Gadar 2 review: Sunny Deol is a treat to watch, but the storyline fails to recapture the magic of the original

2.5/5

Story:

Gadar 2 is a follow-up to the well-liked 2001 film Gadar: Ek Prem Katha, which stars Sunny Deol and Ameesha Patel as a Sikh-Muslim couple who fall in love during the Partition of India and encounter numerous difficulties in their cross-border romance. The sequel reunites the original cast and continues Tara Singh (Deol) and Sakeena's (Ameesha) story in 1971, when Tara visits Pakistan to free his son Charanjeet, aka Jeete (Utkarsh Sharma), who has been tortured by the Pakistani army when he gets stuck in Pakistan as he goes there to save his dad.

Review:

Gadar 2's plot is not exactly but almost a copy of the original movie, with Tara Singh once again showcasing his valiant acts of courage and patriotism against the backdrop of a bloody struggle in the past. By reenacting some of the memorable lines and situations from the original, such as Tara's hand-pump lifting (which, by the way, is one of the most exciting scenes of both films now), his chant of "Hindustan Zindabad" (which will once again give you goosebumps), and his confrontation with Sakeena's father (played by Amrish Puri in the first movie), the movie attempts to inspire nostalgia and emotion, and it succeeds with all the scenes that the makers show as a flashback. With regard to story, the movie, however, falls short of providing anything original.

Also read: Gadar 2 on OTT: Where to watch Sunny Deol's period action drama after its theatrical run 

Talking about the performances, Sunny Deol's performance, which is still effective as Tara Singh (And we cannot imagine anyone acing this character), is its single saving grace. Deol reprises his role as Tara with passion, and it is definitely a treat for all the fans out there because he actually delivers a lot of seeti-maar dialogues. Ameesha Patel has limited screen time in the film, and trust me, it's a good thing because her character Sakeena will only make you cringe with her loud expressions. With all the stereotypes and cliche scenes between Sunny Deol and Ameesha Patel, the makers could not recreate the charm of their lead couple as it was in the first film. Their chemistry feels forced and unnecessary.

Utkarsh Sharma, who previously appeared as Tara's young son, makes his acting debut as an adult but fails to deliver a notable performance. He lacks charisma. Manish Wadhwa, who plays the primary antagonist, is notably hammy and over-the-top among the rest of the ensemble, who are generally forgettable or obnoxious.

Gadar 2's direction by Anil Sharma and cinematography by Najeeb Khan are equally unsatisfactory because they fall short of the calibre of the original movie. The movie's editing is bad; numerous scenes drag on for too long (way too long) or end abruptly. The action scenes are over-the-top and implausible, with Tara Singh easily defeating hundreds of foes alone (unwanted and unbelievable).

With the exception of Sunny Deol's two and three slow-motion scenes, all the other slow-motion scenes appear forced. Because the background score is so loud, it merely becomes background noise. Gadar 2 is undoubtedly a poor sequel despite having the potential to work as a stand-alone film given the weight of the previous film's commercial success.

Also read: Gadar 2 Twitter review: Netizens hail Sunny Deol, call the film nostalgic and pure delight 

Verdict:

Gadar 2 doesn't provide the audience with anything fresh or thrilling. It could be a good idea to watch the first one again if you really want to appreciate Sunny Deol and his acting prowess.