Akashaganga 2

As Puthumazhayai, the song from Vinayan's Akasha Ganga, which was released in 1999, is played on screen and the late actress Mayuri appears on screen, one could not help feeling nostalgic. After 20 years, when the director makes the sequel, he serves it up with a mix of nostalgia, humour and horror.

Arathi Varma (Veena Nair) is the daughter of Unni (Riyas) and Maya (Divya Unni). The MBBS student is an atheist and doesn’t care about the stories told about her house or the evil spirits that reside there. Accepting the challenge that her friends Gopi, Titus and Jithu put forward, Arathi decides to communicate with the soul of her mother who died post delivery. Will that awaken the evil spirit that has been locked into submission by tantric mantras years back? Will the evil spirit once again be successful in carrying out the revenge against Arathi's family? The answers to these questions makes the movie.

The director who has also scripted the film has successfully woven a horror comedy with Dharmajan, Vishnu, Thesni Khan, Hareesh Kanaran, Praveena, Riyas and Sreenath Bhasi. The set design by Boban gives the right ambience for the scary sequences, and Prakashkutty's cinematography, Bijibal's music and the director’s efforts have created a watchable sequel.

The actors have done justice to their roles and Veena Nair, who plays Divya Unni's daughter, at times resembles the actress. The graphics that recreated actress Mayuri and the old stories are commendable. It is refreshing to watch a scary movie with comedic elements in Malayalam.

However, one cannot call it as a complete horror-thriller as the scary elements don’t convey enough horror. For those who are nostalgic and are still scared of the ghosts in Akasha Ganga - the long haired spirit walking around in a white sari - the second part is an entertainer. It is interesting to see how Vinayan has narrated the period shift without leaving any loopholes. It is a treat for Akasha Ganga fans.