Karthikeya 2 Movie Review: This mystical adventure engages despite its shortcomings

 The first hour of 'Karthikeya 2' cobbles together seemingly disparate ideas. The screenplay is somewhat haphazard too. In Greece, an accomplished archaeologist figures out a solid finidng that dates back to Lord Krishna's times. He is being shadowed by a secretive cabal, whose gangster-like malevolent chief (Adithya Menon's character is typically written) doesn't want humanity to progress. A backstory unfolds in glorious animation, explaining the origin story of a glowing ornament hidden away in India. Somewhere, an Archaka is attacked in a scene set to loud background score (in a film enriched by measured score from the talented Kaala Bhairava, this and a couple of other moments are an exception). Then there is the talk of an impending environmental calamity. But the story essentially belongs to Dr Karthikeya, the destiny's child.

Karthikeya, played by Nikhil Siddhartha, is a steadfastly scientific guy with no interest in matters of spirituality and religion. His mother (Tulasi) is a polar opposite, someone who savours Bhajans and sermons. The protagonist is forced by circumstances to move to Dwaraka, where the universe has a roller-coaster ride in store for him. There, he encounters a series of inexplicable events, survives an attack, is chased by cops, and has to do something terrific before sabotage ruins humanity's chances of seamless survival. 

Chandoo Mondeti's script is populated with high-sounding ideas and eclectic happenings. Everything looks hunky dory (especially because of the BGM and Karthik Gattamaneni's first-class cinematography) untilt he film enters the children's fantasy zone. Once it becomes that, Karthikeya makes accidental discoveries. Being the blessed one, he becomes a beneficiary of unreal coincidences. Even the attacks don't seem too fatal after a point. And even when danger clearly looms large, he tides over them in a flash. 

The film falls back on situational humour in the second half. The track between Karthikeya, Anupama's Mugdha (whose decoding services are purposive), Srinivas Reddy's wanderer, and Harsha Chemudu's truck driver is minted for entertainment as well as drama. 

Anupam Kher's special appearance is used to describe Lord Krishna's glory in a rousing scene, although the language sounds like it has been borrowed from a WhatsApp forward. The film, for that matter, uses the motif of showing India as a leader of ultimate wisdom. So far, so good. But the plotting is somewhat lazy, considering that a material thing is shown as the container of all wisdom. It's fantastical but not necessarily novel or durable. 

The interval block intersperses an action scene with a temple sermon. The format should have been used a couple of times in the second half to a scintillating effect. 

The film executes quite a few dangerous events without building a proper context. One too many times, the mood of this film is this: it's either spirituality, science or skepticism on display. Karthikeya is a brilliant doctor but his characterization is left unexplored after a point. Just because he utters a word like 'photosynthesis', we are supposed to think of him as a genius. Well!