Five reasons why Kamal Haasan's 'Vishwaroopam 2' derailed at the box-office

Ulaganayagan Kamal Haasan's most anticipated film of the year 'Vishwaroopam 2' finally hit the theatres on August 10, 2018. The film was opened with packed houses in almost all release centres and the credit goes to the legacy created by its prequel which was released five years ago.

As per the latest reports from theatres, this magnum opus has apparently failed to live up to the expectations. So, what went wrong with 'Vishwaroopam 2'?

Kamal Haasan's non-linear way of story-telling

'Vishwaroopam 2' cannot be considered a direct sequel to the 2013 blockbuster 'Vishwaroopam'. Instead, this new movie is actually a prequel and sequel to the 2013 film. While narrating the story, Kamal Haasan jumps many times in to the past and present, and this has created enough confusion in the minds of the audience. Even though the film is good with its technicalities, this messed up way of storytelling often pulls audience to a state of boredom.

Kamal Haasan successfully tried to connect the missing links in the prequel with new events showcased in the movie. However, the film lacked that racy way of story-telling which is considered a pre-requisite for such thriller movies. 

Sheer wastage of talent

Even though Kamal Haasan is a brilliant actor and director, most of his movies often turn out to be his own one-man show, and the same case is repeated in 'Vishwaroopam 2'. Kamal, who himself is the director has spoiled to reap the best from a talented actor like Sekhar Kapoor. Instead, he was seen intentionally focussing all the camera attention to his own mannerisms and antiques.

The character of Andrea Jeremiah had sufficient screen space, but her role made a mark only at the end moment. Pooja Kumar who did a commendable job in the prequel failed to impress in this much-awaited sequel.

Tiring running time

'Vishwaroopam 2' has a tiring run time of more than 150 minutes. The first half of the film is nearly 90 minutes in length, and it literally tested the patience of the audiences. The film would have been crispier and enjoyable if the runtime had been cut short to less than 120 minutes.

Lack of Goosebump moments

'Vishwaroopam', released in 2013 was such a movie loaded with many scenes capable of giving goosebumps to the viewers. The impact created by the transition scene in 'Vishwaroopam' was literally impeccable. Audiences were expecting such stunning sequences in this sequel too, but there was not even a single scene in this film that matched the quality of its prequel. The number of action scenes was also less compared to the first part. 

The censor board barrier

As per reports from the Central Board of Film Certification, the Hindi and Tamil versions of 'Vishwaroopam 2' received 14 and 22 cuts respectively. It should be noted that several words including 'IFS' have been asked to cut off from the movie citing various reasons. When 'beep' sounds grace our ears every five to ten minutes, how can the audience enjoy the film to the fullest?