Gadar 2 movie review: Sunny Deol turns back the clock in loud, hyperviolent film that brilliantly plays to the gallery

Director: Anil Sharma

Cast: Sunny Deol, Utkarsh Sharma, Ameesha Patel, Simrat Kaur, and Manish Wadhwa

Where to watch: Theatres

Rating: 3 stars

It has been 22 years in the making. The statement is for the resurgence of the behemoth that is Gadar and the action star that is Sunny Deol. Whe Gadar – Ek Prem Katha was released in 2001, it shattered box office records. Needless to say, Gadar 2 has large shoes to fill. And it employs the tropes that made the first film so successful – large-scale actipn, hyperviolence, loud dialogues, a call to nationalism, and the larger-than-life appeal of Sunny Deol. And despite a wafer thin plot, some shoddy acting, it all pays off. The film tests your senses but still manages to entertain somehow. And at the centre of it all is the enduring stardom of Sunny Deol, who pretty much carries the film on his shoulders.

Gadar 2 takes off 17 years after the end of the first film with Nana Patekar (a strange choice indeed) narrating how things have unfolded in the meantime. Tara Singh (Sunny) is greying now and lives with his Madam Ji Sakina (Ameesha Patel) in Pathankot, where he still drives a truck. Their son Charanjeet (Utkarsh Sharma) is all grown up and harbours the dream of becoming an actor. When Tara disappears after a skirmish a the border, he is presumed captured by the Pakistani forces. Charanjeet crosses over to the other side to bring his father back from the clutches of Major General Hamid (Manish Wadhwa), who hates India with every breath.

Gadar 2 is a simple story that employs nationalism, patriotism and even jingoism quite well. It is a film that plays to the gallery, uses base emotions effectively, makes multiple callbacks, and props up the best attributes of its ageing star. Mind you, these are all things that can be said about Gadar 2 as well as Pathaan, the year’s biggest hit. Gadar 2 may not be as slick as the Shah Rukh Khan-starrer but is much more rooted. It also has a legacy to build on, with ample throwbacks to the first instalments, bringing in nostalgia as an extra weapon in its arsenal.

What works for Gadar 2 is its action. With the passage of time, it has gotten more fine and stylised. Sunny Deol throws away 20 men instead of 10 with a single punc this time. Utkarsh Sharma does parkour and brings in some Vidyut Jammwal-style stunts as well. All in all, the action is watchable and even applaudable in places. It keeps you on the edge of your seat. The framing and cinematography adds to the flavour. What I did not like was the relentless, breakeck pace of the film. Despite its near-three-hour length, the film does not offer the viewer any respite in action and loudness, particularly in the second half. It does get a bit too much after a while.

The performances are nothing to write home about, to be honest. Ameesha Patel looks plastic and even in scenes, where she gets powerful lines, fails to leave an impact. Utkarsh Sharma has the most to do with the highest screentime but falters in parts. He is good in his action and even the light scenes. But when it comes to the heavy dialogue, he is found lacking. The other newcomer Simrat Kaur is quite a delightful watch. She looks like she belongs here, despite some hammied delivery. Manish Wadhwa tries his best to bring the menace and hatred of General Hamid to the fore. He is a fine actor but he is hindered by a unidimensional character that has only one gear.

As for Sunny Deol, age has withered him but not diminished any sheen. His eyes still have the fury that made films like Gadar, Ghatak, Ghayal, and even Damini such huge hits. He eases into Tara Singh’s rage so effortlessly that you never realise it has been tw decades since the last one. He looks older and that shows on the screen. But he is still very much powerful, both on screen and as a presence. In the loudest, most action-packed scenes of the film, you cannot take your eyes off him.

But the film comes with a cost. It brings back the style of loud patriotism that uses not-so-subtle Pak-bashing to prop up our heroes. It’s very 90s in its finesse, or the lack of it, using things like communal messaging, violence, and patriotism in the loudest, and often ugliest way possible. But it still enertains, largely because of the smart way Anil Sharma has packaged the final product, and of course, Sunny Deol’s stardom. Just don’t go in expeting anything smart or intellectual, and you might have fun. Just don’t go if you get squeamish at the sight of blood because there is a lot of it there.

Gadar 2 has so many faults that it will take a long time to list them all. But the film uses sheer emotion and some smart packaging to plaster over them. It plays to the gallery by infusing some seetimaar dialogues. The number of whistleworthy moments in the film is quite high and one is bound to see videos of people dancing and cheering in the halls in the days to come.