- Date of Release: 11 August 2023
- Genre: Action, Drama
- Language: Hindi
Gadar 2
Introduction
Onto the next release of the weekend and the next weekend biggie is finally here. With that, I finished watching the Hindi film Gadar 2 which is the sequel to the 2001 Blockbuster hit Gadar. It was the weekend of 15th June 2001 that changed the complexion of the Hindi Film Industry. The weekend marked the releases of two mega blockbusters – Lagaan and Gadar, both of whom have christened their names in History.
Those were the days when single screens did rule the roosts with no traces of multiplexes which would eventually go on to rule the decade. So even purchasing tickets had become difficult, and it did me weeks to finally get to watch both Lagaan and Gadar. Both of these films were diabolically different from each other with a heavy dose of patriotism infused in each of the two films. While Lagaan dealt with the sport of cricket, Gadar was heavy on the pro-India sentiments and an emotional core that sat well with the masses. I remember loving both films back in the day, making each of them a memorable outing for me.
When Gadar 2 was announced, I quite found it unneccesary given that you ran the risk of destroying the legacy of a fine film. Even its trailer had left me unimpressed with the film supposedly stuck in the 80s even in the year 2023. The thought of skipping the film had crossed my mind but the peer pressure of the film opening to huge numbers did make me curious. And finally, I decided to take the plunge! So then is Gadar 2 worth your time, lets find out.
Story & Screenplay
Gadar 2 follows the story of Tara Singh who sets off to Pakistan to get his son back. The story moves along the same lines of Gadar(1) and there is zero novelty in the tale. And I am surprised as to how most people are associating this as an entertaining piece of cinema? Has the bar of entertainment gone so low? The story is cringe-worthy and loud with nothing new to offer apart from some mindless action sequences. The screenplay standing at almost 3 hours(170 minutes to be precise) honestly gave me a headache because of the pitch of the drama which is so much in your face. The point to keep in mind is that Gadar had worked because of a strong emotional connect that aided the high intensity scenes, thus making it iconic. But nothing of the sort is prevalent here. In fact, it is the most random sequel I have seen in ages. And random in terms of the screenplay!
The drama surprisingly opens on a good note with the writers making a conscious decision to connect the dots from the previous installment. And they succeed well in establishing this while setting things well for the second part wherein another enemy awaits his turn to extract revenge on Tara Singh. Soon, you are introduced to the protagonist who is leading a happy life with his family. And the casting director/makers deserve credit for keeping the star cast the same. The makers introduce a conflict wherein a strange turn of events force Tara Singh to go to our ‘Padosi Mulk’ to extract his son who was imprisoned after venturing in search for his father(yes, you read that right).
The proceedings are so lame that it just didn’t allow me an opportunity to connect with the emotions of the various characters. There are several liberties taken throughout the course of the film, a few turn of events that can label certain characters as dimwits. Firstly, why did Jeete go to Pakistan randomly in search of his father? How did he plan his extraction? And once caught, how did Tara Singh appear randomly? There are far too many convenient turns with the events going from zero to hundred in one go across the storyboard. The link between scenes are barely held together by a thread, thus making the whole drama convenient. Also, the love story featuring Jeete and his Pakistani Love Interest was such a bore that you wished that Tara Singh be brought back as soon as possible. Jeete can be world’s dumbest spy ever!
The rest of the film follows the father-son duo escaping the neighbouring country, and it resulted in the most unintentionally hilarious sequences ever. A small positive though is the nostalgia factor, and the drama heavily relies on that(the handpump scene was hilarious). While the writers do not coat a paint of hate to all people across the border, the events are a yawn-fest and just so random, that characters separate out in a scene only to come together after a couple of scenes in the most hilarious manner. The final act includes Tara Singh becoming a superhero wherein just his screams make the villain pause while attempting to hit him. Tara Singh mows people, kills them, bombs them and later gives out a message of brotherhood. Yes, slow claps everyone! The screenplay is just a horrible mess and just ridiculously bad!
Dialogues, Music & Direction
The dialogues are loud and cringe-worthy while relying a lot to stir the emotional sentiments of the film. The music is the unsung hero of the film, beautifully integrating melodies that offer a sense of peace. Even the renditions of yesteryear’s songs of the previous installment are beautiful. The BGM though is straight out of a TV serial with high octane beats being played out with melodramatic notes. The cinematography is decent and atleast it captures the vibe of the drama well. The action sequences are over the top but I guess it was meant to be exactly that. The editing is so patchy that the entire film seemed like random events put together. Director Anil Sharma is stuck in the 80s and 90s with his narrative style. The direction is poor and outdated, often playing out only to the front benchers. But then, the film is working so what do I know!
Performances
The performances are just at another level of cringe-acting. Ameesha Patel as Sakina hams in her little role that demands her to stay away from the action for the entire length of the film. I was thoroughly impressed with Gaurav Chopra who is amazing to watch as Col. Devendra. Simrat Kaur as Muskaan looks pretty but that is about it. Her acting doesn’t evoke any sort of emotions even in a limited screen space. Manish Wadhwa as Hamid is over the top and is often seen screaming at the top of his lungs in the drama. Utkarsh Sharma as Jeete does have an agility in the combat sequences but is less impactful with his acting. He needs to also improve on his dialogue delivery. Gadar 2 was more of his second launch pad with Sunny Paaji playing a supporting role to him. Sunny Deol as Tara Singh is the star of the show. Even his screams have an intensity to fill you up with energy, and the moments when he isn’t around is when the film becomes uneventful. He was excellent in the film despite the loud nature of his character.
Conclusion
Gadar 2 is a MASTERPIECE………for those who have hated Oppenheimer. Otherwise, it is cringe-worthy, loud and the most randomly penned sequel ever that has successfully uprooted the handpumps in my brain. But then it is loved by the audience, so what do I know! Available in a theatre near you.
