CAST: Sunny Deol, Ameesha Patel, Utkarsh Sharma, Simrat Kaur, Manish Wadhwa, Gaurav Chopra, Rakesh Bedi
DIRECTOR:Anil Sharma
Witnessing Sunny Deol’s fierce expressions, dominating the screen from corner to corner, instantly transported me back to his iconic role in the original “Gadar”. In that film, he heroically saves his bride from the menacing grip of her Pakistani father, portrayed by the legendary Amrish Puri, who was equally adept at delivering intense expressions.
“Gadar 2” follows a strikingly similar blueprint to its predecessor. The ever-patriotic Tara Singh once again embarks on a mission in Pakistan, this time to save his robust son (Sharma) from the malevolent Major General Hamid Iqbal (Wadhwa). This raises a question: why revisit a narrative unless it brings something new to the table?
Set against the backdrop of 1971 with war tensions escalating, Tara and Sakeena (Patel) lead a peaceful life, while their son Charanjeet seeks purpose. However, when Tara goes missing following a border conflict, Jeete embarks on a daring rescue. What follows is a relentless series of gunfights, stern-faced soldiers, and hostile Pakistanis pursuing our protagonists. The film is punctuated with dramatic sequences, seemingly designed just to showcase the duo’s bravery and nationalistic spirit.
Occasionally, a tearful Ameesha Patel graces the screen, her expressive eyes filled with emotion, as she showers love on the father-son duo. Young Jeete’s romantic subplot involves the charming Pakistani lady, Muskaan (Kaur). The film also features a few song and dance numbers, which, unfortunately, fade from memory as soon as they conclude.
Even two decades ago, when “Gadar” first premiered, it was noticeably over-the-top and dramatic, characteristic of director Anil Sharma’s fervently patriotic filmmaking style. Such a style was already becoming passé back then. This sequel only serves as a reminder of the excessive drama, sentimentality, and exaggerated dialogues that contemporary Bollywood was beginning to move away from. We had hoped those days were long gone, but it seems we were mistaken.
One thing’s for sure: Sunny Deol hasn’t lost his touch when it comes to delivering a powerful snarl, and his iconic “dhai-kilo-ka-haath” (two and a half kilo hand) still packs a punch. The film also brings back the memorable hand-pump scene. However, a film of this nature truly requires a formidable antagonist like Amrish Puri, who had the unique ability to transform into a compelling villain. Without him, it feels like something’s missing.
On the whole, the question deserves an answer. why?
