Jailer 2: Antony Perumbavoor Weights On Why Mohanlal’s Reduced Screen Time Has Left Malayalis Disappointed

Mohanlal’s reduced screen time in Rajinikanth’s Jailer 2 has continued to disappoint Malayalam viewers. Producer Antony Perumbavoor addressed the issue at the launch of the actor’s upcoming film, tentatively titled L368, in Kochi on Friday. Speaking to the press at the event, Antony acknowledged that audiences in Kerala were unhappy with the way Mohanlal’s role featured in the Tamil blockbuster.

Antony Perumbavoor reacts to Mohanlal’s Jailer 2 scenes

When asked about Mohanlal’s chopped scenes in Jailer 2, Antony smiled and responded, “That is not a source of happiness for us Malayalis. We, too, share that lack of happiness.”

When reporters pointed out that fans had at least expected the scenes shown in the trailer to feature in the film, the producer reiterated his disappointment before leaving. His response was interpreted by some fans as an indication that Mohanlal’s team may not have known about the cuts before the film’s release.

Antony, who began his career as Mohanlal’s chauffeur and assistant in the 1980s, later established himself as one of Malayalam cinema’s prominent producers through Aashirvad Cinemas.

Why Mohanlal’s Jailer 2 cameo disappointed fans

In Nelson Dilipkumar’s 2023 film Jailer, Mohanlal played Mathew, a powerful Mumbai-based gangster who helps Rajinikanth’s character, Tiger Muthuvel Pandian. His flamboyant appearance and memorable scenes made the cameo a talking point among audiences.

For the sequel, viewers expected a more substantial role when Mohanlal returned as Mathew. However, his costume designer Jishad Shamsudeen later revealed that several looks created for the actor did not appear in the final cut. He also criticised the decision and ruled out working on a possible third instalment.

Malayalam actor Aaryan had similarly said that Jailer 2 made him happy as a Rajinikanth fan but left him broken-hearted as a Mohanlal fan.

Mohanlal and Rajinikanth have not publicly addressed the controversy. Meanwhile, Jailer 2 reportedly collected ₹766 crore worldwide, becoming the highest-grossing Tamil film of all time.