Anshuman Jha’s animal-rights action franchise is making its case abroad. Lakadbaggha 2: The Monkey Business premiered at the Razor Reel Flanders Film Festival in Bruges, where it was runner-up for the Audience Choice Award, and Jha used the occasion to frame the sequel as an argument rather than just a fight film.
Produced by First Ray Films and Matta Cinema, the film returns to Arjun Bakshi (Jha) weeks before his wedding. When his fiancée (Sarah-Jane Dias) disappears during a mission in North Sulawesi, Indonesia, her trail leads to an island where an underground tournament hides the auction of one of the last surviving Yaki monkeys.
The disappearing Yaki
The Yaki is not a fictional monster; it is a real-world conservation emergency. The film’s team puts the current population at around 4,500, down from 50,000 in 1990.
“This is a real-world problem,” Jha said. “I feel films need to not just entertain but also have a voice, especially for those who are voiceless and this story is in essence about that.”
Kalari and a different kind of hero
Where many action heroes fight for love or against a villain, Jha’s Arjun Bakshi fights for an animal that cannot speak. Dias noted that she had not seen fighting used to protect animals or the environment in a superhero action film before. Jha’s template is closer to a 1980s pulp action fan than the dominant Hollywood model; he describes himself as a Bruce Lee devotee and says being ordinary is the real superpower.
- The sequel moves the action from Kolkata to Indonesia.
- It pairs Kalaripayattu with Ong-Bak fight choreographer Kecha Khamphakdee.
- The Yaki monkey population has fallen from 50,000 in 1990 to 4,500 today.
- Antagonists are played by Sunny Pang and Ong-Bak actor Dan Chupong.
Why the global frame matters
Jha is explicit about the arithmetic of ambition. He puts India’s audience at 1.6 billion and the rest of the world at 5.4 billion, arguing that filmmakers sometimes settle too comfortably for the domestic base.
“I want this film to travel the world,” he said. The sequel’s test is whether an independent Hindi action film can export a local martial art and a conservation plea without losing its pulp energy.
Source: Deadline
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