Malayalam actor Aaryan says Jailer 2 made him happy as a Rajinikanth fan, broken-hearted as a Mohanlal fan

Nelson Dilipkumar’s Rajinikanth -starrer Jailer 2 was released in theatres this Thursday to much fanfare. Mohanlal reprised his role as Mathew and played a cameo in the sequel to the 2023 hit. While the film has been receiving praise for the way it portrays Rajinikanth, Mohanlal fans have been disappointed with the way their favourite Malayalam star is presented. Malayalam actor Aaryan said as much in his review of the film.

(Also Read: ‘Trimming scenes involving superstar like Mohanlal unnecessary’: Costume designer publicly calls out Rajinikanth's Jailer 2 team; fans agree )

Aaryan took to his Instagram account to post his review of Jailer 2. “As a Rajinikanth fan, I walked out of Jailer 2 happy. As a Nelson fan, I was pretty much satisfied. But the Mohanlal fan in me walked out with a broken heart!” he candidly wrote before explaining why he thought that way.

“Coming to the film, the first half was TERRIFIC! It was so good that I expected the second half to take things to a whole new level. Unfortunately, it didn't quite live up to those expectations. Still, a thoroughly entertaining experience, though not as satisfying as the first Jailer. Suraj Ettan was just superb. And that new cameo was (fire emoji),” further read his review.

A post shared by Aaryan Ramani Girijavallabhan (Koba) (@sonofkailasam)

Aaryan then explained why he was disappointed with Jailer 2 as far as Mohanlal was concerned, writing, “What I loved most about Jailer 1 was how Nelson gave Mohanlal, Shivanna, and Jackie Shroff their own powerful screen presence alongside Rajinikanth. Even in Thalaivar's film, each of them had their own glorious mass moments. This time, that balance felt missing, with the spotlight leaning a little too heavily towards Rajini alone.” He even wrote, “Nelson bro ... couldn't you have at least kept those Lalettan shots from the trailer?!”

However, he ended his note with, “Definitely a film worth watching! But my dear fellow Lalettan fans, better leave your expectations outside the theatre before walking in! Still a Nelson fan. Still a Rajini fan. But Ennaikkum Ennaikkum (forever), a Lalettan fan!”

Aaryan, who debuted in 2010 with the film Tournament – Play & Replay, last starred in One with Mammootty in 2021. He gained fame for directing the short film Burn My Body in 2015.

Mohanlal’s character, Mathew, was introduced in the 2023 film Jailer. Dressed in flashy shirts and sunglasses, he’s shown as a notorious smuggler and Rajinikanth’s character Muthuvel Pandian’s friend. The second part brings back his character, with the actor getting a key scene during the film’s climax. However, it looks like the actor had more scenes which were trimmed.

The actor’s costume designer, Jishad Shamsudeen, also called out the film’s team. He wrote on Instagram, “From my experience in cinema, trimming scenes involving a superstar like Mohanlal Sir is simply unnecessary. Seeing our superstar reduced like this, if there is a Sequel, I will not be a part of it.