Kalavani 2 Movie Review: Yet another pointless sequel

A slide at the beginning of Kalavani 2 tells us that the film is not a direct sequel to the 2010 hit film, Kalavani, which, apart from doubling as a launchpad for director Sarkunam, catapulted the careers of Vimal and Oviyaa to new heights. Just like those who disappeared and got back after Thanos' snap, the leads of Kalavani 2 have not aged a bit. This is Vimal's 25th film and given Oviyaa's fame post-Bigg Boss, you see why this is.

Cast: Vimal, Oviyaa, Saranya Ponvannan, Ilavarasu, Ganja Karuppu, RJ Vigneshkanth

Director: Sarkunam

Ariki a.k.a. Arivazhagan (Vimal), is still a wastrel who is despised by his father (Ilavarasu) but loved and protected by his mother (Saranya Ponvannan) who still goes around saying, "Aani poi, Aadi poi, Aavani varattum...". While his gang of friends is replaced by Vicky (RJ Vigneshkanth), Panchayathu (Ganja Karuppu) is still hanging around. Unlike the mischievous stunts from the first film, Ariki's (as well as the director's) motive is bigger this time. He files a nomination for local body elections and intends to extort other participants for money in exchange for excusing himself from the race. But unfortunately, things don't work in favour of him, and the film.

Humour was the biggest strength of Kalavani and after watching the sequel, it's clear that the humour wells, in keeping with our times, have dried up here. The 'kalavanithanam' Ariki indulges in the first film — climbing a tree to board a moving truck and steal a sackful of fertilizers, throwing down a full pack of cigarettes as though it were empty just because someone asked for one, only to pick it up after that person leaves, or stealing construction rods from his own house — not only conveyed what he is capable of but also made us laugh. Here though, we are just left to listen to the trio of Ariki, Vicky and Panchayathu engage in idle chatter. 

In the first film, after kidnapping an NRI groom, one of Ariki's friends asks the hostage if he would like a beer only for another friend to comment that the groom might ask for a tin beer as he comes from a foreign country... Such innocent, rooted humour is conspicuous by its absence here. This film also superfluously vilifies a person, who has all the qualifications to win the elections, just because he is opposing our hero, who is nothing more than just an idler. 

Fans of Oviyaa don't have much reason to rejoice either. The actor is totally different from the original's Maheswari -- the naive village belle who falls for Ariki's antics. There is something about a porn clip and a pregnancy test that is too inane to describe here but suffice it to say that it's far from enterprising.

Apart from some reasonably engaging scenes in the second half, mostly thanks to the Ilavarasu and Saranya, Kalavani 2 neither has a strong story nor enough humour. All it achieves is give us one more reason for why we should be positively alarmed by the prospect of sequels.