War 2

War 2, directed by Ayan Mukerji and led by Hrithik Roshan, follows his iconic role, Kabir, going through the dark depths of India’s enemies and bringing them to justice while staying hidden in the dark. While Tiger, Pathan often live between the lines of good and bad, Kabir is the baddest, and Jr NTR joins him here on out. One scene in the film also has the latter asking why Kabir often turns heroes into villains and villains into heroes. And an answer to that we will never get, because the next in the franchise might have a similar story again. The film begins with a long introductory action sequence of how much Hrithik Roshan’s Kabir has changed and gone bad. He walks into the den of a Japanese mafia alone, subdues their loyal wolf by just looking at him and then proceeds to kill everyone in the entire mansion, or the open corridor, because that’s all we get to see. At the end of it, we know one thing for sure: Hrithik Roshan’s Japanese has gotten much, much better since we last heard it. Not long after it is followed by another long introductory action sequence for Jr NTR, which portrays him as fit action hero who jumps into enemy lines without parachute, guns or any sort of support to land.

There’s nothing the makers of War 2 will not do to show the audience a good time. Affording stylish entry sequences to its stars, showcasing their well-sculpted bodies (including Kiara Advani in swim-wear, looking disturbingly photo-shopped), chase scenes in picturesque European cities borrowed from James Bond, Mission: Impossible and Jason Bourne films, dance-offs between its two nimble-footed male leads (Hrithik Roshan and NTR), patriotism, (cautious) pro-poor commentary, CGI wolves, B-movie twists, and flashbacks that put Ekta Kapoor’s soap-operas to shame. Sit back, and pick your poison. Directed by Ayan Mukerji, this sequel to Siddharth Anand’s 2019 film only cares about beauty, glamour, sleekness, and entertainment. And whatever it takes to engineer them. One might wonder why NTR is talking using a catch-phrase of a mass Telugu hero in RAW meetings. Or why Kiara Advani’s hair appears blow-dried in most scenes – even though a spy would prefer to have her hair tied (especially if she’s in the field). And then the ancient caveat dawned on me – how can anyone expect logic in a commercial film? Mukerji’s film sees everything only for its aesthetic value.

What happens when two superstars come together? One, Hrithik Roshan as Kabir, a bona fide member of YRF spy universe, who headlined the prequel. The other, super sensation from the South, NTR Jr, makes a new entry but in no less powerful role. Well, the movie becomes a fan-service, a showcase of these two heavyweights. Thus War 2 is as much a battle of their swags as face-offs between their muscle power and show of strengths. For the world, rogue spy Kabir is still a mercenary but as audiences we soon learn he is a patriot who believes in the dictum; death before dishonor, service before self and of course India first. NTR Jr as Major Vikram too is a desbhakt. Or is he? If you have watched War, you know nothing is what appears in this spy-game. ‘Hero ko villain banana aur villain ko hero… tumhara shauk hai kya’… Well, it certainly seems to be the motto of the writer. The story credit belongs to Aditya Chopra.

Rogue spy Kabir is back, and this time around, he has a bigger task cut out for him. Perhaps the most difficult, says his father-figure mentor Colonel Luthra, a description which turns out to be prophetic. Yes, the task, to keep us glued to the screen, which is the solo ask of a fast-paced actioner, turns out to be not just difficult, but impossible. I’m sorry to report that War 2, the sixth instalment of the YRF Spy Universe, is nothing but a glossy snooze-fest.