REVIEW

Velaiilla Pattadhari 2, known also as VIP 2, is directed by Soundarya Rajnikanth. A sequel to the 2014 Tamil-language film Velaiilla Pattadhari, it has Dhanush, Amala Paul, Vivek, Saranya Ponvannan and Samuthirakani returning from the first film, other cast including Kajol. Dhanush, besides acting, is also co-producing the film and has written the story and dialogues for the film. The film, which is also co-produced by S. Thanu, has music composed by Sean Roldan. 

STORY

VIP 2 is an epilogue of what happens to a BE graduate, Raghuvaran, after he bags a job in his field of interest. Obviously, it’s not going to be an easy ride as he has to compete against the giant conglomerate run by Vasundhara Parameshwar, to stay put in the industry. With both the individuals being headstrong, will he be able to sustain his job and overcome the likes of Vasundhara, who plans to wipe out his puny business in the construction field? Also, while he faces severe competition in the form of Vasundhara, he is also a family man now. Married to Shalini, he is entitled to all the marital bickering and demands. Basically, the story talks about the hardships of Raghuvaram professionally and personally. 
 

PERFORMANCE

It's without a doubt a cakewalk for Dhanush. He has given his best. Be it acting or fight sequences or punch dialogues, he wins applause from the audience. Another person who gets equally noticed after Dhanush is Kajol. It's a pleasure watching her mouthing Tamil dialogues after 19 years. Her style, attitude, acting everything is on point. For sure fans who were waiting for 19 years will not be disappointed. Vivek has retained his role in the sequel by playing a support for Dhanush. His one liners are at its best. 
 
But there is an interesting role reversal in Raghuvaran’s family. Shalini played by Amala Paul is the dominant person who keeps everyone on their toes. The father, played by Samuthirakani, is now more of a friend and guide, the role that his mother played when she was alive. And talking about the mother, the film does overplay the mother sentiment a bit. Iit is aware of this and even uses it as a running gag — but a scene on the terrace mirroring a similar one from Part 1 still manages to be heartwarming. 
 
Where the film fails is in how it takes their conflict forward. The first film offered the chance to set up the characters in Raghuvaran’s life the first half and then turn Raghuvaran a mass hero in the second half. Here, Soundarya has to set up the conflict right away, so by the time the first half ends, it seems to have covered the whole trajectory of the first film’s narrative. Thus, in the second half, we get another villainous character, Prakash (Saravana Subbaiah), a corrupt businessman who wants to build a theme park in a marshy land. This is a hardly compelling arc, so the film feels like it is running around in circles, trying to gain mileage out of recent events like the jallikattu protests and the Chennai floods. 
 
The other aspect where the film falls sadly short of the original is in the songs, which lack the catchiness of Anirudh’s numbers in the earlier film. While Sean Roldan did well in Pa. Pandi, here, the music lacks the pep that this genre needs. The placement of the songs doesn’t help either. 
 

PLUS

Dhanush And Kajol’s performance   
Dialogues 
Plot 
Climax 

MINUS

Screenplay 
Music 
Song Placement 
 

Verdict : Entertaining! But Less Entertaining When Compared To Prequel!

Stars : 2.5/5