For starters, Dhilluku Dhuddu 2 starring Santhanam and Motta Rajendran in the lead comes off as a redemption effort by the film’s makers, their opportunity to improve the things that went wrong in the first film - Dhilluku Dhuddu. In that sense, this film, directed by Rambhala, has many things working for it.
Santhanam plays Viji, an auto driver who is also notorious for the pranks he pulls on his neighbours. Motta Rajendran plays his uncle/mama and the two live together in a small house. Dhilluku Duddu 2 uses almost all the same elements from the first film - there’s the mansion, the woman ghost, the father who opposes his daughter’s match, in addition to Santhanam and Motta Rajendran.
The execution here, however, is much better than the first. The film’s intro scenes where Santhanam’s and Motta Rajendran’s characters are described, although predictable, are quite funny. However, the first half, other than a few moments, has very ordinary comedy. Thankfully, the film picks up after the interval.
Dhilluku Dhuddu 2 has a simple storyline. Viji’s neighbours, tired of his antics, plan on setting him up with Maya (played by Deepti) who works as a physiotherapist in a hospital. Maya, who hails from Kerala, is the daughter of a black magician. Banking on her strange identity, Viji’s neighbours hope that the relationship between the two would help them get rid of him once and for all. What happens from here forms the rest of the story.
The interval block, however, could been much better. All it manages to do is try to elicit a few laughs from Santhanam’s oft-repeated antics. Although Santhanam’s insult comedy is quite repetitive, the film is saved by Motta Rajendran. The film’s pre-climax portions inside the haunted bungalow are the only memorable scenes.
Urvashi and Bipin play local sorcerers from Kerala. Scenes that involve Motta Rajendran, Urvashi and Bipin in the second half are a riot. While we know what might happen inside the haunted house, the door scene, Motta Rajendran’s ‘Conjuring pei’ remark, the Cadbury ‘kiss-me’ ad scene with the ghost and the portion between Urvashi and the other ghosts are quite hilarious. At times, Santhanam’s insulting, not-so-funny one-liners can be distracting for the film’s mood.
The actor, however, has performed the stunts better this time. The make-up and sound effects in DD2 are the film’s high points but the songs seems a little out of place. The film has a very Conjuring-inspired climax but the, on the whole, does not leave a bad after taste.
DD2 uses a lot of tried and tested comedy, like shooting all the arrows in the quiver. Some hit the mark and many miss. While the film has no horror to speak of, it at least has some comedy.
Disclaimer: This review was not paid for or commissioned by anyone associated with the film. Neither TNM nor any of its reviewers have any sort of business relationship with the film's producers or any other members of its cast and crew.