Vennila Kabaddi Kuzhu 2 Movie Review: A needless sequel with inconsistent writing

During a particular montage in the famous Kabadi Kabaddi song in Vennila Kabaddi Kuzhu (2009), Appu Kutty longingly touches the opponent team's jerseys, which are left to dry. An upset Subramani (Soori) notices that and asks him to return it, and a reluctant Appu Kutty does so though he badly wants it. Scenes like this elevated Vennila Kabaddi Kuzhu from being a yet another story of an underdog team's rise to glory. It was unanimously loved because of its strong emotions and realistic portrayal. While the original's lead Marimuthu (Vishnu Vishal) was an average-looking shepherd from an oppressed caste, who skips the only kari kanji (meat meal) he gets in the entire year to feed his mother, the sequel's Sarvanan (Vikranth Santhosh) is what we'd call 'proper hero material' — one who runs around in the trendiest sports sneakers, despite this being a period film set in 1989.

That is not the only point of disparity between the two films. The original which covered a wide spectrum of topics like casteism, betrayal, friendship and tradition in the most compelling manner. But Vennila Kabaddi Kuzhu 2 centres solely around Saravanan and his done-to-death efforts to make Malar (Arthana Binu) fall for him. And though the film has multiple dialogues that go, "kalathula sandhipom," by the time the story reaches the actual kalam (arena) and shifts to Kanakkanpatti, we're already at the interval point.

Director: Selva Sekaran
Cast: Vikranth, Arthana Binu, Pasupathy

The second half has its own share of problems in the form of random tonal changes. Just when we think the film is finally beginning to take itself seriously, a random comedy scene pops up, and then before we know it the scene shifts to a serious one. Saravanan, who ambitiously sets off to learn kabaddi, win the club match, and make his father happy, ends up dancing to an unintentionally funny item number that goes, "kuthalathula gumma veda kozhi koovudhu summa.." The much-hyped final match too fails to create the excitement of the one in Vennila Kabaddi Kuzhu and we hardly feel like rooting for the protagonist and his team to win. The proceedings are so predictable that even the most cursory film-watcher can anticipate what the makers have clearly intended as the biggest twist. 

The sole saving grace of Vennila Kabaddi Kuzhu 2 is the well-written love-hate relationship between the father-son duo — Saamy (Pasupathi) and Sarvanan. They share an unusual bond, with the son being the dominant one. He hides pocket money in his father's shirt and taunts him saying, "Aalum mandaiyum paaru." Saamy, on the other hand, sees his son as a fatherly figure. If only the rest of the writing had been as refined as this portion, Vennila Kabaddi Kuzhu 2 could've been a sequel worth remembering and celebrating. 

Ten years is indeed a long time. When Vennila Kabaddi Kuzhu was released in 2009, Vijay Sethupathi was still a background artiste, the National Award-winning actor Appu Kutty was an unfamiliar face, and Soori was only known as the Parotta guy with an incredible appetite. The word 'kabaddi' was the only calling card for that film. Fast-forward to present and the title of the film has become a brand by itself. But Vennila Kabaddi Kuzhu 2 is only the makers trying to cash in on this fame, and feels like nothing more than a random dubbed film carrying the celebrated title.