Slow-moving sequel has strong acting, but lacks drama
HIT 2013 Malayalam movie spawned remakes in multiple language, including a successful 2015 Bollywood adaptation headlined by Ajay Devgn and Tabu. The Malayalam original starring Mohanlal led to a 2021 sequel, and this is a direct Hindi remake of that.
Lead stars of the 2015 film return for the same story, which is set seven years later. After escaping the law, Vijay and his family have attempted to move on with their lives. While he seems contented planning for the future and running a cinema hall, his wife and daughter are still carrying the trauma of past events. Life gets more complicated when a new police inspector reopens the murder case and alerts the original investigator who had lost her son. What follows is another battle of wits between the law and a man trying to protect his family.
Unlike most Bollywood sequels, this film carries on the story and shows what happens next to the protagonists of the previous film.
Although elements have been slightly streamlined, this remains a faithful remake of the 2021 Malayalam sequel. The second part doesn’t have the same impact or twists as the previous film and moves along at a much slower pace. It builds up to the decent last third, but audiences need patience to reach that point. There is once again questionable messaging with the lead character evading the law.
Great performances and an interesting battle of wits try to make up for the lack of twists with limited results. Great performances from Ajay Devgn, Akshaye Khanna and Tabu carry this carbon
copy that doesn’t offer anything new.
Those who loved part one will take something away from this film if they watch it with lowered expectations.