Director Vetri Maran is a powerful voice in Tamil cinema who has carved a unique niche in the industry. Like his politics, his films also cannot be ignored. Through his work, he highlights themes of oppression, divisive politics and caste injustice, constantly questioning systemic flaws. Viduthalai Part 1 was a movie that hit the theaters in 2023. After over a year, comes Viduthalai Part 2, which addresses the unanswered questions of the first instalment.

Viduthalai Part 2 starts from where Part 1 ended – with the arrest of Perumal (Vijay Sethupathi). Officer Sunil (Gautham Menon) interrogates him, removing his clothes during the interrogation. His arrest sparked tension in the media and political circles. When news of his detention leaked, senior police officers ordered him to be transferred to a secure facility. During transportation, Perumal takes a trip down memory lane and tells his side of the story.

The second part presents the story of Perumal and traces his origins. Before becoming the leader of his separatist group, Makkal Padai, he goes through a traumatic incident involving Karuppan (Ken Karunas). Through this, he is introduced to KK (Kishore), who takes him on the path of revolution. What happens to Perumal? Will he surrender before the police? Will the police try to kill him? All these questions were answered in two hours and 52 minutes.

Viduthalai Part 2, directed by Vetri Maran, is strong in its content. In short, it serves as a handbook for communism. The filmmaker simplifies the concept and presents it in a way that is easily understandable to the common man and the people of today. Through Viduthalai 2, he asks the right questions and forces people to think about who is right and what is right.

Here is the trailer:

The Ken Karunas episode in the initial part of the film sets the mood of the film and keeps you on the edge of your seats. A major plus point of Viduthalai 2, apart from the stellar performances, are the punchy dialogues written by Vetri Maran. From explaining the foundation of communism to how the Makkal Padai group resorts to violence and its consequences have been presented in an interesting manner.

That said, Viduthalai, Part 2 is not a film without flaws. When the film traces Perumal’s origins, the tone becomes slightly preachy. It’s during these moments that the film lags and drags. Although the dialogue is strong, there are voices even when the characters are not in frame, indicating that they were added at the last minute. Viduthalai Part 2 is a dialogue-heavy film which might not be everyone’s cup of tea.

Vijay Sethupathi has anchored the film with a brilliant performance, while Sori as Kumarsen has supported him well in the second half. Suri really shines during the intermission and climax. Viduthalai Part 2 questions the official system, and it shows several moments that portray the arrogance of higher officials. Every supporting actor from Kishore, Ilavarasu, Thamizh, Chetan to Balaji Sakthivel played their roles. Manju Warrier, in her limited screentime, could have played a stronger role.

Viduthalai Part 2 gives a proper closure to the characters and the story, and is a commendable effort. With some recurring lip-sync issues and a dialogue-driven story, the sequel concludes the story with many progressive ideologies and ideas on display.