Hrithik Roshan and Junior NTR from War 2. The two stars lift the movie above the bumoy screenplay with their screen presence and performances
Ayan Mukherj’s War 2 is a significant improvement over the last spy installment Tiger 3 but the film relies heavily on gloss over substance. The absence of our neighbor and go to nation Pakistan is welcome but there is no escaping patriotism with the repletion of lines India first. Ayan’s direction shines best in the portions of high voltage clash between the two stars and also a poignant flashback in the second half
Starcast: Hrithik Roshan, Junior NTR, Kiara Advani, Anil Kapoor and others special appearance (Bobby Deol)
Genre: Action/thriller
Direction: Ayan Mukherji
Screenplay: Shridhar Raghavan
Story and Production: Aditya Chopra
Dialogues: Abbas Tyrewala
Cinematography: Benjamin Jasper
Music: Pritam
Production House: Yash Raj Films
Running time: 2 hours and 50 minutes
When EK Tha Tiger released in 2012 the movie was one of its kind, a love story between an Indian and Pakistani spy and how they have a happily ever after by crossing the various hurdles of both raw and ISI. There was a certain groundedness to the character of Salman while keeping the larger than life image intact. As the spy movies have increased with addition of new actors and larger set pieces the charm is somewhat reducing and the latest installment is a perfect example of this.
War 2’s director Ayan Mukherjee started his career with rom coms but Bramhastra Part 1 marked a significant shift with a larger than life scale and an ambitious plot. In spite of the striking visuals Ayan’s inability to handle a scale of that nature was very visible. In War 2 the director is more in control specifically in his handling of the two stars, but in terms of delivering a perfect popcorn movie Ayan still has miles to go.
The plot of War 2 focuses on Kabir (Hrithik Roshan) coming into contact with a deadly cartel called Kali. This syndicate consists of numerous individuals, they want to cause severe harm to the nation. In a shocking turn of events Kabir kills his father like figure and RAW chief Luthra (Ashutosh Rana). The assassination of Luthra leads to the introduction of Junior NTR’s Vikram. Vikram along with some more are assigned to bring Kabir down. This is the story in brief without giving away much of the twists and turns.
A strong aspect of War 2 are the twists and turns related to the characters of both Kabir and Vikram. In the beginning portions the audience have the feeling that Kabir has really gone rouge, an important dialogue featuring Ashutosh Rana and him spiting on Hrithik’s face saying that I had brought you up as a son and you turned into a betrayer raises the curiosity of the audiences.
Even in case of Junior NTR’s Vikram the role comes with different shades. He is shown to be a brave and a honest agent till the interval, at one point Kabir and Vikram team up as partners too after Kabir makes an important closure about why he is doing what he is doing.
The interval bang with a surprising reveal ends the first half on a high. The beginning portions of the second half featuring a key flashback has a strong emotional weight. This flashback establishes how Kabir and Vikram then known as Raghu came into contact developing a friendship bond. The two do stealing for a living, however one major incident in a remand home changes everything. The personalities of the two and how in the present they are up against each other has been well connected.
The film also benefits from the strong performances of both Hrithik and Junior NTR. As Kabir Hrithik combines his hunk like presence with emotional vulnerability. The actor specifically shines in the scenes of showcasing Kabir’s moral dilemmas and a certain loneliness from operating in the shadows. Junior NTR as Vikram/Raghu also does a fine job in his Bollywood Debut. He pulls off the grey shades convincingly, the actor clearly has a ball with the one liners chewing the scenery along with Hrithik. The high intense moments between the actors with the cat and mouse game leads to some engaging sequences.
A major problem with War 2 apart from the usual patriotism is the criminal underutilization of the supporting cast. Anil Kapoor replacing Girish Karnad from the Tiger movies has a strong beginning with just the right amount of mystery on whether he is good or bad, however as the movie progresses the character gets lost. The same applies to its leading Lady Kiara Advani. Kiara has shown her potential in a film like Satyaprem Ki Katha but here she is largely wasted except for the action sequences. She carries the required attitude of a tough woman but the role is too thinly written and the patchily written love story also doesn’t help matters.
Pritam’s music is another sore point for the movie, whether its the love ballad featuring Hrithik and Kiara or the dance face off between Hrithik and Junior NTR. The songs come across as major spreedbreakers. The VFX is also a mixed bag, it comes across as too shoddy for a film of this scale, sometimes the shoddy VFX becomes a major deterrent in enjoying the action set pieces too. The stunts of Bea Arreugui does provide some thrills more so in the climatic face off. Benjamin Jasper’s cinematography is also efficient. He does a fine job in capturing the large scale through his lens making it a good theatrical experience specially for the die hard fans of Hrithik and Junior NTR.
War 2 ends with an introduction to the world of Alpha through a deadly Bobby Deol. Here’s hoping the female centric spy movie later this year becomes a much needed game changer.
Final word: War 2 is a major mixed bag and personally quite a bummer after the mega success of YRF last production Saiyaara. Watch it if you are in the mood for some large scale action or want to see how Junior NTR fares in his Hindi debut.
