Gadar 2 review: The sequel to the 2001 smash starring Sunny Deol and Ameesha Patel serves as a launch pad for Utkarsh Sharma, the son of filmmaker Anil Sharma.
Both the hand pump and the snarls have returned. Like his father did 17 years ago, the child has grown up and has arrived in Pakistan to face the bad guys head-on. In terms of its character arcs, settings, and premise, Gadar 2, the follow-up to Gadar: Ek Prem Katha (2001), is a classic example of old wine in new bottles. Yet, due to its capacity to raise the heart rate with its action scenes, it is only recommended for one-time viewing. Many of the returning characters from the first movie are present, along with a few fresh faces. In an effort to advance the plot, director Anil Sharma makes several alterations to the script.
Gadar 2 is a story of the animosity between India and Pakistan that won’t go away, depicted through the lens of a father’s relationship with his son, in contrast to Gadar, which told the love story of Tara Singh (Sunny Deol) and Sakina (Ameesha Patel). Lieutenant Colonel Devendra Rawat from Punjab (Gaurav Chopra) requests Tara for assistance in deploying his trucks and sending immediate ammunition at the border to assist Indian forces as the threat of conflict grows. Tara and six Indian troops vanish while battling the foes. It is later discovered that they are being imprisoned by Pakistani Major General Hamid Iqbal (Manish Wadhwa), who intends to exact revenge on Tara for killing 40 members of his unit at the climactic scene of Gadar.
As Charanjit Singh, also known as Jeete (Utkarsh Sharma), decides to search for his papaji, he ends up in Pakistan and makes every effort to connect with him. While Jeete is captured and waits for Tara to save him, things take a nasty turn. Throughout all of this, there is a significant portion of the movie where Deol simply disappears from view and then reappears to go on a rampage in Pakistan to retrieve his son. As Jeete meets Muskaan in Pakistan, he too finds love there (Simrat Kaur).
Although I have nothing against the amount of screen time Utkarsh receives, Gadar 2 seems to be more of a vehicle for the director’s kid by leveraging Tara Singh’s following. Utkarsh is competent, if not outstanding, and he gives his scenes his all. In contrast to the first half, which depicts him as an innocent young man hoping to become an actor, the second half depicts him as the ultimate action figure, sporting a beard and acting just like his on-screen father: sullen, rough, and tough.
The innocence of Sunny Deol’s character is restored, and his scenes brighten the picture. If you look closely, you will see that Tara is a peaceful person who uses tremendous violence only when necessary. The scenes in which he smashes a Pakistani police officer in the face and neglects to pick up the firearm that would have been useful later make this clear. Ameesha is only average and makes little effort to differentiate herself from her performance in the first movie. In fact, I thought she was very soulless and uninspired. The chemistry between Tara and Sakeena is still as innocent and charming as you’d imagine, though. The antagonist, Wadhwa, has a powerful screen presence and a vile appearance.
Gadar 2’s running time of 2 hours 50 minutes could have easily been cut by 30 minutes. The writing of Shaktimaan Talwar is not intelligent. Nothing about the conversations is particularly impressive, and even the lines that receive the most applause—”Hindustan zindabad”—have been used before.
The reimagined versions of the songs, Main Nikla Gadi leke and Udd Ja Kale Kaavan, were what I really loved and enjoyed. They transport you back in time and are the heart of the movie. And the extra two tracks are likewise a breath of fresh air and excellent. Be reassured that there is no shortage of hearty patriotism or whistle-worthy moments when it comes to bravery and patriotism. Both Tara and Jeete have plenty of room to display their prowess and carry out some nonstop action sequences in slow motion in Gadar 2.
Gadar 2 has some plot and pacing issues, but it does bring back mass entertainment, which makes it worth a paisa vasool watch.