Punyalan Private Limited: A sequel that fails to measure up

We all love a sequel. And more, when it is a sequel to the satire Punyalan Agarbattis that wowed us with its sharpness and wit. So, when director Ranjith Sankar announced that Jayasurya's Joy Thakkolkaran was back, we cheered for him, earnestly hoping that Punyalan 2.0 would share the same sincerity. 

But, Punyalan Private Limited fails to break the sequel jinx, ending up more of an average fare, clearly lacking its predecessor's vigour and entertainment quotient. However, it still makes for a good watch, thanks to the 'Thakkolkaran charm'. 

Director: Ranjith Sankar
Cast:  Jayasurya, Dharmajan Bolgatty, Sreejith Ravi

Years have passed and Joy Thakkolkaran finds another challenge when his agarbathi factory is confiscated by the bank. Deep in trouble, he comes up with another entrepreneurial idea, this time it is packaged drinking water made from elephant urine (as absurd as it sounds, there is not much explanation offered here). Joy manages to give life to his dreams, only to find the 'system' working against it (think Mohanlal's struggle in Varavelp and Midunam). 

Obviously not one to take setbacks lying down, Joy refuses to give up or compromise. He goes to jail, but not without vociferously lashing out against the government. This catches the eye of Chief Minister Shakthan Rajasekharan (Vijayaraghavan) who offers 24 hours with him. That's when Punyalan Private Limited takes a detour from satire and starts giving off a Muthalvan-esque whiff. 

Then on, it's a common man versus government. Joy Thakkolkaran assumes the mantle of a victim taking on the government in every single issue. Waste management, GST, women's safety, bad roads, wastage of public funds, corruption, red-tapism and even Palieyyakara toll...you name it. While the list might seem unending, not all of it is mere verbal exercise. Rather, Joy Thakkolkaran's hard-hitting dialogues like the one on national anthem in theatres sounded timely, earning a good round of applause from the audience.

While the first half is spattered with humourous sequences like the courtroom scenes, the second half takes a different tone, where we are made to witness a verbal contest between the Chief Minister and Joy Thakkolkaran. The ensuing climax is a little illogical and absurd, with nothing realistic whatsoever. 

While Punyalan Private Limited is a very earnest effort from Ranjith Sankar, what ails it is the forced plot, especially the one involving the Chief Minister. That said, Punyalan is a film with a heart. It has a virtue and a very good intention which makes it a good watch.