Stories about corruption are not new in Indian films. The latest among them, Hindustani 2 distinguishes itself by making its plot points painfully relevant and true to the present context. A film with a strong and well-articulated intention, it hits the nail hard on the head and spreads its message loud and clear from the onset.
The foundation of the story is simple. Horrified and distressed by the impact that corruption has on the lives of the common people, a group of four young, idealistic men and women of affluent families, decide to seek help from the only person who can help restore justice in society. Convinced that Veerasekaran Senapathy aka Hindustani is alive and well almost three decades after the incidents in the predecessor of this film, they take the help of social media to trace him to his current location in Taiwan and urge him to return, which he does, just as he had promised to at the end of Hindustani.
The introduction of Hindustani (Kamal Haasan) is executed in grand style. After the stage has been set to prepare for his return to India, the camera zooms in on a cruise liner off the coast of Taiwan where Hindustani is found eliminating a lecherous tycoon and his henchmen with characteristic flair and flourish. His entry into India is no less spectacular. Senapathy is inspired by the values and ideals of Netaji. A former freedom fighter, he is portrayed as a ‘zero-tolerance’ crusader in the fight to cleanse the country of corruption. He impresses with his knowledge of ancient Hindu scriptures, from which he quotes calmly when teaching a lesson or two to corrupt business moguls. His mastery of martial arts, especially his varma kalai, also affords opportunities for quite a few entertaining scenes. Senapathy has great faith in the power of the youth and relies on them to support him in his mission.
The young guns led by Chitra Aravindhan (Siddharth) are depicted as an idealistic lot, with intentions to rid the system of corruption. Siddharth, along with Rakul Preet Singh, Priya Bhavani Shankar and Rishikanth, brings an energetic, youthful vigour to the tale and they earn the audience’s admiration and empathy with their emotionally-charged performances. Their story is, however, left at a loose end (to be perhaps picked up in the next installment), which is a genuine let-down as the young and enthusiastic bunch of crusaders had held great promise in influencing the story’s denouement.
Apart from its fight against corruption, Hindustani 2 raises various pertinent questions, one of the most significant being about the responsibility of the ‘common man’ who, though reeling under the weight of corruption, is also to blame for their plight. The film underlines the futility of democracy and elections in a country where every political party is guilty of unethical practices. It also draws attention to the power of social media, which can have both good and bad consequences. While social media can be used to bring people together for a noble cause, it can also spread hate easily among the public very quickly, as seen towards the end of the film.
Though lengthy at 184 minutes, its fast plot movement never fails to hold interest. Multiple levels of action with spectacular visuals, along with dialogues that are powerful, and at the same time witty and entertaining, keep the audience engrossed and in good humour. Exciting graphics and special effects are used to add a different dimension to the experience, especially in the scenes where Senapathy uses his varma kalai skills against his adversaries. A colourful canvas of supporting characters including Aravindhan’s father, CBI officer Pramode and the bejewelled land shark, among others, add value to every frame with their memorable performances. The spectacular chase sequence with Senapathy riding a child’s unicycle in heavy Chennai traffic, on an under-construction flyover, and particularly his stunts inside a tunnel full of police vehicles, make for unforgettable viewing pleasure.
Packed with all the ingredients appropriate to a vigilante action film and above all, Kamal Haasan’s formidable screen presence, the film which is deliberately left unfinished, ends on a high with the promise of another sequel in the coming year, with its protagonist signing off “I’ll be back” in Arnold ‘Terminator’ Schwarzenegger style.
