'Vishwaroopam 2' - Multidimensional Masterpiece
The long in the making sequel to 'Vishwarooopam' has finally arrived after facing many hurdles and Kamal Haasan the master showman makes the wait worth in every frame, every layer and more importantly embeds his strong message into the viewers minds when they leave the hall.
The story begins after the events of the first part and Wisim Ahmed Kashmiri (Kamal Haasan) along with his wife NIrupama (Pooja Kumar), assistant Ashmitha (Andrea Jeremiah) and others fly to the UK on a new mission and on the way he reminiscences about his past. The screenplay then inter cuts to the events that happened in Afghanisthan and also the hero's past and the answer to the question as to who he really is slowly emerges. The rest of the screenplay deals with how his old nemesis Omar (Rahul Bose) poses a grave threat to him and world peace and whether he outwits him or not.
Innumerable words have already been written about Kamal Haasan's exemplary acting but here you get to see yet another shade which is more on the subtle side. There is a moment of sadness with his mother (Waheeda Raman) and one of deep sorrow with Andrea and the way he expresses them with just a lump in his throat and a cracking voice on the phone is again a master class. Other heroes need low angles and jazzy edits to execute a mass scene but the Ulaganayagan does it laid back on a chair when he confronts the "Delhi Man" (Anand Mahadevan) also cleverly conveying his political ideology. At 63 he gives the youngsters a run for their money in the action sequences. Andrea as the firebrand raw agent has given her all to her role and comes out in flying colors be it her playful taunts on Pooja Kumar or switching into business mode the moment her boss needs her. Her final shot in the movie stuns the theater into silence. Pooja Kumar serves as the voice of the audience and she does it with a natural innocence which is a big plus for the screenplay and she also gets more importance in the screenplay as it heats up. Rahul Bose is more chilling than when we first saw him and beyond all the hideous makeup he even shows his errant human side in the climax. Waheedha Rahman appears as Kamal's Alzheimer afflicted mother and the scenes between them are not only moving but also helps in revealing his character. Shekar Kapur, Anant Mahadevan and the rest of the cast all fit in though their voice modulation is jarring to Tamil audiences.
A great screenplay is one which keeps the curiosity element going and Kamal has achieved that in totality. Nothing is spoon fed and the audience get to piece together the puzzle which is the biggest pleasure of 'Vishwaroopam 2'. On the surface level it may be an espionage thriller but beneath it are layers that will take a second viewing to grasp. A raw agent is invisible to the world and he is literally that to his mother and that is one example. Can any other hero carry a scene in which he shares a tear and empathizes with a dreaded terrorist and almost makes him see the truth. As usual Kamal once again impresses with his wordplay in the dialogues and his sarcastic slam on Anant Mahadevan is really a dig at the National politics of post independence. One of the many hard hitting directorial touches is the "Delhi Man" 's blood splattering on a glass window and covering the interposed map of South India.
On the negative side the pacing lags at more than a few places and the CG is dated (literally as Its five years old you see). Logic takes a back seat almost in the entire scheme of things. The action scenes barring the bombings are a over the top and we doesnt match the prequel. Audiences expecting the usual stuff may find the jigsaw puzzle styled screenplay incoherent.
Ghibran's two songs "Naanagiya nathimoolamey" and the remixed version of "Yarendru purigirathaa" are already hits and get into the hearts on screen too. Strangely there is no distinct mark in the background score. Shamdat Sainudeen right from the very first shot zooming out on a single bell of an anklet to the explosive action has caught every frame with authenticity and balanced it with style too. Mahesh Narayanan and Vijay Shankar have had the tough task of keeping long drawn out scenes and sequences interesting. Lalgudi N Ilayaraja's production design is authentic especially in the jihad training camp sets, gadgetry and the underwater sequences. Sound design and other technical aspects deserve special mention.
Verdict : Go for this explosive multidimensional film from the master craftsman Kamal Haasan and carry home his message of peace that only he has the courage to express.
