Gatta Kusthi 2 review: Men talk feminism in Vishnu Vishal film, but women pay for it

In a span of two months, we saw Samantha, Preity Mukundhan and Abhirami ace action like no one in Maa Inti Bangaaram and Blast. But Aishwarya Lekshmi did it back in 2022 when she wrestled her way into the hearts of audiences with her role in Gatta Kusthi. Four years later, the team reunites for a sequel that promises to delve deep into the lives of Veera, Keerthi and their daughter, Mathi Malar.

The film begins with a promise that Veera (Vishnu Vishal) makes to Keerthi (Aishwarya Lekshmi) – that he will stand by her wrestling career when she had become pregnant. Years later, Veera is a house husband, while Keerthi manages her work and wrestling career. However, when she discovers that their daughter Mathi Malar is not into sports and is failing in subjects, chaos ensues.

Veera and Keerthi want to bring up their child in different ways. One disagreement after another ends up costing Keerthi her wrestling career and causing a crack in their relationship. What happened to them? Why are they heading for a divorce? What does Mathi Malar want? All these questions are answered over two hours and 34 minutes.

Director Chella Ayyavu's Gatta Kusthi was a fun film that received laurels for Aishwarya Lekshmi's role. Though the film veered into patriarchal territory post interval, it did attempt something new in the commercial realm by challenging gender roles. In 2026, when the conversation about changing gender roles and politics is far more diversified, making a Gatta Kusthi 2 is like walking a tightrope.

And, much to the disappointment of many, Gatta Kusthi 2 undoes whatever little progress the first part made and takes us back to the 80s and 90s – where the men crack wife jokes and talk about putting women in their place. What's worse is how the screenplay masquerades this lopsided view on gender politics as an attempt to promote family values.

Veera is a house husband – he does his daily chores, socialises with the neighbourhood women, and is a friendly father to Mathi. But when it comes to accountability, he hides behind the phrase: I did it by mistake. Typical, isn't it? And Keerthi is almost punished for all her choices. The film views Veera as the ideal man who supports his wife, while Keerthi is the one who suffers for it.

Yes, Veera cooks and takes care of Keerthi, but what about emotional co-dependence? The film doesn't do justice to their relationship as a husband and wife. Their bond is so weakly written that all it takes is one conversation with her coach to pit them against each other. And when it costs Keerthi her career – the one thing that means the most to her – Veera simply steps back and says he made a mistake.

The film paints Keerthi as career-oriented, and it is her own daughter, Mathi Malar, who keeps reminding her that she is nothing without Veera. In other words, the story punishes Keerthi for pursuing her goals despite the mistrust her husband routinely creates.

Gatta Kusthi 2 has a teacher angle that is particularly in poor taste, reminding you of Naatamai and films of the same ilk. Mathi Malar's teacher Meenu (Mokksha) is straight out of a 80s film set – and that's all it takes for Veera to ogle at her. He dances with her, she kisses him, they go to cooking competitions together – and he never once addresses what is happening between them or takes a step back. Worse, Keerthi, a woman who has fought her own battles and built her own career, is reduced to a jealous wife who is mean to the other woman. The film doesn't just fail Keerthi as a character here – it uses her intelligence against her.

These are tropes that Tamil cinema had largely moved past. Chella Ayyavu drags them back with Gatta Kusthi 2. The film is loaded with double entendre dialogues, unflattering camera angles and jokes that do not land.

Gatta Kusthi 2 is less about wrestling and more about how toxic this couple is for each other. It also makes a joke of divorce proceedings and the sport itself. The climax wrestling fight between Veera and Keerthi ends in the most cliched way possible – one that tips into uncomfortable territory and is never called out for what it is. One genuinely enjoyable stretch is a conversation between Keerthi and her father about letting children choose their own path.

Gatta Kusthi 2 does major injustice to Aishwarya Lekshmi's Keerthi, even though she owned every frame with her performance. The film takes the side of the man – brazenly – and papers over it by letting him talk feminism, celebrate women's strength and declare that motherhood completes them. Vishnu Vishal, as Veera, gets a role that normalises a string of problematic behaviours that the film never once holds him accountable for.

A young child being made to speak like a grown adult is another misfire. Karunas and Kaali Venkat manage a few laughs toward the climax, but not enough to salvage what came before.

Gatta Kusthi 2 ultimately champions a man who hides behind his shortcomings and keeps getting chances he hasn't earned - at the cost of the woman the first film built its identity around.