Not very often have there been well made sequels to thrillers in Indian cinema. Even if a well made thriller ends on a cliff-hanger, rarely are sequels even made on them. One of the rarities could be Drishyam starring Mohanlal in lead role and directed by Jeethu Joseph. 7 years after the release of Drishyam, the makers came out with a sequel in 2020 and quite surprisingly lived up to all the built expectations. The film was a thundering success on Amazon Prime Video, with remakes rolling soon after. Another example could be Kahaani, whose sequel Kahaani 2 however didn’t do well commercially and critically.
Since Jiivi 2 announcement, Tamil cinema was looking forward to its own Drishyam moment, we reckon. Jiivi released in the year 2019 to great critical acclaim and was even a box-office success without having any big-wig name attached to it. One of Tamil Cinema’s well written thrillers last decade announced a sequel in works as it completed three years of release.
The first part followed Saravanan (Vetri), a smart man who after a jinxed affair crafts plans of theft from his landlady along with his friend. Saravanan however is taken aback at some weird coincidences that hit his own family and the land lady. With the teaser of Jiivi 2 released recently, the film seems to have picked up the story and elements right from where Jiivi ended and many actors from the first part have reprised their respective parts besides Vetri. It seems like Vetri and Karunakaran’s story gets a well deserved conclusion in Jiivi 2 from the looks of the teaser. The makers have retained the main star-cast including Rohini and Karunakaran as Lakshmi and Mani, respectively. Ashwini Chandrashekar is also onboard Jiivi 2 reprising her role of ‘Kavitha’.
The buzz surrounding Jiivi 2 will definitely transit into theatre foot-falls and increased viewership for Jiivi on Amazon Prime Video. It’s a blessing in disguise for the film because all the heat surrounding the sequel will only amplify the hype around the film series. And luckily if the sequel turns out half as good as its first part, Tamil cinema could even bark in the glory of their own Drishyam moment.
VJ Gopinath gets back on the director’s chair for the sequel (Jiivi was his directorial debut), with most of the crew returning back from part 1. Jiivi 2 is all set for a theatrical release on July 28th. We hope Jiivi 2 lives up to the high expectations it has set for itself and joins the ranks of Drishyam in delivering well made thriller sequels.
Watch Jiivi on Amazon Prime Video and teaser of Jiivi 2 below:
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