Midhun Manuel’s “Aadu 2” takes nonsensical comedy to hilarious heights. The movie is an out an out laugh riot with genuine humorous dialogues, satire and spoof of slapsticks combined to form a bombshell of a movie. Like its first part, this movie too chronicles the escapades of Shaji Pappan and his cronies. The plot is similar, the difference being addition of contemporary issues like demonetisation. This is a very light hearted plot meant to be enjoyed without too much of a thought. What makes the movie an above average one is that the comedy is hard hitting and many of them are sure to make it to our colloquial speech. Midhun Manuel’s way with comedy should surely be lauded.
Shaji Pappan appears with a bang in “Aadu 2” with his two coloured mundu (already a hit among the youth) and his rustic charm. The mundu has been designed by his costume designer wife Saritha Jayasurya. Right from the word go the movie is a whirlwind of fun. In “Aadu 2” everyone from Shaji Pappan to Saathan Xavier is hard hit because of the demonetisation. The gangs plot various schemes. For Shaji Pappan and team, they hope to make some quick bucks by winning a tug-of-war competition. Shaji Pappan appears more heroic here than in the first part and the character looms big on screen. The comic brigade headed by Dharmajan Bolgathy’s hilarious retorts and others backing him makes the movie colourful.
All the characters in the movie make a splash with their typical styles. Shaiju Kurup’s Arackal Abu deserves due credit. Eccentric police officer Sharbath Shameer played by Vijay Babu and all the others fill up the screen. Some sequences do fall flat that the caricature of slaptick pictured in the jeep fight. But there are countless memorable sequences too like that interrogation scene in the Ramayana costume. Midhun’s strong point is the stringing of sequences in a comic jugalbandhi. His flair for generating laughs is the high point in “Aadu 2”. He has also been able to resurrect Shaji Pappan in a more intense and larger than life character.
Jayasurya has handled Shaji Pappan admirably. He owns the screen, with the dialogues and characterisation helping him. The humour and rage all rests well in Jayasurya’s hands. The flamboyance of the character is translated well on screen. His looks too add to the charm. That two coloured mundu as well as that stylized moustache adds to the machismo. Shaji Pappan will get to be a cult character with such a nuanced portrayal. Dharmajan Bolgathy takes the cake for hilarious counters and amazing comic timing. Shaiju Kurup, Vijay Babu, Sunny Wayne, Vinayakan and others too make their presence felt.
The script might be a repetition, but it is infused with so much laugh-out-loud moments, chaos and clolour that Midhun has managed to lift the movie to a festive level. The writing and direction makes “Aadu 2” a mass entertainer. It is not often that a movie which tanked at the box office would get a sequel. The fan following of Shaji Pappan would not be disappointed with the sequel anyway. The camera captures the colour and tone of the movie brilliantly. Some of the spoofs aren’t that convincing though and looks shoddy. The shadow play involving Saji Pappan and the mother was a nice touch. Edits are fine. The makers could have trimmed the movie a bit more. Avoiding some repetitive comic sets could have made “Aadu 2” pithier. Songs are fine though none are memorable. Shaan Rahman’s BGM is a huge plus. Costumes are flamboyant and make an impression.
Watch the movie for its laugh-out-loud moments, hilarious counter dialogues and a larger than life Shaji Pappan. Aadu 2 is an out and out mass comic entertainer apt for this festive season.
