Sunday, July 15, 2012

Billa 2


Cast: Ajith Kumar, Yog japee, Bruna Abdula, Parvathi Omanakuttan, Vidyut Jamval, Sudhanshu Pandey.
Director: Chakri Toleti
Music:  Yuvan Shankar Raja
Genre: Action Thriller



India's first prequel movie, with expectations sky high, reached the screens with spectacular box office collections, true to "The King Of Opening" title.

Billa 2, traces the up hill graph of David Billa, the journey of a Sri Lankan refugee to the most fearful and dominating don. This graph goes clearly up hill through the first half, stagnates a bit and the gets to a greater gear for good, towards the don we know from 2007.

Kamal Hassan's Unnai Pol Oruvan fame, Chakri Toleti yet again opens an account with a completely different genre; Ajith Kumar starring Billa 2. Billa 2 the prequel of Ajith's Billa 2007 was one of the most awaited films of this year. The film Billa 2's excellent promotion and Thala Ajith fans' expectations after his show down in Mankatha a Venkat Prabhu film, the A rating which fell a shock for the younger crowd; all these factors weighed heavy on Billa 2 film crew's shoulderst challenging. And....

A gripping and ferocious fight with the credits falling....
Sri Lankan refugees getting off beaten up boats, silent people walking towards the Indian shore. Yuvan's music slowly swells, fans take the hint and start cheering as Thala Ajith Kumar peeks his head off the covered boat and steps down. The cheering continues till his walk towards the check in booth. That is David Billa, he, unlike other refugees continues to maintain his dignity and remains a prick for the evil officers in-charge of the refugee camp. This makes him famous and people are in the verge of accepting him as their leader; special teas, salutes and a small gang always around. 


But for David Billa this is just a step towards the bigger life. Then the film gradually progresses trying to cope up with David Billa's stature progress.

Ajith yet again makes an one man show as in the previous flick Mankatha, and carries the film through all the bumps. There are scenes which he deals just with his presence, charisma, and style. Era Murugan and Mohamed Zafar lines extensively studded with punches treat the fans and had managed well without a single comedy or at least one liners. Ranjith, the right hand of Billa (from the previous flick) was played finely by Yog Japee. Ranjith is a loyal person who remains with Billa throughout the film. His dialogues and body language are well structured and clearly marks him as the one who accepts David Billa as someone above him from the start. Though the main heroine Parvathy Omanakuttan, doesn't fair well, but the other female lead, Bruna does a good job and the film extensively uses her looks. The two villains Dmitri and Abbassi, taken care by Vidyut Jamval, Sudhanshu Pandey are excellent, the first one is given an introductory fight sequence, but, for the latter his looks and language does it all. Both maintain their character excellently and are pleasingly fit. 

Yuvan Shankar Raja, has lent some of the best tunes to give the necessary sparks, and wonderfully uses swell ups, during the high pulse times. The background score supports the film greatly and falls very appropriate. Though some songs were not much demanded at their slots, they are forgiven for the good music and  flashy foreign dancers. 

The fight sequences are wonderful and does not seem very much far from the real world. They sure answer the question as to why the film was rated A. The fights often give us a first person view, rising the pulse and succeeds in giving the expected thrills. 

This film is an ultimate Ajith fan crowd quencher, and yes this does more than quenching, but the 'A' certificate does reduce the attendance challenging the film.

Though the punches are awesome, some fall at not-so-needed places.The dialogue sometimes seem childish;  particularly during the introductory scene of Jasmine (Parvathy Omanakuttan), where the dialogue writer seriously suffers, as the director wants us to know both, that her name is Jasmine and she calls David, 'mama' in a single scene. 

The aerial fight sequence where Ajith has done a daredevil stunt which gained popularity, far before the release fails to justify the viral hype. The lap dance song sequence in the second half seemed very much unwanted, and affects pace. The omission of the song 'Idhyam En Idhyam' disappointed the melody lovers, and it is also worrying see a peppy number like 'Gang Gang Gangster' go in vain as the title sequence. The pace seems to reduce in the second half though the heroism and the don aura surrounding Ajith are least affected.

To conclude, this is a good entertainer, typical gangster movie, and a treat for Thala fans all over, and makes a head shot appeal to them, but the general audience may not consider a second visit to the beginning, of the don's life.