Viduthalai Part 2

Viduthalai 2 is a movie that could have been so much more than what it actually is.

In its entirety, it stands as Vetri Maaran's most political film yet-much more layered than its predecessor, which was a simpler story of a rookie cop, his profession and his moral dilemma in the line of duty.

If simplicity was the strength of the first film, its opposite becomes the villain in Viduthalai 2.

The second part picks up where we left off in the previous, giving us exactly what was expected of the movie as teased in the post climax rushes of Viduthalai 1.

Taking us through a journey of uncovering the 'Vaathiyar aka Ghost', and schooling us about the intersection of politics, selfish needs, and revolution on the common man-it's hard not to wonder what more the film could have been if it were a web series instead.

Despite the solid cinematography, art direction, and camera work, by the time Viduthalai 2 ends, there's little left to crave. In fact, one could argue this could have easily been turned into a 7-8 episode web series. This would have possibly allowed Vetri Maaran to delve deeper into the intricacies of each character and give more room for the plot to grow.

After all, it's no secret that Vetri is one of the few filmmakers in Tamil cinema who has mastered the art of world-building and exploring the deeper grey areas of human emotions. Whether it's Vada Chennai, Asuran, or even the hard-hitting (quite literally!) Visaranai, his skill lies in taking seemingly simple plots and elevating them into masterpieces with sharp conflicts and unforgettable character sketches.

In Viduthalai 2, you do see Vetri's signature styles, but only in flashes. This time, it felt like the director was more focused on ensuring impact through preachy dialogs and serving revolution and communism on a platter for the audiences.

That said, the film as expected, benefits hugely from strong performances of its characters. Vijay Sethupathi, as the 'Vaathiyar', steals the show with his understated yet powerful performance.

Special mentions go to Manju Warrier, Chetan, Kishore, and Ken Karunas, all of whom played their parts convincingly.

A big kudos also goes to the editor, who somehow managed to condense this film into a feature-length runtime. However, for a film with this much depth and scale, it's clear that it could have benefitted from a longer duration and more in-depth character development, as stated earlier.

It had all the ingredients for Vetri to create another masterpiece, but instead, it leaves us with a feeling that could best be described as "what could have been."

By the end, Viduthalai 2 ends up feeling like a crime drama series, like Santhanakaadu for lack of a better example, missing the mark on what it could have been if presented in a different format, with more time and space for exploration.