Storyline: Dhurandhar The Revenge continues the story of an Indian spy Jaskirat Singh Rangi aka Hamza Ali Mazari (Ranveer Singh), who has infiltrated Pakistan’s underworld and politics. After Rehman Dakait (Akshaye Khanna) gets killed at the end of the first film, his enemy Arshad Pappu (Ashwin Dhar) starts ruling over the underworld of Lyari in Karachi. This infuriates Rehman’s cousin and second in command Uzair Baloch (Danish Pandor). Hence, he, Hamza and others wage a war against Arshad and his gang.

Finally, Uzair kills Arshad in the most brutal manner and reclaims his gang’s reign over Lyari. However, circumstances ensure that he goes away from the scene and Hamza becomes the king of Lyari and Sher-e-Baloch. Meanwhile, he gets to know that ISI (Inter-Services Intelligence) head Major Iqbal (Arjun Rampal) and his associates are planning another terrorist attack in India.

The film also gives a good amount of footage to Jaskirat’s life before he becomes a R&AW (Research and Intelligence Wing) spy.

Review:

Writing and Direction:

After impressing the audience with Lyari and its underworld in the first part, one would expect the same world to resume in the second part. However, Aditya Dhar surprises us as he transports us in a different world altogether in a village in Punjab where Jaskirat’s past life is shown. However, the narrative also gradually shifts to Lyari and gets you fully involved in its proceedings too.

In fact, the entire writing is like an art of getting the audience involved in different situations, moods and emotions. It’s an apt example of fast-paced and effective writing with just no dull moment in its entire runtime of close to four hours.

Dhurandhar The Revenge also fascinates you with the story of Jaskirat. Here’s an ordinary man from a village in Punjab who infiltrates the underworld of Lyari and goes onto become one of the most important political figures in Pakistan. It’s a remarkable character arc that is achieved with not many cinematic liberties.

Of course, the film is more about his role as the secret spy. That aspect gets much more footage in this film than the first and that is quite obvious. After a cliffhanger interval block, the second half gives rise to a number of dramatic and tense moments born out of Jaskirat’s real identity. There are times when the film keeps you at the edge.

The film also has quite a few revelations. The identity about Bade Sahab doesn’t come as a surprise as it’s exactly what many of us expected. But the real face of one of the main characters in the ending moments takes you completely by surprise.

The most awaited part of the film is what happens when the Pakistani characters get to know about Jaskirat’s real identity and mission. This part is also handled with intelligence and it gives rise to an explosive climax.

Music and Technicalities:

Dhurandhar The Revenge is top-notch when it comes to the technical aspects. Aejaz Gulab, Sea Young Oh, Yannick Ben and Ramazan Bulut’s action is raw and convincing. Vikash Nowlakha’s camerawork is not just effective but it also gives a large scale look to the film. Shivkumar V Panicker’s editing is sharp. Shashwat Sachdev’s music is good but it doesn’t rise up to the level of his work in the first film. However, his background score is impressive. The use of old Hindi songs in the narrative, like the first part, works here too, especially ‘Hum Pyaar Karne Wale’ from Dil.

Performances:

Like the first film, the performances rise to the occasion. Ranveer Singh goes a few notches higher than the first film. This time, he had more challenges to conquer not just physically but emotionally as well. But he passes the test with flying colours. Arjun Rampal is more evil this time and he puts on a convincing act. R Madhavan gets more scope. He does a fine job in scenes where he emerges as a hero. Sanjay Dutt continues from where he left in the first film. Danish Pandor is more mature this time.

Rakesh Bedi as Jameel Jamali is simply brilliant! Sara Arjun has limited screen time but all her scenes are imperative to the narrative. She puts her right foot forward yet again. Gaurav Gera offers fine support in a cameo. Manav Gohil, Danish Iqbal, Ankit Sagar, Ashwin Dhar, Aditya Uppal and many others offer apt support. The actor playing the character modelled on the former Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif is noteworthy. Yami Gautam Dhar is likeable in a cameo.

Minus Points:

The film does come with its share of flipsides. The violence and brutality is on another level this time, as compared to the first part, which could have been reduced considerably. Those who wrote essays on the violence in the first film will end up writing a book if they see this one. The ending fight between the protagonist and the main villain appears dragged later on. The film could have avoided the subplot of Major Iqbal’s father, which would have helped in reducing the runtime.

But what affects the film the most is the desperate attempt to present Demonetization as a masterstroke. The not-so-subtle way to glorify India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his decision in order to please his supporters is a major point that stops this very good film from being great.

Overall:

Dhurandhar The Revenge is a worthy successor to the first film Dhurandhar. The one person that shines the most is Aditya Dhar with his mature and intelligent handling of such a complex world. Of course, the film would have impressed more if the propaganda level would have been lower. But it has a lot working for itself and this will ensure that it will break new records at the box office.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5

Director: Aditya Dhar

Producers: Jio Studios and B62 Studios

Writers: Aditya Dhar (additional screenplay by Shivkumar V Panicker and Ojas Gautam)

Cast: Ranveer Singh, Arjun Rampal, R Madhavan, Sanjay Dutt, Rakesh Bedi, Sara Arjun

Also read: Khalid Ka Shivaji review: Worth watching for its portrayal of current social reality

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