Bharathanatyam 2: Mohiniyattam emerges as a surprisingly superior sequel, boldly transitioning from a slice-of-life narrative to a dark comedy crime-thriller, observes Sreeju Sudhakaran.
IMAGE: A scene from Bharathanatyam 2: Mohiniyattam.
Key Points
- Bharathanatyam 2: Mohiniyattam is a black comic crime thriller unlike the slice-of-life comedy entertainer which was the first film.
- Just when you think the film has shown its hand at comedy, Bharathanatyam 2 shifts its gear to fourth when the crime gets committed. From here, the narrative leans fully into its dark comedic-thriller space.
- The film takes bold, satirical digs at religious practices and institutional absurdities, that feels especially daring in today's climate.
Apologies if I am committing a bit of sacrilege here for Arnie fans, but can I call Bharathanatyam 2: Mohiniyattam the 'Terminator 2' of Malayalam cinema?
No, not because there are any sci-fi elements or android assassins sent from the future to kill Saiju Kurup.
I make this comparison in how the sequel improves upon its predecessor, while also taking a successful tonal shift. Bharathanatyam 2 is a far superior follow-up to the first film (and, at the time of writing, also a box-office success, unlike the original which had underperformed).
What makes it even more interesting is how it shifts genres within the same narrative space. While Bharathanatyam (2024) was a slice-of-life entertainer with emotional undercurrents, the sequel embraces a darker, more unapologetic comedy laced with crime-thriller elements.
What's Bharathanatyam 2 About?
The story picks up not long after the events of the first film.
Following the death of patriarch Bharathan Nair (Saikumar), his son Sasidharan (Saiju Kurup) and the family have fully accepted Bharathan's second wife Rukmini (Sreeja Ravi) and her son Ajay (Jivin Rex). They help her rebuild her life in her hometown of Sreekandapuram, even buying her a house and settling her there.
However, things take a turn when they meet Govindaraja (Suraj Venjaramoodu), a scheming former associate of Bharathan, who reveals a fresh scandal involving the dead man.
This revelation sets off a chain of events that pushes the family into committing a crime they never intended, and the rest of the film follows their increasingly desperate attempts to wriggle out of the mess.
A Daring Genre Shift
The trailer makes heavy references to the Drishyam franchise, and the influence is evident. But what works in Bharathanatyam 2 is how it plays with that inspiration by subverting expectations and steering clear of predictability, much like its muse.
But unlike the serious nature of Drishyam franchise, the laughs come in with every scene here.
Director Krishnadas Murali, returning from the first film, begins in familiar territory, retaining the slice-of-life tone while introducing new players like Govindaraja and his nephew Subhash (Baby Jean).
Even when the first major twist lands, the film maintains this tonal base, albeit with a more frantic energy as the family tries to keep their 'family secrets' under wraps. There are several entertaining stretches here, particularly those involving a local temple.
The film takes bold, satirical digs at religious practices and institutional absurdities, that feels especially daring in today's climate.
Also, the revelation that brings relevance to the title of the film is too funny.
Just when you think the film has shown its hand at comedy, Bharathanatyam 2 shifts its gear to fourth when the crime gets committed. From here, the narrative leans fully into its dark comedic-thriller space.
This is where the sequel truly distinguishes itself. The screenplay by Krishnadas Murali and Vishnu R Pradeep is packed with clever turns, sustained humour, and escalating tension, as the family scrambles to cover their tracks under the watchful eye of a suspicious neighbour. It is consistently funny, yet increasingly nerve-wracking.
Importantly, the film avoids stagnation. Instead of looping over the same beats, it keeps complicating matters for the main characters with new developments and uneasy alliances. The return of Abhiram Radhakrishnan's troublemaker from the first film adds further momentum.
However, when the family ropes in Eapen (Jagadish), the film takes a particularly daring turn. Even Georgekutty would have baulked at what follows.
To be clear, I am not opposed to boundary-pushing. The genre supports such a ballsy move.
But what unsettled me was how readily the family embraces some of these morally questionable choices without any real introspection. While their initial mistake can be excused as accidental, some of their later actions veer into cold, sociopathic territory.
I am not moralising here, I enjoy dark humour. But given how endearing this family was in the first film, the lack of psychological reckoning here felt disturbing.
That said, it is undeniably a bold creative choice, one that both tests boundaries and playfully mocks them. If you are willing to go along with this dark shift -- and judging by the audience response in my screening, many are -- Bharathanatyam 2 takes the risk and comes out as a winner with it.
Vinay Forrt's CI Parthan's entry in these portions adds another delightful layer of humour while simultaneously raising the stakes for the protagonists.
Enjoyable Performances From the Whole Cast
What I also appreciated about the sequel is how it makes fuller use of Bharathan's family, giving each member a moment to shine.
For example, Nandu S Poduval, who plays Sasidharan's elder brother-in-law, had little to do in the first film, but the veteran makes a solid impression here.
Saiju Kurup remains reliably engaging (and even gets a cheeky, Rajni-style intro card for his 150th film), while returning actors like Kalaranjini (simply excellent), Sreeja Ravi, Sruthy Suresh, Divya M Nair, Abhiram Radhakrishnan, Swathidas Prabhu, Jinil Rex, and Jivin Rex all play their parts well.
Among the new additions, Suraj Venjaramoodu is terrific as the diabolical Govindaraja. Jagadish, despite limited screen time, makes his presence stand out in the latter half, and he also gets to deliver a hilarious recall to Mammootty's mopey drama Vesham.
The real surprise, however, is Baby Jean. While he was quite good in Alappuzha Gymkhana, the rapper gets more room here to showcase his comic timing, and he is simply fantastic.
I am already on board to see them coming together for Bharathanatyam 3 (Kathakali, perhaps?) whenever that happens; I am sure Bharathan Nair would have had more secrets left to unleash chaos!
Bharathanatyam 2 Review Rediff Rating: