- Release Date: 12/08/2023
- Cast: Sunny Deol, Utkarsh Sharma, Ameesha Patel, Simrat Kaur, Manish Wadhwa
- Director: Anil Sharma
“Gadar 2” is so bad that it is unbelievably entertaining and inspiring
The trailer for “Gadar 2” told me everything that I needed to know about the film, and I was not one bit excited about this film. On the contrary, the only reason I watched this film was that I had to review it for being one of the biggest releases of this week. Luckily, this time around I had company while watching this film. I cannot emphasize enough how important it is to watch this film in packed theatres with a group of like-minded friends—preferably ones who had been fans of the original and shared an equal amount of hate for Pakistan as you do. If you can ensure this and somehow survive the first half of the film, which was as pleasing as a root canal with a kidney stone operation pending on the same day, chances are you will be surprised by what the film has in store for you in the second half.
The sheer madness and unadulterated mayhem that is unleashed even caught me off-guard. I found myself hooting, cheering, and literally shouting, as there isn’t anything more rewarding and wish-fulfilling than watching Tara Singh drive a hammer through the face of a Pakistani soldier. “Gadar 2” is a film from the ’90s that somehow boarded a time machine and crash-landed in this age and time. The new generation will finally be exposed to what 90s masala Bollywood was all about and I am confident that they will be bewildered by how senseless, mindless, and pointless a film could be and still be this entertaining and inspiring.
The story or the lack of it:
Almost two decades after the events of the first film, Tara Singh (Sunny Deol) and Sakeena (Ameesha Patel) are still just as much in love and have a blessed existence with their beloved son, Jeetay (Utkarsh Sharma). Things take a sinister turn for Tara and Sakeena when Jeetay ends up in Pakistan and is apprehended by General Hamid Iqbal (Manish Wadhwa). General Hamid Iqbal has a personal vendetta against Tara Singh, and the capture of Jeetay gives him the perfect opportunity to set into motion a chain of events that would bring Tara Singh back to Pakistan and pit him against the might of the Pakistan Army, which he had so violently torn apart in the first film. The rest of the film is one set piece after another, each vying to be more chest-thumping and mindless fun than the previous. There is also a romantic angle built up for Jeetay that didn’t work for me. It wouldn’t be wrong to say that anything and everything in the story is only there to pit Tara against Hamid Iqbal and make him go ballistic against the Pakistan Army. Whatever else happens throughout is inconsequential.
Dreadful and coma-inducing first half:
What if I told you that the first half of “Gadar 2” doesn’t have more than 15-20 minutes of Sunny Deol? What if I told you that it was all about an uninspiring, annoying, and stupefying Utkarsh Sharma and his histrionics in Pakistan? I am confident that you will not be one bit amused by this revelation, but it is the truth. If that was not enough, there are more songs in this half than I cared to count. These songs were a mix of re-imaginings of some of the most popular tracks from the original and a few standalone new songs that did nothing but elongate an already swelling runtime. There was no development of the story through these songs. They were not even essential to the story or added a brief moment of respite from the storytelling. They were like disc brakes that screeched the narrative to a halt. There came a time when I started checking my phone every time the film broke out into a song.
Utkarsh Sharma’s underwhelming performance as Jeetay:
Coming back to Utkarsh Sharma, he was entrusted to carry the first half of the film and prove his mettle as someone who could hold his own in a lead role. His character was given ample opportunities to showcase a wide range of emotions. This also gave Utkarsh the chance to act his heart out and turn each and every emotional exchange into memorable moments. He even has a romantic interest that is hastily introduced but has a stellar Simrat Kaur oozing charisma from the moment she appears on screen. Sadly, Utkarsh fails miserably in holding our attention as he falters in every aspect of his performance. There is just no charisma or heart in his portrayal of a character that is so on the edge and had ventured into hostile territory with a very specific goal in mind. The conflicts that Jeetay has to endure throughout his mission are also glossed over, and Sharma cannot breathe life into the few moments that allow him to capture these conflicts and the toll they are taking on him as an individual. His dialogue delivery was so lacklustre that I was forced to question his commitment to such an important role. His camaraderie with Sunny Deol also works sparingly and that too because Deol is in such good form.
A blistering second half that is just insane:
I was practically cursing myself for having been cajoled into watching this film for whatever reason. I was almost contemplating a less-than-flattering title for my review of the film when the second half hit me like a bolt from the blue. I couldn’t believe my eyes that I was even watching the same film. Sunny Deol’s arrival amid the action and the unadulterated mayhem and violence that he unleashes on the Pakistanis were enough to wake me up from my slumber. By the time we reached about 15-20 minutes into the second half, the entire theatre was erupting. My friends seated next to me were going berserk, and so was I. Tara and Jeetay roast Pakistan in such a brutal fashion in key verbal tussles that it stands second only to the bludgeoning they deliver to the Pakistani army. The film literally moves from one set piece to the next, and each is more outrageous than the last. Sunny Deol barely looking at a hand pump makes an armed-to-the-teeth mob run for their lives. Sunny Deol just shouts in the face of a general and he stops halfway through his movement aimed at landing a death blow. Tara and Jeetay steal Pakistani tanks, and then Tara uses his hands to change the direction of the cannon when it gets stuck. Tara uproots electricity poles and then uses them like whips to kill Pakistanis. All this is just the tip of the iceberg.
Poorly done action sequences that are still a treat to watch because of their nature:
The execution of the action sequences is pathetic and subpar compared to what Anil Sharma had achieved in the first “Gadar” film. The action in that film felt real, physical, and one could practically feel every blow. The blasts and other elaborate set pieces were executed with gusto and uncanny realism. Sadly, you will find none of these traits here, but still, the action strangely engulfed my senses. Heightened by clever use of editing, slow motion, colour grading, and lighting, the action is rendered heroic and entertaining. The fact that such brutality was unleashed on the Pakistanis appealed to my inherent hatred for the Pakistani army and Pakistan as a whole. It was a treat to watch it on the big screen with a theatre full of people who felt the same way and cheered and hooted along with me.
Sunny Paji still has it in him:
While Sunny Deol has visibly aged and has become a shadow of the behemoth that he used to be in his films, he still has it in him to extract the kind of emotions that would make a film of this nature click. Numerous sequences work primarily because of how Deol performs in them. The amount of conviction, unadulterated machoism, and jingoism that he brings to these moments not only makes them worthwhile but also makes us resonate with the character of Tara and the situation he is in. Anyone else trying to pull off the things that he does here would appear comical. Sunny Deol proves his mettle not only in the action sequences but also in the lighter moments where he is shown interacting with his son and wife. No one can bash Pakistan as gloriously as Sunny Deol can.
Manish Wadhwa is a generic but effective antagonist:
Manish Wadhwa is fresh from playing a Pakistani General in “Pathaan”. He literally plays the same character here but with a lot less subtility and a hell of a lot more hatred for Indians and Hindus. He is effective as the principal antagonist, and I thoroughly enjoyed him being at the receiving end of all the death and destruction that Tara brings to Pakistan.
Final Words:
The trailer for “Gadar 2” may have initially failed to ignite excitement, but my viewing experience evolved drastically in the second half. While enduring the lacklustre first half felt akin to undergoing a torturous procedure, the second half erupted into a cacophony of unadulterated madness and mayhem that took me by surprise. The sheer audacity of the action and the electrifying moments, such as witnessing Tara Singh’s relentless vengeance on the Pakistani army, stirred a visceral response within me. This film felt like a throwback to the flamboyant Bollywood of the 90s, inviting both bewilderment and awe from a new generation.
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Though marred by a truckload of flaws, “Gadar 2” discovers redemption in Sunny Deol’s portrayal of Tara Singh. His commanding performance, coupled with unbridled fervour, breathes life into moments that would otherwise falter. While the action sequences may pale in comparison to the original, they captivate through creative execution and a dash of nostalgia.
In an era of nuanced cinema, “Gadar 2” might seem frivolous, but it carves its own niche by delivering unabashed entertainment. The film’s rollercoaster journey from mediocrity to exhilaration ultimately pays tribute to Bollywood’s audacious past. So, if you assemble with like-minded friends in a packed theatre, willing to endure the initial tedium, you’ll be rewarded with a cinematic experience that marries senselessness with entertainment, leaving you both bewildered and exasperated.
Rating: 2.5/5 (2.5 out of 5 Stars)
The views expressed in this article are that of the reviewer and do not reflect EastMojo’s position.
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