Extension of the horny ghost

A horror flick, in general, aims to induce an intense feeling of fear or shock in a viewer’s mind. Well, if ‘Avunu 2’ is a horror film, it definitely redefines what the genre implies. Mohini (Poorna) and Harsha (Harshvardhan Rane) have moved on from the daunting incidents that formed the plot of ‘Avunu’.

They have shifted to a new hi-tech house and are finally going to finish the task they left unfinished in the first part – the epic first night. But sadly, the horny ghost who wanted to do the honours of “taking Mohini’s virginity” is back again and is bent upon disturbing the couple that seems to find it difficult to stop themselves from touching each other (especially the guy).

Well, that’s the premise of the story. Totally in sync with the story of ‘Avunu’, isn’t it? This film is less of an extension and more of a revamp of the first. The first half of the film, especially, raises a sense of déjà vu as nothing seems to be moving forward and all you see is repetition of sequences from the previous film – Mohini moving around in the house all alone, people ringing the bell, opening and closing of doors, the ghost trying to take a peek as she bathes.

The new element here is a magical talisman given to her by a sadhu who asks her to wear it for a year, thus making the ghost exit her life for good. The talisman successfully repels the ghost but obviously this comes as a bad news for the latter who makes umpteen attempts to make sure she stops wearing it.

Despite some moments that wring in fear, the first half ends abruptly with nothing being established. It is after the interval that this tale of the horny ghost seems to go forward millimetre by millimetre. The only deviation is the display of several features of the hi-tech house, a nosy neighbour (an irritating inclusion) and a random scene where Harsha and his colleagues establish the existence of the ‘aatma’ by means of a pretend experiment.

In ‘Avunu’, director Ravi Babu had managed to make the story of the ghost trying to rape a girl a very gripping tale. In fact, there are moments where you squirm in your seats and are ogled to the screen in anticipation of what transpires next. But this venture is sadly a disaster. What he had to offer has already been witnessed in the earlier venture and nothing novel or gripping hits us here. There are moments where the director in an attempt to scare us makes us chuckle. We aren’t over saying it! The hall was evidence to that.

Performances by Poorna and Rane are riveting and give an element to the otherwise pale content. Even the limited supporting cast does a commendable job. If there is anything that spoils the fun then it is definitely the way the film’s story is stretched beyond limits.Watch this film for the house, the eternally turned on couple and the ghost who doesn’t know that he could have finished his business silently but not for the story and the narration – because you’ll be disappointed.

Movie Name : Avunu 2

Cast : Poorna and Harshavardhan Rane

Direction : Ravi Babu

Genre : Horror

Likes : Performances, Production values

Dislikes : Story, Background score

By Pranita Jonnalagedda