Chennai 28 II Review - The Boys are back and so is the fun!!!

Bharath Vijyakumar

Chennai 28 back in 2007 was a fresh film. Helmed by the then debutant Venkat Prabhu, who had not been as assistant to anyone, the structure of the film was so different to what was being dished out on screen. Riding on the emotional connect that cricket had with the majority, the film touched a chord with anyone who had or was still dirtying his hands playing gully cricket. 9 years from then, a lot has changed. Venkat Prabhu himself has tried to move on to other genres in the meantime. With Chennai 28 II he returns for a second innings. It is tough to manufacture freshness. It has to be in there. After 9 years in tinseltown as a director, has he been able to get back the mojo of his debut flick? Whether the answer is an emphatic yes may be debatable but it is definitely a 'YES'!!!

Plot:

The characters from the first installment have slowly moved on to family life trying to stick on to friends, booze and cricket whenever opportunity knocks. One such opportunity has them relive their glory days on the field.

Cast:

Venkat Prabhu manages to get the best from his boys and the best here means being themselves. Everyone looks at ease and the fun is absolutely relatable. Siva is simply superb. There are jokes that only he can crack or rather they become jokes only when they are mouthed by him. 

Direction:

The film is off to a riotous opening with Siva and his kid (named Sachin) catching some cricket action in a local ground. This really sets up things and you really know that the team has got into the groove quite early on. Much like the first part, the film does not rely on the "what happens next?" template and is more about fun, nostalgia and more fun. The nostalgia part is neatly woven with throwbacks to the first installment bringing an inadvertent smile. Getting together the exact same bunch of actors makes sure everything looks seamless. The main attraction of cricket on the field is captured with all its glory. The delivery that Siva bowls towards the end is the sort of stuff that might make your sides split. If you are familiar with the nuances of the game you can savour the film all the more. The film does try to tell a simple tale as well but all these are kept in check and Venkat Prabhu ensures that the soul of the franchise (can we call this one already?) is always intact. There are tasteful jokes and digs(both self and others) about current happenings as well. Demonetisation, social media critics and what not?

Bottomline:

Chennai 28 II is everything you want it to be. A fun outing that could also be nostalgic to a section of the audience, this is one solid second innings. With outdoor games possibly losing the craze among today's kids with smartphones always at their clutches,  this film could well be one reminder to the future generation on what real fun 'is' or if you want to sound pessimistic 'was'.

Ratings: 3.5/5

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