Review Overview
Performances
Story & Narration
Technical Aspects & Music
An impressive, authentic political statement!
Uriyadi 2 is a bona fide political drama that stays true to its intent and comes out clean. The film does suffer from some small drawbacks here and there, but what Vijay Kumar has achieved with his limited resource space is something that deserves an applause.
Cast: Vijay Kumar, Sudhakar, Vismaya & others
Cinematography: Praveen Kumar N
Music: Govind Vasantha
Editing: Linu M
Art Director: Ezhumalai Adikesavan
Written & Directed by: Vijay Kumar
Produced by: Suriya’s 2D Entertainment
Distribution: Sakthi Film Factory
Release Date: 05-04-2019
Run Time: 01:59:00
Vijay Kumar’s Uriyadi was an intense drama that spoke at large about caste politics, but didn’t quite get its worth in theatres during its run. The film earned some fans after most people saw it online or through other sources. This led to the rise of another film as a sequel-in-spirit, coming in with Vijay Kumar at the center stage once again, but on another land. Uriyadi 2 is a strong and striking effort from the man, who successfully writes and delivers an engrossing political drama that educates, emotionally connects and makes you root for the characters.
In recent times, no other film has depicted the pain and struggle surrounding the Sterlite incident so well. Vijay has thoroughly studied the day-to-day events that took place during the torrid times, putting them into his fictional base and giving rise to a powerful story that demands our attention. The first half of the film does take its time to establish the plot and the backdrop, with a small comic skit and a romantic track taking away a space of about 40 minutes. The pre-interval sequence is interestingly designed without much dialogue or action, with the entire intensity being brought forward purely by the reactions and the terrific music. Post the halfway mark, Uriyadi 2 is smooth and fluent but for the occasional minute-long lag which is easily negligible. Here, Vijay Kumar thrusts poking, thought-provoking dialogues that will make you sit up. For fans of the action from the first part, there’s also a rewarding scene at the end with the ‘Agni Kunjodru Kanden’ track setting up the flames.
Vijay Kumar’s fire in the writing is what makes Uriyadi 2 worth the watch, for he smartly infuses his strong and punchy storyline within a format that is accessible to the audiences. While a 15-minute sequence post the interval would be disturbing for some, the payoff is handsome, proving that the initial part was required in order to feel for the characters onscreen. Through the relatable dialogues, the director raises valid questions on the current scenario, and puts across a highly matured level of social commentary. It is this wonderful stitching-in that makes the film special. Eight times out of ten, it could have gone the preachy way.
Govind Vasantha’s music ably supports the narration on screen. Though his work here is a step backward from his other two recent outings, mainly because of the occasionally loud scores, it is a worthy addition to the narrative. A special mention to him for allowing the makers to use the riveting track from the first part. Technically, the film is neat enough and the runtime of 118 minutes is an added advantage, though some may definitely feel that the film ran for longer.
Toting up, Uriyadi 2 is a bona fide political drama that stays true to its intent and comes out clean. The film does suffer from some small drawbacks here and there, but what Vijay Kumar has achieved with his limited resource space is something that deserves an applause.