Starring: Mohanlal, Sachin Khedekar, Tovino Thomas, Manju Warrier, Abhimanyu Singh, Sukant Goel Direction: Prithviraj Sukumaran Prithviraj Sukumaran's 180-minute magnum opus not only sails on a national panorama but also fails to muster sufficient positive appraisal from the critics. You need a story like 'Gone With The Wind' or 'Ben Hur' to keep the viewer engaged for three hours. 'Lucifer 2' doesn't.
The film falters here and at many other places. Take the start of the story: A very contrived prologue of communal disharmony that runs all of 40 minutes. Not only is it gory, the need to show an advanced pregnant woman being raped requires institutional intervention in view of individual irresponsibility qua censorship.
After a prolonged and tiring preface, telling the audience of communal hatred (do we need to get to a theatre to see that?), the filmmaker gets to 'Lucifer 2'. The premise: Senior politician P.K.
Ramadas (Sachin Khedekar) has left behind a young Chief Minister in Jatin Ramadas (Tovino Thomas) and, in the corridors, a suspected supporter in his daughter Priyadarshini (Manju Warrier). Expectedly, the political pot is boiling with various splinter groups characteristic of Kerala polity scheming and abetting any and every offence possible. CM Jatin makes a grandiose announcement that political rivalry is not from the without but is from within.
He resigns and starts a new coalition with Baba Bajarang (Abhimanyu Singh) who in the prolonged preface hitherto mentioned.