War chhod na yaar – Beyond Bollywood

Easily the weakest film in YRF’s Spy Universe – a franchise that, despite its big box office numbers, has rarely delivered on quality. Hrithik Roshan seems worn out, and Jr NTR’s dream Bollywood debut is a nightmare.

Rating: ⭐️ (1 / 5)

By Mayur Lookhar

Bollywood spy thrillers in the current era have often drawn inspiration from the West. Technology and bigger budgets have meant India, too, has upped the scale in this genre. Yash Raj Films have been at the forefront, having made six films spanning three different protagonists. Salman Khan started it with Ek Tha Tiger (2012) and has since gone on to do two sequels – Tiger Zinda Hai (2017) and Tiger 3 (2023). Before Jawan (2023), Shah Rukh Khan enjoyed his biggest hit with YRF’s Pathaan (2023), while Hrithik Roshan scored the biggest success of his career with War (2019).

Despite its flaws, War was still an entertaining ride. The idea for a sequel seems to have come together only in recent years. Siddharth Anand, who directed War and Pathaan, didn’t return for War 2. Instead, YRF handed the reins to Brahmāstra (2022) director Ayan Mukerji – an unexpected pick for the action franchise. Telugu superstar Jr NTR was brought in for his Bollywood debut, with Kiara Advani also joining the cast. War 2 was conceived by producer Aditya Chopra, with longtime collaborators Shridhar Raghavan (screenplay) and Abbas Tyrewala (dialogues) shaping the script.

Story

The story aside, War 2 drew criticism from the moment its teaser, and later its trailer, dropped. The early backlash centered on YRF’s use of the words “this Independence Day” in the trailer, even though the film was set to release on 14 August, rival Pakistan’s Independence Day. When a film releases around (Indian) Independence Day (15 August), most scribes write it as an Independence week release’. Surprisingly, neither the filmmakers, producers, nor the marketing team took that approach, leaving War 2 facing flak even before it hit the screens.

All this might have been forgiven if War 2 had a gripping story. But it didn’t, with YRF falling back on the same old ‘rogue agent’ formula. We’ve already seen it in War (2019) and Pathaan (2023), and even Tiger 3 worked in a similar twist with one of Tiger’s R&AW colleagues turning rogue in the climax.

War 2 doesn’t exactly copy that storyline, as Shridhar Raghavan and Ayan Mukerji give the protagonists different character arcs. Kabir (Hrithik Roshan) has turned rogue, and is now being chased by fellow R&AW agent Vikram (Jr. NTR). For a moment, it seemed like the world of War was about to be turned on its head, but the screenplay ultimately stayed on predictable tracks.

Screenplay and Direction

It’s striking how War 2 offers almost no surprises in its story. The tired screenplay, packed with far too many scenes, stretches into an exhausting 170 minutes. Flat performances only add to the ordeal, making this bore fest hard to sit through. The biggest letdown is the reason given for an agent turning rogue, revealed in the backstories of Kabir and Vikram, which feels anything but convincing.

The bigger farce is this Kali cartel, the new threat to India. Its secret members comprise businessmen, politicians, and ex-military. (Given Bollywood’s current self-destructive streak, it’s tempting to liken them to a Kali cartel for Hindi cinema). They first appear through holograms with their faces hidden. The first one who comes out in the open is Gautam Gulati, who is at the forefront of the shipping business. Well, isn’t Gautam Adani a big name in shipping too? Anyway, this Gulati looks like a cheap version of Makarand Deshpande. A casting coup from Shanoo Sharma. The other members come from China, Pakistan, Myanmar, Bangladesh, and, rather surprisingly, Russia and Sri Lanka. India has had a difficult relationship with some of our neighbours, but Russia and Sri Lanka are friendly countries. This cartel, though, perhaps reflects the desi hyper-nationalist’s ideology where most of our neighbours are considered to have a hostile attitude towards India. Though not part of the Kali cartel, the film opens with an action sequence in Japan where Kabir takes out an anti-India Japanese clan. Be it in the current geopolitics or in this Kali cartel, such narratives certainly dent India’s Vishwaguru aspirations.

Maybe Siddharth Anand sensed the disaster in the making and chose to steer clear of War 2. The burden then fell on Ayan Mukerji, who seems oddly listless in the director’s chair. Touted as bigger than War, Mukerji ends up firing a Drumāstra at the franchise with his lack of foresight and misplaced direction. Not once is the viewer likely to feel an emotional connection to the plot or its characters.

For a film that hammers down the ‘India first’ philosophy, it begs the question, is it mandatory for all of YRF’s spy universe films to be shot in multiple countries? This is a trope inspired by Western spy action thrillers. Honestly, they, too, don’t appeal and are increasingly becoming monotonous. Shooting across multiple foreign locales, and you wonder – does the average desi Indian viewer really relate to these countries? Kabir’s opening action sequence sees him take down a Japanese clan, and he also communicates in Japanese. Then Vikram’s first mission is to rescue an Indian crew held hostage by Somali pirates. Alright, piracy has been an issue, but what value does a desi viewer get from watching such sequences? War 2 travels to so many places that after a while you stop caring where it’s going. All of it perhaps makes it amply clear that Bollywood writers and filmmakers are bereft of fresh ideas and totally bank on fantasy to create spy action thrillers. Not that real-world spy missions are out in the open, but Bollywood’s idea of spy thrillers is increasingly veering towards fantasy fiction. Devoid of any real passion for cinema or the genre, the artists, crew, and directors seem more intent on fulfilling their world travel dreams.

Acting

How, in a matter of six years, has Hrithik Roshan come to look confused and often jaded in his post-War (2019) films? Yes, Fighter and Vikram Vedha were not great pieces of cinema, but Roshan delivers a very mechanical performance in War 2. The only ray of genuine emotion comes when he is ordered by R&AW chief and mentor Col. Luthra (Ashutosh Rana) to do the unthinkable, but the rest of it is just so flat. You’re almost tempted to tell Kabir, “War chhod na yaar”, go on a holiday, do some soul-searching, or maybe just let other heroes handle the nation-saving for a change.

For years, actors like Nawazuddin Siddiqui were slotted as ‘non-conventional’ heroes. In one memorable interview, Siddiqui flipped that idea on its head. He pointed out that the ordinary Indian looks like him, while someone like Hrithik Roshan, with his Greek-god looks, is, in fact, the truly unconventional Indian hero. It didn’t make me lose respect for Roshan, but it did stop me from being swayed by the Greek-god image. Siddiqui’s words instilled self-confidence in ordinary Indians, who naturally relate to artists like him. Have Indian audiences, even Roshan’s fans, felt a disconnect with him since? That would be unfair to say, but given his recent poor run and his age, it’s hard to see the 51-year-old turning back the clock.

Jr NTR was a wanted man in Bollywood since RRR (2022). His joining War 2 was widely cheered, but the very average War 2 teaser left even his most ardent fans worried. As expected, poor Jr NTR’s dream Bollywood debut ends up being a nightmare. Misfit wouldn’t be appropriate as the Telugu superstar has made efforts, both physical and emotional, to get into his character, but the poorly written role and laboured screenplay just don’t do justice to his talent. The sole bright spot for NTR – and in the film – is his mesmerizing dance to the Janaab-E-Ali track. The Kabir-Vikram backstory simply doesn’t justify the seditious agenda. Having first met in 1999 (if we recall correctly), 26 years later, Roshan doesn’t quite look the part for Kabir’s age.  Nearly three decades later, they meet under different circumstances, but there is no conviction in either their war or bonhomie.

Kiara Advani’s casting is perhaps down to formulaic compulsion. A YRF Spy Universe film needs a bikini-clad female protagonist. Thankfully, Kavya Luthra (Advani) is no Inter-Services agent but an Indian soldier determined to avenge her father’s death. She holds her own in the few action scenes she gets. Post-interval, she lands in a European city to track down Kabir, but the next moment we’re watching romance, song, and dance between them. Jeez, isn’t this lady out on revenge? The romance, shown as part of their past, interrupts her revenge track and feels completely needless.

Music / Technical Aspects

We prefer our spy action thrillers sans song and dance, but it’s vital for a Bollywood flick. Janaab-E-Ali stands out for its visual appeal, but the rest of the few tracks hardly make an impression. The background music too feels banal. YRF has certainly upped the scale in terms of action, but some of these sequences, particularly the train chase and later airborne action, defy logic. Don’t worry, we don’t approve of them in Hollywood either.

Shooting in foreign locales with plotlines where the local security is so easily compromised is unlikely to sit well with Western countries. We believe the local population in these countries doesn’t really follow Bollywood; otherwise, they wouldn’t be pleased with the idea of their security failing to protect high-profile Indian dignitaries.

Final Word

Before the train sequence, Kabir and his adoptive daughter Ruhi (Arista Mehta) casually mention James Bond, 007, in their conversation, which further shows the influence Western spy action heroes have had on Indian films. But War 2 repeatedly hammers the ‘India first’ ideology, which then contradicts its Western influence. It’s about time YRF did away with the clichéd rogue agent plot and put the Indian audience first before the secondary global audience.

Watch the video review below.