‘Jailer 2’: Why Moorthy Anna is our spirit animal

(This piece is a satirical take on Jailer 2. It may contain spoilers)

Whenever a Superstar film hits theatres, all eyes are bound to be on Rajinikanth. And even if not for Rajini, a film like Jailer 2 has a barrage of stars — from Mohanlal to Hrithik Roshan — to steal your attention. However, when director Nelson’s action entertainer hit theatres last week, a surprise actor in the mix easily stole the limelight from the rest of the stars and almost snatched the scenes away from the superstar.

If you have already seen the film, you know exactly whom we are referring to. Tamil comedy actor Namo Narayana’s character Moorthy Anna has single-handedly shouldered the first half of Jailer 2, making it one of Nelson’s funniest films since Doctor. Thanks to his one-liners and antics, Moorthy has already become an internet sensation, with memes calling him the spirit animal we all need to take inspiration from. As Rajinikanth prophesied before the release of the film, Namo Narayana is certainly the man of the moment.

Here are five things we can learn from Moorthy Anna:

Moorthy and the art of being confident

In Jailer 2, Moorthy is a fruit seller and local goon who displays an unimaginable level of self-confidence. As Suraj Venjaramoodu’s Dhileep says, Moorthy might be ignorant, but he ensures he exudes such confidence in his body language, as if he has an aura bigger than even Rajinikanth. To you, Moorthy might look like an overconfident caricature — which he is. However, we are living at a time when social media is at war with your confidence. You constantly compare your life to the glamorous bits of others’ lives, and your self-esteem constantly takes hits. Which is why an abundance of self-confidence can be a good thing, and why Moorthy Anna is the internet’s favourite spirit animal.

Moorthy and why ignorance is bliss

In the film, director Nelson gets a kick out of using Moorthy as the sequel’s ignorant stooge who believes he enslaved an old man (Rajinikanth’s Tiger Muthuvel Pandian) as his personal driver . “You are my Mjolnir,” he exclaims confidently, without realising the tiger’s real face. And even when he meets a terrorising man like Dhileep, Moorthy believes the statue-smuggling syndicate will casually hire him as a business partner. This is why we say ignorance is bliss, sometimes. If Moorthy knew Tiger wasn’t a driver but a dreaded jailer, he wouldn’t have listened to a word he said. And if Moorthy had known how small a fish he was, he certainly wouldn’t have met Dhileep, and he would have remained a good old fruit seller. What is life without a little adventure?

Moorthy, the master negotiator

Here’s a leaf from Moorthy’s textbook on how to negotiate a business deal: Enter the scene with broad shoulders and a confident stride. Keep your points crisp and direct. Before the other party counters with a substandard offer, let them know you are the real deal, and no matter how much they belittle you, do not compromise. Sure, you may not know much about the subject matter, but always remember how Moorthy anna dealt with the chessboard. “Yaanai ah eduthoma, raaja va adichoma nu irukkanum. (Just take the rook, finish off the king and keep going)” Once the deal is made, exit the room in style.

What Moorthy teaches about relationships

We come across so many people with hectic work schedules for whom accommodating another person as a life partner may not be easy. And yet, many get into romantic relationships only to suffer later due to their chaotic work-life balance. Moorthy Anna, however, refused to marry the bride his mother found for him; he refused to take in a partner because he knew being a statue smuggler is hectic business. With hustle culture taking over our lives, entering a romantic relationship when you cannot fully commit can be catastrophic, and Moorthy Anna understood that. A partner is not a comfort pet for your off-hours.

What Moorthy teaches about scaling up in career

If you were like Moorthy — wealthy, youthful, entrepreneurial — you may be quite satisfied with the career path you chose. Not Moorthy. The moment he sees a ‘fruit’ful opportunity, Moorthy steps out of his comfort zone and goes after the new challenge in style. You can either settle and do what you have always been doing, or you can go out and scale up your career. Sure, you might end up being stripped and beaten by a crime lord, but no risk, no gain.