The much-anticipated Tamil film “Indian 2,” featuring the reunion of renowned names Kamal Haasan and director S. Shankar after 28 years, was released in theaters on Friday to mixed reviews. “Indian 2” is a sequel to the 1996 cult film “Indian,” directed by Shankar. The sequel is considered a significant return for director Shankar, who faced challenges following the passing of writer Sujatha in 2008. Shankar and Sujatha had a successful partnership, producing many hits in the Tamil film industry, including “Enthiran” with Rajinikanth and Aishwarya Rai, “Indian,” “Mudhalvan,” “Boys,” and “Shivaji: The Boss.” Shankar co-wrote the script for “Indian 2” with writers B. Jeyamohan, Kabilan Vairamuthu, and Lakshmi Saravana Kumar. In the film, Kamal Haasan reprised his role as Senapathy, affectionately known as ‘Indian Thatha’ by fans, who fights corruption using the ancient Indian martial art practice of ‘varma kalai.’ The filmmakers initially sought permission from the Tamil Nadu government to hold a 6 am show, which was allowed in neighboring states Kerala, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, and Telangana. Although permission for the 6 am show was denied, they did receive approval for an additional show, making it five screenings in the first three days.
Before the release of “Indian 2”, director Shankar announced on social media that some of the theme music from the original movie would return in the sequel, thanking specific individuals. The music for the first film was composed by A R Rahman, while Anirudh composed the music for the sequel. The decision to bring back the character Senapathy, now aged 106 in the plot, was a topic of discussion during promotional tours. During a press conference in Mumbai, Kamal Haasan joked about acting at 120 years old, while director Shankar cited a 120-year-old Chinese martial artist to defend the character’s abilities. “Indian 2” is jointly produced by Lyca Productions and Red Giant Movies, and features actors Siddharth, S J Suryah, Bobby Simha, Gulshan Grover, and the late Nedumudi Venu.