Gadar 2 review: Anil Sharma's film is a victim of shoddy writing but Sunny Deol delivers

22 years after Gadar: Ek Prem Katha (2001) broke Hum Aapke Hain Koun's (1994) long-held record and emerged as the highest-grossing Hindi film (at the time), director Anil Sharma is back with the one-man army, truck driver Tara Singh (Sunny Deol) in Gadar 2: The Katha Continues. 

Gadar 2, set against the 1971 war looming on the horizon, is the story of Tara crossing the border illegally (yet again) to save his son Charanjit Singh aka Jeete from the clutches of Pakistani General Hamid Iqbal, whose hatred for Hindustan and Hindustanis stems from a personal tragedy during 1947 Partition. Iqbal dreams of Ghazwa -e-Hind and holds a grudge against Tara who is responsible for killing 40 of his soldiers during his mission to rescue his wife Sakeena (Ameesha Patel) from his evil Pakistani father-in-law Ashraf Ali, played by the late Amrish Puri. 

What follows is Iqbal orchestrating circumstances that lead to Ashraf Ali being awarded the death penalty. But Iqbal's thirst for blood isn't quenched just yet. He wants Tara Singh. So does he manage to get his hands on him? How does Tara's son Jeete end up in Pakistan? Do the father-son duo manage to safely cross the border? Who helps them? These are some questions to be answered. 

Gadar 2 relies heavily on nostalgia, impassioned dialogues, and action sequences to keep the audience hooked. 

4 things you need to know

• Amrish Puri aka Ashraf Ali is created through CGI for a brief yet important shot in the film. 
• The legendary actor passed away in 2005 after suffering from myelodysplastic syndrome. 
• Nana Patekar has lent his voice to the introductory scenes in Gadar 2. 
• Late Om Puri was the narrator in Gadar: Ek Prem Katha. 

HOT TAKE

Gadar 2, despite its weak premise, manages to effectively craft an immersive, masala-packed action thriller that keeps the audience thoroughly engaged. It is evident from the palpable electricity of excitement that the audience shared during Tara's entry scene and the expression of enthusiasm and strong emotions during the extravagant, high-octane action sequences and Tara's anti-Pakistan sentiments.

Did Gadar 2 live up to the hype?

The hype surrounding the film's release has been truly astronomical. But did the film live up to the expectations of moviegoers? Did Gadar 2 live up to the legacy of Gadar: Ek Prem Katha? Let us find out.

Full marks for nostalgia

The film opens with scenes of the 1947 partition which immediately transports you to Gadar: Ek Prem Katha. The next few minutes are spent with Nana Patekar's voice giving a recap of events and you are instantly filled with a sense of nostalgia - which subtly influences your viewing experience. The entire first half is laced with visuals from Gadar, aptly placed and enough to tug at our heartstrings. The two chartbuster tracks from OG Gadar -- Udd Jaa Kaale Kawa and Main Nikla Gaddi Leke, are also repurposed and packed in, in the first half to fully tap into nostalgia. Not to say that the second half is devoid of it. There are enough references to the original that put a smile on your face. 

Sunny Deol is the only saving grace

Ameesha Patel is seen reprising her role of Sakeena in Gadar 2. She, however, brings very little to the table apart from sisakna, rona and dua karna. Apart from Ameesha, several other actors who reprise their roles in the sequel including Madhu Malti Kapoor, Mushtaq Khan, and Dolly Bindra, play their parts well. Utkarsh Sharma, who gets substantial screen time, lacks on-screen charisma which hampers the intended gravitas of this action-oriented drama. He manages to shine in a few scenes but fails to impress. Simratt Kaur, who essays the role of Jeete's love interest Muskaan, has little to do in the film apart from more sisakna and rona. 

(Makers revive the iconic handpump scene in Gadar 2 | Image: YouTube screengrab)

Most of the heavy lifting is done by Sunny Deol, who at 65 is jumping on moving trains, lifting cartwheels, delivering seeti-maar one-liners, and hailing slogans for India. Sunny's star power, combined with a power-packed performance and impactful dialogue delivery, helps him shine. The scenes where he's lifting a wheel in the air with shlokas from the Bhagavad Gita playing in the background and the one where he beheads a Pakistani soldier with a single swing of the hammer deserve mention. Oh, the famous handpump makes an appearance, and you wouldn't want to miss it!

A worthy nemesis in Manish Wadhwa?

Manish Wadhwa's Hamid Iqbal is not a complex character. He's a Hindu and Hindustan hater, and this is made clear in his introduction scene where he asks a Hindu man accompanied by his son to choose between the Gita and the Quran and then beheads them for choosing the former. And it's when he says 'rehem ki koi keemat nahi hai mazhab ke baazar mein', you know he commits crimes in the name of religion and he's the baddie the film needs. 

(Manish Wadhwa plays the role of Pakistani Army Genral Hamid Iqbal in Gadar 2 | Image: YouTube screengrab)

Wadhwa's character is unidimensional. This limits his depth which he tries to compensate for by going a little over the top. However, his efforts to embody villainy are commendable. And while Wadhwa manages to leave a mark through his intense performance, it's the powerful aura, exceptional acting skills, and commanding on-screen presence of Amrish Puri that one really misses. 

Treads the familiar path of patriotism, nationalism and jingoism

Back in 2001, Gadar was accused of verging on jingoism. It's 2023 and Gadar 2 is dunked in blatant jingoism. But let's talk about how Gadar 2, much like the original, attempts and to a large extent succeeds in capturing patriotic and nationalistic sentiments despite its weak narrative. The seetis when Tara snarls, the taalis and loud cheers during his high-pitched nationalistic dialogues, and Jeete's recreation of Sunny's popular 'Hindustan Zindabad Hain' are proof that Gadar 2 is a film for the masses. 

(Sunny Deol in Gadar 2 | Image: YouTube screengrab)

Forgettable Dialogues 

Unlike Gadar's power-packed dialogues that have become iconic over the years, Gadar 2 has dialogues that are completely forgettable barring maybe a few such as 'agar hasratein aukaat se zyada badh jaye toh dushman ki zarurat nahi padti', 'mere pappe tere itne cheethre karega, itne cheethre karega ki tera poora Pakistan bhi gin nahi paega' and the refurbished 'Hindustan Zindabad Hain, Hindustan Zindabad Tha aur Hindustan Zindabad Rahega' from the original film. 

(Utkarsh Sharma reprises his role as Jeete | Image: YouTube screengrab)

Extravagant action sequences

As expected, the action sequences defy the laws of physics. They are over the top and extravagant. But Sunny makes them believable. The audiences whistle and clap as superhuman Tara scares a violet mob with his snarl and tackles several men alone at a time. The loudest cheers come when Sunny's Tara Singh lifts a giant wheel in the air and throws it effortlessly at the enemy in a fight sequence. However, unlike Gadar's action scenes, Gadar 2's don't have the ingredients of being iconic. 

(Gadar 2 is a mass entertainer | Image: YouTube screengrab)

Unimpressive music

The soul-stirring track Udd Jaa Kaale Kawa and the peppy Main Nikla Gaddi Leke, recreated and rearranged by Mithoon, have strong recall value. The makers have succeeded in retaining the essence of the original tracks while giving them modern twists. No other song, with the exception of Khairiyat, that portrays the bond between a father and son, is worthy of a mention. 

Watch it or skip it?

Gadar 2 is a film for the masses. If you loved Gadar, there are chances you may like the sequel. But for those who don't belong to the bygone era, it may all seem a bit much.

Bottomline

Gadar 2 is a victim of shoddy writing, courtesy of Shaktimaan Talwar. Unlike the original which touched on patriotism and nationalism with unconditional love and sacrifice at its core, Anil Sharma's Gadar 2 does little to offer anything new to a generation that has access to content from across the globe at its fingertips. Moreover, underdeveloped characters that fail to evoke the intended emotions and a runtime of 170 minutes make it difficult to sit through. The sequel could easily have been given a miss.

Rating: 2/5