll even watch movies which they know little about just because they have
heard that the story is good. Regional cinema is stretching the technical and
creative boundaries of storytelling. The fact that they also tend to respect Indian
cultural values is just the sprinkle on top. It is not the sole reason why the
succeed. Other than a Rohit Shetty or Sriram Raghavan movie- I honestly can’t
remember any Bollywood project that I got excited for.
Regional movies – particularly South Indian movies- aren’t all
about a macho hero punching 15 guys in the air. They make everything from DC
comics inspired crime dramas like Vikram to Anti-British ballads of valor like
RRR or Dan Brownish Indiana Jones style mystery thrillers like Karthikeya 2.
With technically, creatively superior stories being told in such a way that
anyone can enjoy it- why will the audience go for a inferior product?! (I told you I ll ‘try’).
Good music, good story, fun performances, interesting take
on Krishna’s life and history and a respect for Indian values- this movie is
meant to be enjoyed with your family and friends. I was surprised that the theatre
had almost 85% occupancy, because the theatre was mostly empty when I had
booked. The movie’s Hindi dubbed version just got 5x more screens because
people have decided to put their money behind good entertainment.
The movie is Total Timepass!
P.S.- The director sneaks in a Akhand Bharat with
Bharat Mata image in the movie. Observe the walls of the Police station
closely. :p
