Karthikeya 2 review: A campy yet engaging thriller that passes off mythology as history

3/5

Story:

Karthikeya is a medico, passionate about history and doesn’t believe in anything by its face value alone. Certain circumstances in his life force him and his mother to embark on a pilgrimage to Dwaraka. He unexpectedly meets a historian Rao in the temple town, who goes missing before they can strike up a conversation. The next day, Karthikeya’s mother is nowhere to be found and he’s suddenly summoned to a police station. What’s brewing?

Review:

Karthikeya, that released in 2014, was an unusually gripping thriller revolving around an atheist digging up truths behind a series of eerie incidents in a temple town. The film’s thematic sequel Karthikeya 2, set in Dwaraka, is bigger and grander while treading a similar path and also invites an element of mythology, folklore and adventure into the mix. This results in a campy yet consistently engaging thriller that uses its premise and country’s socio-political climate to peddle some dangerous half-truths (many of them sound like fake Whatsapp forwards).

However, to give credit where it’s due, writer-director Chandoo Mondeti is full of conviction while building this mystical universe replete with astrologers, priests, exorcists, historians, sages and superstitions. Karthikeya 2 is more an upgraded, trendy version of yesteryear filmmaker Kodi Ramakrishna’s devotional fantasies. The twist-a-minute thriller is forever on the move and has enough layers and mysteries to keep you glued to the screens. The story is about a series of transformative experiences during the protagonist’s pursuit of an age-old bracelet that could change the medical arena beyond imagination.

The film’s strength is its compelling screenplay. Despite the many problematic stretches about God, mythology versus history debate, the narrative doesn’t give you much time to process its ideas and moves on from one event to the other with sparkling precision. No time is wasted spelling out things beyond necessity. Chandoo Mondeti has a good idea of constructing the right ambience for the premise with a series of intriguing backstories enriched by terrific animation, cinematographer Karthik Gattamneni’s visual imagery, Kaala Bhairava’s career-best background score and Sahi Suresh’s superb production design.

A focused, restrained Nikhil Siddhartha and an impressive Anupama Parameswaran shoulder the narrative with confidence. Right in its initial hour, the film leaves you with a lot of questions. There’s enough emotional connect in the pursuit of the protagonists and the presence of Srinivas Reddy and Viva Harsha ensures a few laughs without compromising on the narrative tension. The film is at its best when the focus is on adventure and reasoning. Through the story, the director aims to tell that one could believe in God, reasoning and respect our cultural roots at once.

However, one can’t help but notice the Whatsapp-forward equivalent logic to make the protagonist believe in the country’s ancient past. Had the creators toned down the religious angle and the preaching in the second hour, the film would’ve worked even better. Instead of the ‘history versus mythology’ debate, Karthikeya 2 would’ve benefited if it took a folklore-like approach and used mythological tales to mirror the many events in the protagonist’s life. An instance where this strategy works is an action sequence where Karthikeya’s battle is compared to the confrontation between Kamsa and Krishna.

Films can sometimes serve as a reflection of the times we live in and Karthikeya 2 proves the same - the presence of Anupam Kher and his theatrical glorification of Krishna is enough to suggest that how Karthikeya 2 also serves as a tool for political messaging. The smartness of Chandoo Mondeti comes through while packaging these ideas in a thriller format. The film looks deceptively complex, has many subplots and ‘heart in the mouth’ moments. This is the era of thrillers and the film’s release timing couldn’t have been better.

The fact that the plot progresses across the various parts of the country and discusses beliefs relevant to the average citizen, makes it an ideal multilingual release. Nikhil’s consistency in his script choices continues to impress and it’s a relief to see Anupama Parameswara get a meaty role. Tulasi, Appaji Ambarisha, Praveen, and Satya are good while they last though Adithya Menon’s exaggerated histrionics don’t help. Karthikeya 2 is problematic and entertaining at the same time - though you may not buy everything that the film conveys, you’ll come out satisfied as a viewer.

Verdict:

Karthikeya 2 is an engaging mystical adventure ably spearheaded by Nikhil and Anupama Parameswaran. The film could’ve avoided the ‘history versus mythology’ debate in the current political climate but writer-director Chandoo Mondeti compensates for his folly with a riveting screenplay that never loses its focus.