Jailer 2 double: only hands and legs used; film at Rs 541 cr

Fans often treat a film frame like a puzzle, and ‘Jailer 2’ has just handed them a peculiar one. Joby Kodakara, the mimicry artist who worked as Mohanlal’s body double on Rajinikanth’s action sequel, has addressed the speculation that he stood in for the Malayalam superstar in key scenes. His clarification is simple: only his hands and legs made it to the screen.

What the body double actually said

Speaking to the YouTube channel Jango Space, Kodakara said his contribution was limited to “one or two shots” and that only parts of his hands and legs are visible. Those moments, he explained, appear in an airport stretch near the climax: a hand changing gears while driving and a foot pressing the accelerator.

“My face has not been shown anywhere in the film,” he said, adding that the face some viewers believe they spotted in the climax is not his.

He also offered a practical reason for why a double might be called in, pointing to scheduling or time constraints on a film with two of India’s biggest stars.

How a set photo became a flashpoint

The chatter began when Kodakara shared photographs of himself in Mohanlal’s Mathew character look on the day ‘Jailer 2’ released. The images were read by some fans as evidence that he had performed major scenes, including the climax. That speculation quickly turned into online backlash.

• Only one or two shots feature him.
• The visible parts are his hands and legs, in the airport climax.
• His face is not used anywhere, including the climax.
• He says posting set photos was the mistake he made.

Kodakara acknowledged the online harassment and said sharing the photographs was, in his words, the one mistake he believed he had made.

Why this matters for filmy fans

Body doubles are standard film craft. They step in for hands, legs, stunts and wide shots, often because a lead’s dates are locked or a quick insert is needed. As Kodakara put it, no director shoots a close-up of a double and expects it to read as the star. The camera knows the difference; audiences usually do too.

What made this story travel was context collapse: a set photo of a double in a character look, posted on release day, was read as a confession. On social platforms, that curiosity hardened into harassment. For filmy fans, there is a difference between enjoying a behind-the-scenes detail and treating a crew member like a suspect.

The silver lining is that the film itself is absorbing the chatter and still drawing crowds.

Box office: the film keeps climbing

While the debate played out online, ‘Jailer 2’ continued to perform. According to Sacnilk, the film collected Rs 45.55 crore domestically on Tuesday, October 20, a 7.6% rise over Monday’s Rs 42.35 crore. Its worldwide gross has now reached Rs 541 crore.

Nelson Dilipkumar directs the film, which stars Rajinikanth, Mohanlal, Shivarajkumar, SJ Suryah and Vidya Balan in pivotal roles.

Source: The Times of India