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{{Short description|2016 film by Sundar C}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2026}}
{{Use Indian English|date=January 2026}}
{{Infobox film
| image = Aranmanai 2.jpg
| caption = Theatrical release poster
| director = [[Sundar C]]
| producer = [[Khushbu Sundar]]
| writer = {{plainlist|
* [[Venkat Raghavan]]
* Sundar C}}
| screenplay = {{plainlist|
* Sundar C
* S.B.Ramadoss}}
| starring = {{plainlist|
* Sundar C
* [[Siddharth (actor)|Siddharth]]
* [[Trisha Krishnan]]
* [[Hansika Motwani]]
* [[Poonam Bajwa]]
}}
| music = [[Hiphop Tamizha]]
| cinematography = [[U. K. Senthil Kumar]]
| editing = [[N. B. Srikanth]]
| studio = [[Avni Cinemax]]
| distributor = [[Thenandal Studio Limited|Sri Thenandal Films]]
| released = {{Film date|df=y|2016|01|29}}
| runtime = 136 minutes
| country = India
| language = Tamil
}}

'''''Aranmanai 2''''' ({{translation|Palace 2}}) is a 2016 Indian [[Tamil language|Tamil]]-language [[comedy horror]] film directed by [[Sundar C]]. Produced by [[Avni Cinemax]], and distributed by [[Thenandal Studio Limited|Sri Thenandal Films]], it is the second instalment in the [[Aranmanai (film series)|''Aranmanai'' film series]] following ''[[Aranmanai]]'' (2014). The film features an [[ensemble cast]] including Sundar C, [[Siddharth (actor)|Siddharth]], [[Trisha Krishnan]], [[Hansika Motwani]] and [[Poonam Bajwa]]. In the film, a man and his fiancée returns to his ancestral home after his father gets in a coma under mysterious circumstances, but takes a turn when he uncovers his family's dark secrets.

The film released on 29 January 2016 and received mixed reviews from critics and audiences, but became a hit at the box-office.

== Plot ==
The movie starts with the Amman statue that guarded the village against evil spirits and negative energy stored in an underground room during the temple's renovation. At a [[cemetery|graveyard]] close to the temple, a group of tantric practitioners capitalise on the dormant Amman to awaken evil spirits for black magic purposes. During the ritual, they inadvertently release a demonic entity that they could not contain. The evil spirit leaves the graveyard as a cloud and moves into the village. The village mendicant-holy man notices the evil spirit and chases after it but cannot prevent it from entering the titular palace. The palace owner ignored his pleadings since the holy man was mute. Later that night, the spirit attacks the owner, who then falls and goes into a [[coma]]. His elder son, Ramesh, arrives with his wife, Sandhya, and their son, Suresh. Together with them are his younger brother, Murali and his fiancée Anitha. Devadas also appears in disguise as his father, Sandhu Bondu Naadimuthu, a doctor, and had contact with the landowners.

One night, a mysterious being kills the family driver. After a few nights, Suresh does crazy things and says that a spirit is telling him to do so. Also, Murali sees a supernatural being elevating his father above the bed and gets scared. Anitha, who also witnesses these things, calls her brother Ravi. One night, Ravi sees Suresh [[drowning]] and rescues him. Initially, he suspects Manju, a nurse that the family got to care for Murali's father, but she has a different agenda, so he realises it isn't her. After that, he sets up cameras around the house. A few nights later, the elder brother goes missing, and Ravi sees it. With the cameras, he can identify the spirit that is causing havoc. Murali identifies her as Maya, his younger sister.

In the past, The family loved Maya, especially her father and Murali. She was also the owner of Maya Granites, as shown in the song Maya Maya. On the day before her marriage, she eloped with one of the workers' son, and the whole family was shocked and felt disgraced. Murali passes the good news to his father and brother when he sees Maya pregnant three years later in Bangalore. Their father asks Maya to come back home, to which she agrees. On the day she was supposed to arrive, Maya didn't appear, and Murali thought she had changed her mind. Later, Ravi says that it's not true. Maya and her husband got off a stop earlier since her elder brother wanted them to arrive home safely. While travelling in a Jeep on the way to their palace, the driver stabbed Maya's husband. After that, he instructed Maya to go into hiding. But this plan failed when Maya's father arrived and told her to drink poison since she disgraced her family's name and status by marrying someone who belonged to a lower caste. Maya agrees to her father's words with the condition that her brothers should spare her husband's life. After she drank the poison, Maya's elder brother killed her husband in front of her, which made Maya vow that she would end the male generation in her family before her father choked her to death.

In the present, Ravi also says that her primary target is Murali since he told their father and elder brother about her whereabouts and Suresh. Manju says that her uncle is a priest and lives near the Kerala border. Ravi goes with Manju to the priest, whose disciples at first refuse to offer a helping hand because the priest is just recuperating from [[myocardial infarction]] (heart attack). But before they leave, the priest decides to help them and starts the pooja. After a few moments, the priest informs that Maya has possessed someone in the palace and gives them a lime. The lime turns bad and reveals that Anitha is possessed. Also, Anitha killed Murali's elder brother and poisoned her father-in-law as an act of revenge, even though he managed to recover from his coma. Ravi decides to find Maya's corpse, while Murali, Suresh, and Manju try to distract Anitha by taking the entire family to a restaurant. Their main goal is to get Anitha's blood and put some holy ink on her hair. They manage to get her blood when she is cutting an apple, and one of the assistants manages to put the ink before getting thrashed by Anitha/Maya. There, Anitha goes to the house and tries to kill Murali and Suresh. However, it fails, and the priest manages to get Maya out of Anitha.

Later, Ravi and the priest decide to kill the spirit, and the only way is to be possessed by the spirit and stab its own corpse. Ravi manages to do it and completes it, but the priest gets chest pain and tells Murali that their only hope is to go to the [[Mariamman]] Pooja, which is happening in their village temple, as the goddess is their final hope. Murali and Suresh get there with Ravi, possessed by Maya, trying to stop them. When Ravi is about to kill Murali, Mariamman uses her powers and prevents Maya's spirit from killing Murali and Suresh. Before she leaves, she sees her brother Murali, who sheds tears for what had happened to his beloved sister. Before Maya disappears, she smiles at Mariamman's massive idol. After this incident, Murali, Suresh and Anitha reunite, and Ravi reunites with Manju, leaving the Aranmanai in the hands of the caretakers. As everyone leaves the palace, Maya's spirit enters a doll and returns to the palace, waiting for the right time to swing back into action. The movie ends with a hint of a sequel.

== Cast ==
<section begin=cast/>{{cast listing|
* [[Sundar C]] as Ravi
* [[Siddharth (actor)|Siddharth]] as Murali
* [[Trisha Krishnan]] as Anitha, Murali's fiancée, Ravi's younger sister ([[Voice-over|Voice dubbed]] by Krithika Nelson)
* [[Hansika Motwani]] as Maya, Murali's younger sister ([[Voice-over|Voice dubbed]] by Renuka Kathir)
* [[Poonam Bajwa]] as Manju, a nurse, Ravi's love interest
* [[Soori (actor)|Soori]] as Devadas and Sandhu Bondhu Naadimuthu, Devadas's father
* [[Kovai Sarala]] as Komalam, Sandhu Bondhu Naadimuthu's ex-lover, a servant
* [[Manobala]] as Vera Shekar, Komalam's brother, a servant
* [[Vinodhini Vaidyanathan]] as Sandhya, Ramesh's wife
* Nithin Manivannan as Suresh, Ramesh's son
* [[Radha Ravi]] as Maya's father
* [[Subbu Panchu]] as Ramesh, Murali's eldest brother
* [[Raj Kapoor (Tamil director)|Raj Kapoor]] as a driver
* [[Chitra Lakshmanan]] as Ravi's father
* Sanika Raghawa as Ravi's relative
* [[V. I. S. Jayapalan]] as Namboothiri, Manju's uncle
* Dhindukal Saravanan as Devadas's assistant
* [[Thalapathy Dinesh]] as Namboothiri's assistant
* [[Vichu Vishwanath]] as Ramakrishnan
* [[Rahul Thatha]] as a priest
;Cameo appearances
* [[Vaibhav Reddy|Vaibhav]] as Arun, Maya's husband
* [[Khushbu Sundar]] in the song "Amma"
* [[Hiphop Tamizha]] in the song "Party with the Pei"}}
<section end="cast" />

== Production ==

The project's progress was first officially revealed after [[Trisha Krishnan]] had tweeted her involvement in the sequel and revealed that she would star alongside [[Siddharth (actor)|Siddharth]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=5 May 2015 |title=Trisha signs `Aranmanai-2` with Sundar C |url=http://www.sify.com/movies/trisha-signs-aranmanai-2-with-sundar-c-news-tamil-pffj9hgcjfeah.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150508020815/http://www.sify.com/movies/trisha-signs-aranmanai-2-with-sundar-c-news-tamil-pffj9hgcjfeah.html |archive-date=8 May 2015 |access-date=17 September 2015 |website=[[Sify]] |language=en}}</ref> [[Hansika Motwani]] subsequently also announced that she would work in ''Aranmanai 2''.<ref>{{Cite web |date=8 May 2015 |title=Hansika joins Trisha and Siddharth for `Aranmanai 2` |url=http://www.sify.com/movies/hansika-joins-trisha-and-siddharth-for-aranmanai-2-news-tamil-pfik6Jegaibba.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150510215453/http://www.sify.com/movies/hansika-joins-trisha-and-siddharth-for-aranmanai-2-news-tamil-pfik6Jegaibba.html |archive-date=10 May 2015 |access-date=17 September 2015 |website=[[Sify]] |language=en}}</ref> [[Aadukalam Naren]], then known mainly for [[Character actor|character roles]], was chosen to play an antagonistic role as Sundar felt he was an "underrated" actor and wanted to further explore his acting skills.<ref>{{Cite web |date=28 May 2015 |title=Naren turns baddie for `Aranmanai 2` |url=http://www.sify.com/news/naren-turns-baddie-for-aranmanai-2-news-others-pf2oujbjadbbh.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924215708/http://www.sify.com/news/naren-turns-baddie-for-aranmanai-2-news-others-pf2oujbjadbbh.html |archive-date=24 September 2015 |access-date=17 September 2015 |website=[[Sify]] |language=en |agency=[[Indo-Asian News Service|IANS]]}}</ref> Principal photography began in mid-June 2015.<ref>{{Cite web |date=16 June 2015 |title=Hansika to start shoot for Sundar C's 'Aranmanai 2' |url=http://www.sify.com/movies/hansika-to-start-shoot-for-sundar-cs-aranmanai-2-news-tamil-pgqjJPddcefib.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150616110941/http://www.sify.com/movies/hansika-to-start-shoot-for-sundar-cs-aranmanai-2-news-tamil-pgqjJPddcefib.html |archive-date=16 June 2015 |access-date=17 September 2015 |website=[[Sify]] |language=en}}</ref> The film's makers created a {{convert|103|feet}} statue of the sleeping goddess [[Mariamman]] for a song sequence.<ref>{{Cite web |date=25 September 2015 |title=Asia's largest goddess statue comes alive on Aranmanai 2 sets |url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/regional-movies/asia-s-largest-goddess-statue-comes-alive-on-aranmanai-2-sets/story-b3Zzjng2Y5VhkTDatl8kZJ.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260307091156/https://www.hindustantimes.com/regional-movies/asia-s-largest-goddess-statue-comes-alive-on-aranmanai-2-sets/story-b3Zzjng2Y5VhkTDatl8kZJ.html |archive-date=7 March 2026 |access-date=22 November 2025 |website=[[Hindustan Times]] |language=en |agency=[[Indo-Asian News Service|IANS]]}}</ref> Principal photography [[Wrap (filmmaking)|wrapped]] by early December.<ref>{{Cite web |last=KR |first=Manigandan |date=2 December 2015 |title=Aranmanai 2 Team Wraps Up Shoot; Poses for Selfie |url=https://www.newindianexpress.com/entertainment/tamil/2015/Dec/02/aranmanai-2-team-wraps-up-shoot-poses-for-selfie-850941.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260307091610/https://www.newindianexpress.com/entertainment/tamil/2015/Dec/02/aranmanai-2-team-wraps-up-shoot-poses-for-selfie-850941.html |archive-date=7 March 2026 |access-date=22 November 2025 |website=[[The New Indian Express]] |language=en}}</ref>

== Music ==
{{Infobox album
| name = Aranmanai 2
| type = soundtrack
| artist = [[Hiphop Tamizha]]
| alt =
| released = 27 December 2015
| recorded = 2015
| venue =
| studio =
| genre = [[Soundtrack|Feature film soundtrack]]
| length = 22:56
| language = Tamil
| label = [[Think Music]]
| producer = Hiphop Tamizha
| prev_title = [[Thani Oruvan]]
| prev_year = 2015
| next_title = [[Kathakali (film)|Kathakali]]
| next_year = 2016
}}

The film's soundtrack album and background score were composed by Hiphop Tamizha. The soundtrack album consists of six tracks. The music rights were purchased by [[Think Music]]. The album was released on 27 December 2015.{{citation needed|date=November 2025}} Independent singer Kaushik Krish (who earlier recorded "Kannala Kannala", also composed by Hiphop Tamizha for ''[[Thani Oruvan]]'') announced in September 2015 that he was working on a single track from the album,<ref>{{Cite web |last=L M |first=Kaushik |date=13 September 2015 |title=THE VOICE BEHIND THE RECENT MELODY SENSATION |url=http://behindwoods.com/tamil-movies-cinema-news-15/kaushik-krish-of-thani-oruvan-fame-talks-about-his-experience-singing-kannala-kannala.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150915214219/http://www.behindwoods.com/tamil-movies-cinema-news-15/kaushik-krish-of-thani-oruvan-fame-talks-about-his-experience-singing-kannala-kannala.html |archive-date=15 September 2015 |access-date=17 September 2015 |website=Behindwoods}}</ref> but his name did not appear on the tracklist.{{citation needed|date=November 2025}}

<section begin="tracks" />
{{track listing
| headline = Track listing
| extra_column = Singer(s)
| total_length = 22:56
| title1 = Party With The Pei
| lyrics1 = [[Hiphop Tamizha]]
| extra1 = [[Hiphop Tamizha]], [[Kharesma Ravichandran]]
| length1 = 3:35
| title2 = Maayaa Maayaa
| lyrics2 = [[Vivek (lyricist)|Vivek]]
| extra2 = [[Kailash Kher]], [[Padmalatha]]
| length2 = 4:20
| title3 = Poraadaa Poraadaa
| lyrics3 = [[Hiphop Tamizha]]
| extra3 = [[Hiphop Tamizha]]
| length3 = 3:38
| title4 = Kuchi Mittai
| lyrics4 = Hiphop Tamizha
| extra4 = [[Anthony Daasan]]
| length4 = 4:12
| title5 = Amma
| note5 = the Amman song
| lyrics5 = [[Piraisoodan]]
| extra5 = [[Malathy Lakshman|Malathi Lakshman]], [[Hiphop Tamizha]], [[Vishnupriya Ravi]], [[Anthony Daasan]]
| length5 = 4:40
| title6 = Aranmanai 2
| note6 = [[Instrumental]]
| lyrics6 =
| extra6 = Hiphop Tamizha
| length6 = 2:31
}}

<section end="tracks" />

== Release ==
''Aranmanai 2'' was initially announced to be released in mid-January 2016 during [[Pongal (festival)|Pongal]];<ref>{{Cite web |date=6 November 2015 |title=Aranmanai 2 eyes festival season |url=https://www.deccanchronicle.com/151106/entertainment-kollywood/article/aranmanai-2-eyes-festival-season |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260105201535/https://www.deccanchronicle.com/151106/entertainment-kollywood/article/aranmanai-2-eyes-festival-season |archive-date=5 January 2026 |access-date=22 November 2025 |website=[[Deccan Chronicle]] |language=en}}</ref> however the release date was pushed to 29 January 2016.<ref>{{Cite web |date=24 December 2015 |title=Aranmanai 2 out Kathakali in for Pongal |url=https://www.livechennai.com/detailnews.asp?newsid=23388 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260105201826/https://www.livechennai.com/detailnews.asp?newsid=23388 |archive-date=5 January 2026 |access-date=22 November 2025 |website=LiveChennai.com}}</ref> The film was distributed by [[Thenandal Studio Limited|Sri Thenandal Films]] in Tamil Nadu.<ref>{{Cite web |date=7 September 2015 |title=Thenandal Films bags a horror flick again |url=https://www.deccanchronicle.com/150906/entertainment-kollywood/article/thenandal-films-bags-horror-flick-again |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20251124033858/https://www.deccanchronicle.com/150906/entertainment-kollywood/article/thenandal-films-bags-horror-flick-again |archive-date=24 November 2025 |access-date=24 November 2025 |website=[[Deccan Chronicle]] |language=en}}</ref>

== Reception ==

=== Critical response ===
M Suganth of ''[[The Times of India]]'' rated the film 2.5/5 and wrote "Despite toeing so closely to the original's formula and being equally unpretentious, ''Aranmanai-2'' feels underwhelming. The horror scenes not even remotely scary (though, the visual effects continue to be tacky). The cast and the director seem to be coasting along with a 'people will see this movie no matter what' attitude, and it is this blatant acknowledgement of the film being just a cash grab that is most disappointing".<ref>{{Cite web |last=Suganth |first=M |date=30 January 2016 |title=Aranmanai 2 Movie Review |url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/tamil/movie-reviews/Aranmanai-2/movie-review/50781184.cms |url-status=deviated |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160202230801/http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/tamil/movie-reviews/Aranmanai-2/movie-review/50781184.cms |archive-date=2 February 2016 |access-date=30 January 2016 |website=[[The Times of India]]}}</ref> ''[[Sify]]'' wrote "Sundar C's ''Aranmanai 2'' is a pucca paisa vasool popcorn entertainer, which is packaged with all the commercial trappings like glamour, slapstick comedy and thrilling moments. Set in a familiar milieu, one can easily predict each and every scene and the film will work big time with common man seeking pure time pass entertainment".<ref>{{Cite web |date=29 January 2016 |title=Aranmanai 2 Review: Ghosts & Laughs |url=http://www.sify.com/movies/aranmanai-2-review-ghosts-laughs-review-tamil-qb3qFoddadcic.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170630153232/http://www.sify.com/movies/aranmanai-2-review-ghosts-laughs-review-Tamil-qb3qFoddadcic.html |archive-date=30 June 2017 |access-date=30 January 2016 |website=[[Sify]]}}</ref> ''Silverscreen India'' wrote, "At a time when a younger generation of filmmakers in Kollywood are coming up with well-made horror films like ''[[Maya (2015 Tamil film)|Maya]]'', ''[[Pisaasu]]'' and ''[[Demonte Colony]]'', ''Aranmanai 2'' looks like a grinch in a hip Bengaluru pub. Out of place and awkward".<ref>{{Cite web |last=Gopalakrishnan |first=Aswathy |date=29 January 2016 |title=Aranmanai 2 Review: A Horror Mockery |url=https://silverscreenindia.com/movies/reviews/aranmanai-2-review-a-horror-mockery/ |url-status=live |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20220925080600/https://silverscreenindia.com/movies/reviews/aranmanai-2-review-a-horror-mockery/ |archive-date=25 September 2022 |website=Silverscreen India}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=30 January 2016 |title=Aranmanai 2 Tamil Movie Review by Chennaivision |url=http://chennaivision.com/tamil-movies/aranmanai-2-tamil-movie-review-by-chennaivision/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160818085856/http://chennaivision.com/tamil-movies/aranmanai-2-tamil-movie-review-by-chennaivision/ |archive-date=18 August 2016 |access-date=14 July 2016 |website=Chennaivision |language=en}}</ref>

=== Box office ===
''Aranmanai 2'' grossed ₹16.08 crore in the first 3 days of its release.{{citation needed|date=November 2025}} Director [[Sundar C]] stated that despite mixed reviews, the film surpassed its predecessor financially.<ref>{{Cite news |date=9 February 2018 |title=Aranmanai 2 made more money than the original: Sundar C |url=https://www.newindianexpress.com/entertainment/tamil/2018/feb/09/aranmanai-2-made-more-money-than-the-original-sundar-c-1770944.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211108154014/https://www.newindianexpress.com/entertainment/tamil/2018/feb/09/aranmanai-2-made-more-money-than-the-original-sundar-c-1770944.html |archive-date=8 November 2021 |access-date=15 March 2018 |work=[[The New Indian Express]]}}</ref>

== Future ==
{{further|Aranmanai (film series)}}

The third instalment titled ''[[Aranmanai 3]]'' was released in 2021, and the fourth instalment ''[[Aranmanai 4]]'' in 2024.

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

==External links==
*{{IMDb title}}
*{{Rotten Tomatoes}}

{{Sundar C}}

[[Category:2016 comedy horror films]]
[[Category:2016 films]]
[[Category:2016 Indian films]]
[[Category:2016 Tamil-language films]]
[[Category:Films directed by Sundar C]]
[[Category:Films scored by Hiphop Tamizha]]
[[Category:Indian comedy horror films]]
[[Category:Indian sequel films]]
[[Category:Tamil-language comedy horror films]]
[[Category:Tamil-language Indian films]]

Aranmanai 2 - Revision history

Roamingindian at 09:24, 7 March 2026