- Date of Release: 29 July 2022
- Genre: Action, Romance, Thriller
- Language: Hindi
- Watch On: Theatres only
Ek Villain Returns
Introduction
Onto the next release of the weekend and the love affair of Mohit Suri with serial killers continues. The man is known to spring up some interesting serial killer movies be it Murder 2, Ek Villain or even Malang. And to add to that list, he is back with another film which is a sequel to the 2014 smash hit Ek Villain, titled Ek Villain Returns. I remember the time when I had watched its trailer only to have mixed feelings about the film related to the acting in it. But one thing which I couldn’t deny was that the trailer was a tease and I couldn’t quite figure out its storyline even though the big reveal at the end of the trailer kind of had me on the fence. But it was refreshing to witness a trailer coming from Bollywood after such a long time which did not reveal its plot points. And I was also looking forward to the film because of Disha Patani, who is my celeb crush lately. And and and, just as a friendly reminder – serial killer films are my staple diet and I rarely let any go past me. So then does Ek Villain Returns manage to impress, lets find out.
Story & Screenplay
Usually in this segment I begin with a two liner about what the story of the film is. But I will be keeping the plot under wraps as revealing any little detail will run the danger of revealing spoilers. So all I can say is that the thread from the first film is vaguely connected here. Unlike the first film which was an adaptation of the South Korean film I Saw The Devil, this one is an original plot which is a rarity these days. The story is interesting with its good share of twists and turns. The screenplay standing at a little over 2 hours means that the movie moves at a brisk pace. The drama though has its fair share of flaws too.
The drama opens on a wobbly note with a group of friends being attacked by a serial killer. Why do I say wobbly was because the cinematography in this action sequence was clearly experimental but something which did not work(more in detail in the next section). This is followed by a flashback which felt a little disjointed and something which could have been better written. But the drama keeps throwing in surprises one after the other.
The drama picks up pace after the introduction of all four protagonists. The investigation which takes place will definitely make you curious. In between there are some over the top sequences which could clearly have been done without. The twists and turns only get better with every passing minute culminating into an intriguing interval point.
The drama refuses to slow down and keeps throwing you twists and turns which will keep you invested. I am keeping the explanation vague here so that it doesn’t ruin your overall experience. Having said that the final twist which is a great one was predicted by me early on in the second hour, probably due to my high consumption of content. But many may not be able to guess the twist making for an enjoyable screenplay overall although flawed and filled with loopholes.
Dialogues, Music & Direction
The dialogues are cringy and corny at many places and surely some better lines could have been penned. There is something about the music in a Mohit Suri film. The music is always outstanding and here too things aren’t too different. The music is outstanding and deserves a playlist of its own. The BGM manages to keep you on your toes. None of the action sequences create an impact here and it has got to do with the cinematography which wasn’t the best. There are closeups coupled with shaky cameras which may seem edgy but lack that kind of desired impact. Director Mohit Suri does a brilliant job. There are so many twists which may seem to be implausable or far fetched but it is the direction which consistently drives the film and makes it immensely watchable. In fact, the movie can grow on you, something like Malang had managed to do and for that Mohit Suri must be applauded.
Performances
I was the most skeptical about the performances but the good news is that the performances are decent. Karishma Sharma, Elena Roxana Maria Fernandes, Shivani Tuli, Neha Shitoli all have their moments to shine. Shaad Randhawa and JD Chakravarthi are average. Tara Sutaria as Aarvi delivers a much better performance from her last outing Heropanti 2. She still has a long way to go in terms of dialogue delivery but still I wouldn’t discount her performance here which was decent. Arjun Kapoor as Gautam is decent too. You can clearly see that Arjun has been trying to improve ever since Sandeep Aur Pinky Faraar and while that character demanded an actor with a stoic face, all other characters of his needed him to emote. I wouldn’t say he is able to nail it here but this one is a good try and a step in the right direction. Disha Patani as Rasika looks so pretty and a part of me will be bious towards her(and do not blame me for it😊). She has done a pretty good job here in a role which adds to the mystery of the film. John Abraham as Bhairav has also done a pretty good job and I feel correctly selecting roles for him is half the job done well, something which he does fulfill here.
Conclusion
Ek Villain Returns springs a pleasant surprise where the writing makes the drama consistently watchable. Available in a theatre near you.