'Indian 2': Jaded storyline but Kamal makes it watchable

 Kamal Haasan gave us 'Indian' ('Hindustani') more than two decades and a half ago, and both he and director Shankar seemed unstoppable in trying to weed out corruption from our society. They are both ready with a sequel and continue to be in the same zone. Regrettably, the issues that they highlighted earlier, haven’t gone. If at all, some of the evils seem to have raged and grown bigger. The protagonist is a Subhas Chandra Bose worshipper and the levels of bribery have reached astronomical figures in the past decades. In its thematic content, ‘Indian 2’ is jaded, and tiresome. But it also has two reasons to celebrate. Firstly, follow-up franchisees can still be made and could take us back several years back on a nostalgia trip. Second, Kamal Haasan doesn’t seem to have aged. Of course, chronologically he has, but one look at his prosthetic-generated face or his fit body and agility to perform fight sequences with ease will make you wonder if you too could be as strong and athletic at 70. The 3-hour long film begins on a familiar turf as Senapathy (Haasan), the ex-freedom fighter turned vigilante who fights against corruption is serving the cause of eliminating dishonesty, exploitation and bribery as social immoralities from our nation. This time round, Senapathy returns to the country to aid a young activist Chitra (Siddhartha)who has been exposing corrupt politicians in the country through videos on the internet. Chitra and his group of friends Aarthi, Thambesh and Rishi, run a YouTube channel called 'Barking Dogs'. They focus on making parodies and political satire and manage umpteen views. When a young woman dies by suicide, the team springs into action to get to the bottom of her taking a sudden extreme step. The reason isn’t anything a secret, for her some corrupt officials are the reason for her sudden death. They hold a sit-in protest demanding justice, but the police arrest them, and they get bailed out by Chitra's girlfriend, Disha (Rakulpreet Singh). She lectures them that they alone can't make changes to the various systems in the country. At this point, the disheartened lot of youngsters begin a campaign titled 'Come Back Indian', as they believe that only 'Indian Thatha' / Senapathy can stop corruption at numerous levels that are rampant in India. Chitra sends out SOS summons to Senapathy who immediately decides to come out of his hideout in Taipei. There is a problem though. As the ‘Most Wanted Man’, he cannot be seen publicly and has to conceal his identity to cross Indian borders. He is known to dispense deaths to the corrupt by using the ancient martial arts technique ‘Varma Kalai’. Soon, every state in India, from Kashmir, Orissa, Gujarat and Tamil Nadu is sent shock waves as corrupt individuals are mercilessly attacked by Senapati. While upholding Subhas Chandra Bose's ideals, he finishes them off in a single stroke as they struggle to survive for eight to nine hours only. If you are looking for anything new, there isn’t any novelty that would get you hooked. Save, perhaps, the high-tech computer graphics and stunts that are sure to draw the attention of the young though by now, even thanks to the streaming platforms, they are far more exposed to the best technicians from around the world. If it’s someone worth admiring it’s Kamal Haasan. It remains watchable because of him, as he saves it from sinking. Although the film gets repetitive with too many long sequences of chases and fights, he makes his presence a compelling watch in different varieties of avatars. The cinematography by Ravi Chandran and the special effects add a spectacular quality to the scenes. Songs set to music by Anirudh Ravichander are all more like fillers and are nothing to write home about. And just when you thought that this redundant sequel. is going to be the finale, the rolling credits at the end show many forthcoming attractions as Senapati is yet again seen cleansing the system in 2025. Film: Indian 2. Running Time: 150 minutes Director: Shankar. Cast: Kamal Haasan, Siddharth, Rakul Preeti Singh, S.J. Suryah, Bobby Simha, Priya Bhavani Shankar, Vivek, Gulshan Grover and Piyush Mishra. Cinematography: Ravi Varman. Music: Anirudh Ravichander. IANS Rating: **1/2 --IANS arnab/dan