Thanks to director Kamal Haasan for a quick recap of the first part during the beginning credits, it helped the audience connect with the characters they travel with for the next two hours.

This fast-paced action film begins with Wisam Ahmed Kashmiri (Kamal Haasan) travelling to the UK from New York (where he helped the FBI diffuse the cesium bomb planted by the Jihadi network in part 1) with his wife Nirupama (Pooja Kumar), Lieutenant Ashmitha (Andrea) and the body of his late friend, Dawkins (Miles Anderson). Wisam eventually discovers that the Afghan Jihadi’s Omar (Rahul Bose) and his accomplice Salim (Jaideep) are plotting to destroy London with atomic bombs found in a sunken warship under the sea.  The rest of the story is about how he sets out to save people from the ‘dirty bombs’ as they’re called in the film — since they’re coated with a chemical called cesium — both in London and India as the terror network had planned to cause a massive explosion there too. The second half is about how Wisam ultimately confronts Omar (Rahul).

Firstly, Vishwaroopam 2 remains true to its genre — that of an espionage spy thriller — without overdoing it. In fact, it’s one of the most properly made sequels in recent times as it explains the backstories of all the characters in a non-linear fashion and justifies it as well. Additionally, ten minutes’ worth of footage from Vishwaroopam has been added in parts to maintain connectivity to the narrative. Unlike the previous part, which had a couple of dull moments, this film flashes by quickly. The drawback here, however, is that it’s too quick and the film ends when you least expect it. For people who expect an intellectually stimulating experience from this film, like you would in a typical Kamal flick, it will be disappointing since this is purely a mass entertainer.   

Scenes involving Wisam and his mother Waheeda Rahman (who is a victim of Alzheimer’s) in the second half of the film, will leave the audience in tears. The song, Naanagiyae Nadhimoolamae, portrays the mother-son relationship from the time of his birth, justifying how a soldier-turned-RAW agent developed a passion towards Kathak. Also, the two leading ladies of the film, Pooja Kumar and Andrea, play a huge part in enhancing it and travel with Kamal Haasan in most of the scenes. Andrea’s stunt sequence in the latter half, and her acts as a military trainee in the first few minutes, are quite impressive and different. Ghibran’s BGM is the backbone for the movie and he has perfectly met the expectations of the audience. Kamal too has added his artistic touch by incorporating a new version of the Unnai Kanadha song, in a love-making scene that’s been shot beautifully. Saving the best for the last — the 60-plus-old star carries the film completely on his shoulders and looks incredible on-screen. Kamal Haasan’s technical prowess and his penchant for detailed narratives act as a key for the film’s success. This time, the actor is in full throttle during the action sequences and serves us with some lump-in-the-throat moments. It’s a pulsating thriller which meets Hollywood standards but the only drawback is that the film doesn’t give you moments that you can take back home. 

Cast: Kamal Haasan, Pooja Kumar, Andrea Jeremiah, Rahul Bose, Shekhar Kapur

Director: Kamal Haasan

Music Director: Ghibran

Synopsis: After New York, Afghani Al-Qaeda Jihadi’s Omar (Rahul Bose) and Salim (Jaideep) plot to attack London, with underwater cesium bombs, and a few parts of India as well. Will the RAW agent Wisam (Kamal Haasan) save these places from being destroyed by the‘dirty bombs’; will he defeat Omar and his terror network?   

Rating: 3.5/5