The Night Manager Part 2 Review: Anil Kapoor, Aditya Roy Kapur try to salvage lousy series

At first glance, the decision to release The Night Manager in two parts would come across as an unwelcome one. However, the new episodes seem to justify the strategy. There is a stark distinction in how the characters develop over the two halves and with the narrative unfolding at a slow, almost choking pace, it's easier to see the story over a break of a few weeks. The Night Manager Part 2 constantly builds towards its climax but offers only a handful of moments that make for a thrilling watch. In totality, the 7-episode series is average at best, and too stretched to watch in one go.

3 things you need to know

• The Night Manager 2's  cleverly written and executed dialogues are a highlight.
• Aditya Roy Kapur and Anil Kapoor's face off has an unsatisfying end.
• Sobhita Dhulipala has a meatier part in new episodes and pulls it off well.

Hot Take

The Night Manager utilises the most common tropes of espionage, thriller and drama and gives into the genres without attempting to do more. An interesting aspect is the villain and the hero's parts don't play out separately and the black and white sides, if you choose to call them so, blend together, almost creating a grey and murky ground for the characters to interact within. While this is innovative, the slow pace leads to a lack of anticipation. The performances, however, become the saving grace and keep viewers engaged.

Does The Night Manager Part 2 live up to the hype?

Anil Kapoor and Aditya Roy Kapur are pitted against each other but it's not a face-off of the conventional kind. Shaan (Aditya) wants to bring down Shelly's (Anil) empire while pretending to work for him. But it's crystal clear throughout which side he is on. This becomes the weakest link in the show. The makers don't convince us for a moment that Shaan could switch his loyalties.

While Aditya seems to have a sense of performing in silences, his eyes give away a lot more than they should. Thus, the 'which side is he on' angle goes for a toss. He delivers a restrained performance but ends up playing second fiddle to Anil Kapoor, who gets the best dialogues, more screen space and a leaner and meaner character arc.

Anil Kapoor is no Tony Stark

One of the Iron Man rip off scenes is worth noticing. It is also the time when the desperation to posit Shelly as Tony Stark is too in-the-face. As an international arms dealer, Shelly inherently has a ruthless side to him. In Part 1 it was suppressed. With the stakes rising and his business on the verge of collapse, we do relate to the change in character, but the easy going side of Shelly was too prominent in the first half to convince us of his 180 turn.

(The Night Manager poster | Image: Instagram/Aditya Roy Kapur)

Shelly's chemistry with Kaveri (Sobhita Dhulipala) also seems off, and some of the scenes where he tries to assert physical dominance over her will make you despise him. Anil  Kapoor has been able to channel, for the most part, the various shades of Shelly. He carries the layered character well, but his delivery is one-tone and the stone-cold gaze gets repeated way too many times.

Sobhita Dhulipala and Tillotama Shome get their due

Kaveri (Sobhita), who is unknowingly trapped in Shelly's world, seeks refuge in Shaan's company. The actress has convincingly pulled off the role. She channels well the vulnerability of a woman who can't escape the clutches of the mafia world. It preys on her, strips her bare and also gives her the courage to break free. Sobhita gets her due, mostly in the second part, as she lets go of her seductress persona and becomes more assertive. Her parts with Shaan and Shelly challenge her to tap into her different sides, and she manages to pull it off.

Tillotama (Lipika) operates in the periphery but has a few solid scenes where she puts up her best show. The action sequence, where a pregnant Lipika fights for her life, is a highlight.

Clever dialogue play

Sandeep Modi and Priyanka Ghose's visual language has nothing new to offer. The background score is thematic and plays in and out as per the mood. However, dialogues add heft to the scenes and are one of the biggest positives of the show. The Night Manager sticks to refined, urban Hindi and has some cleverly written and executed dialogues. Anil Kapoor gets the major chunk of it and manages to become a despicably patronising mentor to Aditya, onscreen. This fuels their chemistry and gives an edge to the storytelling.

Stream it or Skip it?

The Night Manager has one-hour-long episodes, and the narrative unfolds at its own sweet pace. One feels almost exhausted by the time climax arrives and that too is mired by predictability. It is skippable considering its unsatisfying and delayed ending.

The Bottomline

Anil Kapoor and Sobhita Dhulipala's raid-worthy wardrobe in The Night Manager merits a mention. They may find a place in the list of stylish OTT characters. The show, however, is unlikely to get mentioned in the list of the best there is, especially with the 'remake' tag on it.

(Rating: 2/5)