‘Mathu Vadalara 2’ movie review: Satya makes this spoofy thriller drama a fun watch

Sri Simha Koduri and Satya in director Ritesh Rana’s ‘Mathu Vadalara 2’

The 2019 Telugu comedy thriller Mathu Vadalaraenjoys a loyal fan base among movie buffs for its quirky writing and surprises at every turn. For its sequel Mathu Vadalara 2, director Ritesh Rana retains two among the three principal characters, Babu (Sri Simha Koduri) and Yesu (Satya). The duo has moved on from being delivery agents to investigation officers in a fictional HE (high emergency) team. A suspension of disbelief is a prerequisite to watch this comedy, which combines goofy, silly and spoofy fun. When the fun quotient wears off after a point, it is easy to see through the lack of sharpness in the script compared to part one. However, Satya’s effortlessly entertaining performance makes the film a laugh riot.

Ritesh Rana is aware of the recall value Mathu Vadalara enjoys. He peppers the sequel with ample references to the first film, right from the no-smoking disclaimer in the voice of the elderly woman we saw in part one, only to be cut short by a voice that asserts she is not part of the sequel. Ajay returns with a different identity and so does Vennela Kishore. The director, who shares the writing credits with R Teja, uses these two characters to comment on the ways of the film industry and society. One is a ‘toxic abbayi’ (toxic guy), while another is ‘youth star’ Yuva whose fans call themselves Yuveniles. More like juveniles! A film under production is titled ‘Moron’ and in another scene, we see a character wearing an ‘Animal’ t-shirt. A not-to-subtle message about the mob mentality of fans is also thrown into the narrative.

The crux of Mathu Vadalara 2, however, revolves around Babu and Yesu who have not gotten past their urge to make quick money. They look for loopholes in the kidnap cases they help solve and pocket some tidy sums. The first half hour introduces the characters of the HE team — Michael (Sunil), Saxena (Raja Chembolu), Nidhi (Faria Abdullah) and others, headed by Deepa (Rohini) — with ‘meta’ references. For instance, Michael is described as ‘someone who looks like comedian Sunil who has turned villain’ and to highlight that he is an undercover agent, he is seen wearing a canary yellow raincoat (cover)! These portions set the tone for the comedy that we can expect all through the film. 

A few plot points and narrative styles are reminiscent of part one. There is confusion over the floor and apartment numbers. There is an all-purpose knife that is used to break into homes. Yet again, someone is dead and the words ‘rest in peace’ appear. Kaala Bhairava’s music has a few distinct notes similar to that in part one. The characters themselves mention deja vu, as if to preempt the audience finding these elements are familiar. Suresh Sarangam’s cinematography chooses darker tones this time around, in keeping with the HE team and thriller mood.

Snapshots of songs and scenes from Chiranjeevi’s blockbuster films and the bizarre television serial that we witnessed in part one, find continuation here, acting like timestamps at key points of the narrative. The muddle in this film revolves around a kidnap investigation turning awry. The fun lies in what leads into these portions and the plight of the characters who are cornered rather than the later portions that unravel the puzzle. Considerable humour also arises from spelling errors (look out for how the words Lake View Lodge are spelt) or how Satya jumbles up common idioms and phrases. Sample this — ‘don’t book a judge by its cover!’

Mathu Vadalara 2 is Satya’s show all the way, with able support coming in from Simha Koduri, Faria Abdullah, Vennela Kishore, Ajay, Sunil and Raja Chembolu. 

The film is not done before it subverts an oft-repeated gag where the Prime Minister appears on television whenever someone has a big loot of cash. You know the rest.

Mathu Vadalara 2 is currently running in theatres