Review: Kazhugu 2

Film: Kazhugu 2

Director: Sathiya Siva

Cast: Krishna, Bindhu Madhavi, Kaali Venkat, M S Baskar, Hareesh Peradi and others

Music: Yuvan Shankar Raja

Cinematography: Raja Bhattacharjee

Rating: ***

Kazhugu 2 is a reasonably good film that is however, only a pale shade of Kazhugu, which went on to become a big hit.

The only two things that Kazhugu 2 has in common with Kazhugu is its lead cast of Krishna and Bindhu Madhavi and a sad ending. Other than that, everything else about Kazhugu 2 is different.

 Kazhugu 2’s story begins with a greedy industrialist in the timber business eyeing the tall trees of the uninhabited forests of south Tamil Nadu.

The reason why these forests have survived so far is because of the wild dogs that have made these forests their home. Fearing them, workers refuse to enter forests to cut trees.

Greed finds a way to get what it wants and the industrialist has a brainwave while having a discussion with one of his guides. He bribes the local MLA (Hareesh Peradi) to make the forest officer give him the necessary permission to cut trees from the forest. He then announces that he will provide protection to those workers who are willing to go into the forests to cut trees. To win their confidence, he asks his guide/contractor (M S Baskar) to hire two hunters with rifles to stand guard when people are at work in the forests.

The guide comes to Theni in search of hunters and mistakes two burglars — Johny (Krishna) and Kaali Venkat — who are on the run with the rifles of cops escorting them to court, to be ace marksmen. He makes them an offer they cannot refuse.

To escape the law, the burglars take up Baskar’s offer and agree to accompany him to the forests and to stand guard when workers cut trees there.

Baskar does not know that both his marksman have no idea of how to fire the weapons they possess. The burglars, who have never seen wild dogs before, are under the impression that they will be a lot like domesticated dogs. They therefore believe that they will be able to tame these wild dogs using biscuits!

Soon, work gets underway with the workers beginning to feel reassured with the presence of the armed hunters.

 However, the daughter of the contractor and a worker herself, Merly (Bindu Madhavi), soon finds out that the so-called hunters cannot shoot. But by then, she is already in love with Johnny and so, does not give away his secret. Johnny, after a point, realizes that he too is in love with her.

The lovers begin to think of a life together. They believe that that the wild dogs are their biggest threat. Little do they know that the danger posed by wild dogs is nothing compared to the threat posed by greedy and vicious humans…

The film gets off to a great start. But then, director Sathya Siva is unable to sustain the pace of the start and slowly the film starts drifting towards boredom. It is only in the latter half that the film again starts to pick up pace.

Krishna as Johnny and Bindu Madhavi as Merly do a neat job. Both actors are comfortable in their respective roles and the chemistry between the two lead characters works big time.

The film also has good performances coming in from Kaali Venkat, M S Baskar and Hareesh Peradi. Each of these actors is an asset to the film.

Yuvan Shankar Raja’s music is soothing to the ears and Raja Bhattacharjee’s visuals are a treat to the eyes.

Although the film has a good story, it somehow does not manage to create the same intense impact its prequel had on audiences. Nevertheless, Kazhugu 2 is a decent entertainer that is worth a watch.