The first "Vaazha" (or Vaazha: Biopic of a Billion Boys) was not perfect, but, in terms of therapeutic value, it delivered enough to alleviate some of the discomfort that comes with reliving some... err... past trauma. Those among us who had unpleasant interactions with their parents, especially their fathers, had a few "literally me" moments to take from "Vaazha", which revolved around youngsters dealing with the overwhelming burden imposed upon them as a result of the unfavourable circumstances and expectations of their predecessors and previous generations. It also benefited from meaningful visual and verbal metaphors that naturally come with the title, which could refer to either a 'plantain' or a 'good-for-nothing' individual, depending on the context. Basically, "Planting a plantain would've been more useful than a son."
The second film, "Vaazha 2: Biopic of a Billion Bros", is relatively devoid of several interesting flourishes that made the first film richer and stronger. But that doesn't make it a "bad" film either. Oddly enough, the follow-up has some aspects that are stronger compared to the original, and vice versa. I found “Vaazha 2” to be a funnier film. A day before watching it, I rewatched “Vaazha”, and I warmed up to it even more than I did three years ago. Yes, it's only three years, but life can give you a lot of perspective in that time. After all, three years is the time it takes to finish certain degrees. There are scenes and dialogues in the first film that you begin to notice more now than you did back then.
Unfortunately, social media reactions can sometimes play party pooper, shaping one's perspective when it comes to responding to certain emotions. Somebody will find something "cringe", and the other person begins to believe it is. Those who strongly believe that the emotions were genuine still stand by the film today, rather than get swayed by some random netizen's narrow-minded views. Not to generalise, but those born into privilege, with extremely supportive parents with whom they didn't have any heated quarrels, may cringe at parts of “Vaazha” and “Vaazha 2” but that doesn’t necessarily mean those emotions aren’t genuine — both written by filmmaker Vipin Das ("Jaya Jaya Jaya Jaya Hey", "Guruvayoor Ambala Nadayil").
Look, how can someone say with one-hundred-per-cent certainty that so-and-so actor's emotional performance in a certain scene was cringe-inducing when they did not go through the same experience? For instance, there is one intense father-son confrontation that I strongly connected to because I went through almost the same episode in my life when I was going through my "loser" phase. (I won't say which because it's very personal.) I believe it was the same scene that was trolled by some on social media because they found it "overacting". How would you know? I say this as someone who once had this habit of making such ridiculous assumptions without fully knowing the circumstances that person grew up in or their mindset.
The original film’s shortcomings notwithstanding, it managed to give each character individual personality traits that made them stand out. (I cannot say the same, however, for films like "Aavesham" or "Romancham".) So, before seeing “Vaazha 2”, I wondered whether it would deliver the same level of highs, if not throughout, at least in most places. Thankfully, the second film presents enough characters with redeemable qualities, even though it doesn't have the same edge. The reason I find “Vaazha” much superior is that we clearly know the source of its lead characters' aggression. It started with their fathers, who were as much the main characters as their sons. There is a strong sense of involvement on their part, a quality that “Vaazha 2” lacks except, of course, for one deeply moving father-son bond where the older actor, often associated with comic roles, demonstrates that he can pull off a serious character too.
Though it doesn't follow the first film's template to the T, there are narrative beats in “Vaazha 2” that feel like a retread of what we saw in “Vaazha”. But in terms of humour, this one scores higher. That movie theatre scene is literally a riot, and for us watching this scene in a crowded theatre felt like an act of solidarity — a simple case of vicariously experiencing certain acts of derring-do that we wouldn't try ourselves. And that 'mission' to circumcise one of the boys by his relatives is staged like a hilarious heist. How can we not laugh when the man with the blade arrives with a smile? The Alphonse Puthren police character works too. That "Premam" reference was beautiful!
"Vaazha 2" may be accused of being preachy, but I think it knows where to be preachy and where not to be. After all, it's a movie. Some messages have to be loud enough for even the backbenchers to hear. There is some terrific detailing here and there. Take, for example, a hospital scene where someone asks why a man who "never drinks" suffered from liver cirrhosis, and we suddenly remember an earlier casual mention of a father telling his son to take an Ayurvedic tonic to "purify" his stomach. It also draws from real events — the 2025 Palakkad school incident, where a boy behaved aggressively with his teacher after his phone was confiscated; the 2022 'pappadam fight' at an Alappuzha wedding feast. Despite the gravity of these incidents, they provide enough fodder for a meme or a... movie script?
As with the first film, what elevates “Vaazha 2” is the cast itself. These talented performers have much in common with the actors of writer-director Girish AD’s work ("Premalu", "Super Sharanya"). They act without being self-conscious, as if they aren't aware the camera is following them. It has to do with the fact that they are already content creators; what they do in these films is an extension of what they did before on their own. Of course, it goes without saying that watching the second film without being acquainted with the original characters would feel incomplete because both films are set in the same universe: the Easter eggs/crossovers are part of the fun. Both films prove once again that no matter how many school/college/coming-of-age films come and go, there's still room for more, provided the treatment is fresh.
Film: Vaazha 2: Biopic of a Billion Bros
Director: Savin Sa
Cast: Hashir, Alan Bin Siraj, Ajin Joy, Vinayak, Alphonse Puthren, Sudheesh, Aju Varghese, Vijay Babu
Rating: 3.5/5
