<p>Dog-centric movies in Kannada, from ‘Nishabda’ (1998), to ‘777 Charliee’ (2022) and ‘Puppy’ (2025) depicted heartwarming stories of unconditional love. ‘Naanu Matthu Gunda 2’ is the sequel to ‘Naanu Matthu Gunda’ (2020) that portrayed the relationship between Shankar and his dog Gunda. The sequel explores the journey of Shankar’s son, also named Shankar (Rakesh Adiga), and his connection with Gunda.</p><p>When Shankar’s widowed wife dies in labour, his friend, Bhoori (Govinde Gowda), steps in to raise the orphaned child, also naming him Shankar. The boy’s life becomes deeply intertwined with Gunda. Following Gunda’s death, the young Shankar is devastated but intuitively senses the dog’s rebirth, sparking an extraordinary quest, weaving together an eternal tale of two souls destined to be together.</p><p>Raghu Haasan’s grip on direction and screenplay in the first half is visible. However, with unnecessary deviations, the narrative falters significantly after the interval. The scenes featuring Sadhu Kokila and his assistants, intended for comedic relief, feel forced and are out of place, as are some police-related scenes. </p><p>R P Patnaik and Ruthvik Muralidhar deserve credit for their music as it effectively sets the mood. Cinematography is average and lyrics fail to stand out.</p><p>Rakesh excels as Shankar bringing depth and emotion to the role. Rachana Inder’s performance is underwhelming with noticeable flaws in dialogue delivery. Simba (dog) and Simba junior leave a lasting impression with their adorable presence and talent. The sequel, one-time-watch mostly succeeds as a family entertainer.</p>
<p>Dog-centric movies in Kannada, from ‘Nishabda’ (1998), to ‘777 Charliee’ (2022) and ‘Puppy’ (2025) depicted heartwarming stories of unconditional love. ‘Naanu Matthu Gunda 2’ is the sequel to ‘Naanu Matthu Gunda’ (2020) that portrayed the relationship between Shankar and his dog Gunda. The sequel explores the journey of Shankar’s son, also named Shankar (Rakesh Adiga), and his connection with Gunda.</p><p>When Shankar’s widowed wife dies in labour, his friend, Bhoori (Govinde Gowda), steps in to raise the orphaned child, also naming him Shankar. The boy’s life becomes deeply intertwined with Gunda. Following Gunda’s death, the young Shankar is devastated but intuitively senses the dog’s rebirth, sparking an extraordinary quest, weaving together an eternal tale of two souls destined to be together.</p><p>Raghu Haasan’s grip on direction and screenplay in the first half is visible. However, with unnecessary deviations, the narrative falters significantly after the interval. The scenes featuring Sadhu Kokila and his assistants, intended for comedic relief, feel forced and are out of place, as are some police-related scenes. </p><p>R P Patnaik and Ruthvik Muralidhar deserve credit for their music as it effectively sets the mood. Cinematography is average and lyrics fail to stand out.</p><p>Rakesh excels as Shankar bringing depth and emotion to the role. Rachana Inder’s performance is underwhelming with noticeable flaws in dialogue delivery. Simba (dog) and Simba junior leave a lasting impression with their adorable presence and talent. The sequel, one-time-watch mostly succeeds as a family entertainer.</p>