He is a star today, defined by cigar smoking, sunglasses flipping, slow-motion walking, and everything that just makes him the ‘superstar’. And yes, while Jailer 2 does have a semblance of a story that moves Tiger Muthuvel Pandian’s tale forward, let’s not pretend that’s why anyone’s heading to the theatres this weekend. There was a time when Rajinikanth was an actor. That time is long gone. Nelson Dilipkumar seems to have mastered the art of banking on that.
It’s no wonder that after the massive misfire that was Lokesh Kanagaraj ’s Coolie, Nelson and Rajinikanth did not oversell Jailer 2. More than anything, Jailer 2 depends on Rajinikanth’s aura farming for close to three hours straight. That is not to say the film is boring, as the duo manages to pull off the impossible. Even though it’s filled chock-a-block with other stars, it’s no surprise that everyone only comes second to Rajinikanth. Most of them don’t even have much to do sometimes, beyond elevating Muthu and the star playing him. But it works for the most part. Watching him flip his glasses and empty ammunition into bad men can get tiring, but Nelson ensures that never happens. He injects just enough story that still bends at the star’s altar, but has enough danger to make you wonder where all this could go. People around Muthu are constantly threatened, and he’s always around to save the day. It’s predictable, but it’s also fun to watch when Yogi Babu and Namo Narayana get to be silly with him. Especially when Muthu remains straight-faced, in true-blue Nelson hero style through it all.
They take a story they’ve already told and amp it up when it comes to the humour and the masala.
Nelson moves the story by an inch from the first part when it should’ve been moved by a mile. The women in this story, even the ‘strong’ ones like Kantha Kalpak ( Vidya Balan ), get some uncomfortable arcs. The flirtatious vibe between her character and Muthu gets supremely uncomfortable after a while, especially when she’s reduced to hailing what a ‘man’ he is. A scene involving a pregnant woman is also hard to sit through, especially when it exists solely to show Muthu’s heroism. Have we learnt nothing from TJ Gnanavel’s Vettaiyan? The two special numbers, Ala Bolelo and Bindaas, featuring Poorna and Nora Fatehi, only add to the runtime. There’s also a hint of a sequel, which feels unnecessary. Nelson and Rajinikanth pull off a mass masala film that is breezy to sit through and doesn’t feel like a try-hard. The cameos, especially the much-hyped ‘surprise’ ones, might not have the same kind of impact Shiva Rajkumar, Mohanlal and Jackie Shroff did in the first part, but they still hook you. And maybe, that’s all fans need.
At the end of it all, if you’re not a Rajinikanth fan, Jailer 2 barely has anything to offer you. When a 75-year-old who has slowed down and is playing a grandfather can so easily outdo younger heroes in a commercial film, there’s not much more to add.
