Cast: Richard Rishi, Rakshana Indichoodan, Natty Natraj, Vela Ramamoorthy, Chirag Jani, Dinesh Lamba, Ganesh Gurang, Y.G. Mahendran, Bharani, Deviyyani Sharma, Divi, Saravana Subbiah, Arunodhayan Lakshmanan
Directed By: Mohan G.
Music By: Ghibran
Produced By: Nethaji Productions – Sola Shakkaravarthi
Thiruvannamalai was the capital of the kingdom ruled by King Vallala III. One of the territories under his rule was Sendamangalam near Villupuram. Veerasimha Kadavarayar, the heir to the ruler of this territory, serves in King Vallala’s Garuda army. The Turks, who had conquered North India, attempt to conquer South India. King Vallala, who fights against them, is brutally murdered. Veerasimha Kadavarayar, saddened by his inability to save the King and the Garuda army soldiers, attempts to take his own life. At that moment, the King appears before him and entrusts him with certain responsibilities.
As Veerasimha Kadavarayar embarks on fulfilling the King’s orders, his wife, Draupadi Devi, falls into a conspiracy, misunderstands her husband, and separates from him. Deciding to make his wife understand his situation when the time is right, Veerasimha Kadavarayar undertakes a journey to fulfill the responsibilities given by the King. What are those responsibilities? Did he succeed? What happens to Draupadi Devi, who is caught in the conspiracy? ‘Draupadi 2’ answers these questions, presenting previously untold historical truths combined with some fictional elements.
Director Mohan G. has attempted to powerfully document a little-known history about King Vallala and the Kadavarayar rulers who governed a small territory under him in the 14th century, and their fight against the Turkish invasion. Richard Rishi, who plays the character of Veerasimha Kadavarayar, has not only done justice to his role but his hard work is also evident on screen. Richard Rishi’s appearance and body language, a result of his dedicated effort for the character, easily make him memorable as Veerasimha Kadavarayar in the minds of the audience.
Rakshana Indhusoodan, who plays the female lead as Draupadi Devi, walks through the film like a statue with her majestic appearance and smiling face. Rakshana Indhusoodan has handled the courageous female character very elegantly through her body language and dialogue delivery, bringing the character of Draupadi to life.
Natti, who plays the character of Vallala Maharaja, seems unsuitable for the role. The makeup applied to his face to portray an 80-year-old man also doesn’t suit him.
Chirag Jani, who plays the character of Muhammad bin Tughlaq, while portraying the cruelty of the Mughals, shows more lust than cruelty in his eyes, failing to instill any fear in the minds of the audience.
Dinesh Lamba, who plays Ghiyasuddin Damghani, constantly seeks female companionship, making his character more awkward than intimidating.
All the other actors and actresses, including Devayani Sharma as Muhammad bin Tughlaq’s wife, Vela Ramamoorthy as Sambuvarayar, Bharani, Divi, Y.G. Mahendran, Saravana Subbiah, and Arunodayan Lakshmanan, have perfectly fit into their historical characters and strengthened the flow of the screenplay.
Cinematographer Philip Raj Sundar has filmed the historical scenes like paintings. In particular, the character of Draupadi Devi, the colors of the costumes she wore, and the lighting used in her scenes all create the experience of viewing an ancient painting. At the same time, the way the outdoor scenes were filmed is quite ordinary and fails to create any significant impact.
Ghibran’s music, both the songs and the background score, strengthens the narrative and is highly listenable. The background music effectively enhances the heroic emotions of the characters and adds intensity to the thrilling sequences.
The work of the technical crew, including S. Devaraj’s editing, Kamalanathan S.’s art direction, and Mohan G.’s costume design, adds further distinction to the film.
The story and dialogues by Padma Chandrasekhar and Mohan G. attempt to tell a lesser-known historical account in an engaging cinematic language. Although the dialogues are simple, Padma Chandrasekhar has very clearly conveyed the message she intended to deliver to the audience.Director Mohan G, by blending historical events with some fictional elements, has attempted to depict the defeat of the Mughal invasion in Tamil Nadu and the story of King Vallala Maharaja behind it. With his intelligent direction, he has tried to deliver a grand historical epic within a limited budget.
While attempting to portray the atrocities committed by the Mughals against Hindus, Director Mohan G repeatedly emphasizing their excessive interest in women is somewhat jarring, and it fails to evoke any anger towards the Mughal rulers in the audience.
Director Mohan G clearly illustrates the difference between war and siege through the visuals, giving the audience the feeling of reading a history book.
Had it been narrated with more details and grander visuals, the film would have amazed the audience. Nevertheless, Director Mohan G’s hard work and effort in bringing such a storyline to the screen within a limited budget are commendable and deserve praise.
