- Date of Release: 10 April 2026
- Genre: Black Comedy, Thriller
- Language: Malayalam
- Watch On: Theatres Only
Bharathanatyam 2 Mohiniyattam
Introduction
The initial subtext of blind faith and religion in the new Malayalam film Bharathanatyam 2 Mohiniyattam was enough to tell me that this remained a superior sequel to Bharathanatyam (2024). The issue that I had with the first film wasn’t really the premise which had all the ingredients of a chaotic comedy. It was more to do with the stakes in the narrative given how the writing didn’t really elevate the drama in the second hour, while choosing to go around in circles with the confusion in store. In that sense, the sequel absolutely hits it out of the park – simply for daring to be considerably different with its genre and tone, while retaining the general traits of its characters. For instance when you are reintroduced to the character of Sasi (Saiju Kurup), he is still a diligent and dutiful son – this time to his step mother and his father’s second wife Rukmini (Sreeja Ravi) – helping her family out with a mansion of their own in the town of Sreekandapuram. It remains his specific trait of being sincere towards his family, except that his sincerity would be tested following a very specific incident.
Story & Screenplay
Written by Krishnadas Murali and Vishnu R Pradeep, Bharathanatyam 2 tests the viewers notion of faith through the inclusion of a new character Govindaraja (Suraj Venjaramoodu). Through the initial reels, it is clear that Govindaraja is a shady figure of his town – often offering his services as a broker in order to siphon money from the locals. In a scene, you see him dismissing a character who comes up to him in order to help him search his missing daughter sent to a foreign land through Govindaraja’s agency. Even in matters of faith, you see him admittedly being a part of a huge scam, given his involvement in opening a temple with Sasi’s father – all in order to accumulate amounts of money based on people’s faith. This single conflict is a daring plot-point given the atmosphere of the country that is exceedingly leaning on religion and faith, without the idea of questioning anything related to it.
It is interesting on how the drama here can be viewed as an alternate version of Drishyam – and I say alternate because it is a tonal-twin of the Jeethu Joseph film. The events and the structure remain similar – an incident transpiring changes the lives of the family members of Sasi forever, forcing him to be their ‘George Kutty’. But the idea of its tone can be viewed on two accounts – on how that one incident is presented with several bouts of dark humour, while transpiring in broad daylight, unlike Drishyam that was completely opposite in tone. The chaos ensuing is reminiscent of a Priyadarshan film wherein every character has a role to play here. And hence, the writing here barters the heartfelt emotions for a genuine bouts of dark humour that are ticklish in nature.
It is interesting on how the structure of the drama here is same as the first Bharathanatyam. The quest remains about hiding a truth from the people outside – except that the truth here isn’t awkward but largely messy to begin with. It is also interesting on how both the films name their menaces Subhash – a streak of nostalgia that would connect the narratives in a wicked manner. So when Subhash (Abhiram Radhakrishnan) says that Subhash Jr (Baby Jean) understood the conflict of Sasi and his family, just in the first act of the second hour, even as he took an entire second hour to wrap his head around it (a reference to the 1st film) – you just know that the comedy lands beautifully.
What makes the comedy work here is also its set of twisted characters – a butcher who silently wishes to get even with a character, a goofy cop who is tasked with the investigation behind the sudden disappearance of a character, a bunch of characters from Sasi’s family that are dealing with conflicts of their own, and a relative of the missing personnel who is hell bent on solving the mystery. It is a crackling cocktail of humour that invariably results in a series of twists and turns, with loyalties of the characters switching only to add to the confusion.
This remained masterful storytelling simply because it created a marriage of the two worlds – Jeethu Joseph’s Drishyam and a typical Priyadarshan comedy. And as a result, the stakes in the drama are raised every minute in the second hour (a complaint from the first film that was nullified here) – almost having a comedic rhythm to the proceedings. Be it the wicked checklist that preceded a hilarious final act, with every character’s involvement being quantified amidst the backdrop of some really dark events. Or even a twisted finale that peppered the narrative with a sinister ending amidst subtle bouts of dark humour. At the cost of repeating myself – this is genius writing and a significant sequel upgrade in one of the finest black comedies that I have watched in recent times.
Dialogues, Music & Direction
The dialogues cater to a variety of humour ranging from meta to dark to physical and situational, but every string is tied perfectly through the lines to create a bout of laughter at frequent intervals. The music is significantly different from the first film, while adding darker undertones to its notes – something that works wonderfully here. Even the BGM does enough to keep you on tenterhooks, without diluting the impact of humour on the proceedings.
The cinematography uses the production design effectively, almost creating an atmosphere that compliments the frothy nature of the drama while accounting for a significant tonal shift towards a black comedy that immediately creates a contrast. It remains similar to a pizza being served in a glass – as weird as it sounds, and as much as it seems like an oxymoron of sorts. But in the same breath, the frames keep you abreast with the vulnerabilities of the characters that remain vital cogs in a screenplay of this nature.
The editing pattern is crisp and sharp, so much so that there is a rhythm to the proceedings in play. As a result, the drama never really gets bogged down at any given point, while consistently maintaining a tempo of humour. Director Krishnadas Murali must be applauded for this bold tonal shift from the first film. But in the same breath, you realise how self-aware the filmmaking is while maintaining a firm grip on the proceedings with its characters and humour. The chaotic nature of the screenplay needed a tender assured hand in filmmaking, and the kind of control that the director showcases here – it is absolutely brilliant to witness!
Performances
The performances are wonderful to witness by the members of the cast. The likes of Balachandran Chullikadu, Salim Hassan, Manoj Kumar and Santhosh K Nayar lend superb support, while adding their versions of the chaos to the proceedings. The veterans Jagadish and Nandu Poduval are such exceptional performers who easily mould themselves in a chaotic comedy here, while putting forth exceptional acts. The twins Jinil Rex and Jivin Rex as Arun and Ajay respectively, are wonderful to witness here, and both of them manage to shine. Divya M Nair as Santhi and Sruthy Suresh as Sreelatha are first rate, while consistently adding urgency to the proceedings.
Sreeja Ravi as Rukmini is sincere and earnest while showing impeccable bouts of restraint through her performance. Swathidas Prabhu as Gopan is a delight to witness here, and he effortlessly manages to tickle your funny bone. Kalaranjini as Saraswathi delivers a crack(l)ing performance, even as I had a smile on my face everytime she appeared onscreen. Abhiram Radhakrishnan as Subhash uses his poker-faced expressions to such good use here, while managing to impress with his comic timing.
Vinay Forrt as CI Parthan will go down as one of my favourite characters here, simply given how hia goofy demeanor cuts through the seriousness of the situation. He deserves a spin-off movie of his own, with an origin story that would be so much fun to witness. He is fabulous with his act here. Baby Jean as Subhash Jr is a laugh-riot with his expressions and body-language, often also keeping you guessing with the loyalties of his character. He was phenomenal to witness here.
Suraj Venjaramoodu has got to be one of the most versatile actors of current times, and how effortlessly he portrays the sinister energy of his character with several bouts of black humour. His screentime was limited but boy, he was an absolute joy to witness here. Saiju Kurup as Sasi is wonderfully understated while also accounting for several bouts of humour along the way. There is a certain level of grace mixed with grey shades of humour that formulates his character here, and Saiju doesn’t miss a single beat here while consistently leveling up with his measured sense of dark humour.
Conclusion
Featuring excellent performances, Bharathanatyam 2 Mohiniyattam is brilliant dark comedy wrapped in a significant sequel upgrade that makes for a hilarious watch. Available in a theatre near you and Highly Recommended.