The period action drama, directed and produced by Anil Sharma, and written by Shaktimaan Talwar, attempts to recreate the fervour of the 2001 original. However, it falls flat on all fronts, displaying a horrendous dialogue, shoddy acting, and a disturbing reliance on communal hatred for supposed dramatic effect.
Gadar 2, or as I'd like to call it, Please Make It Stop, is a cringe-inducing attempt at filmmaking that unabashedly capitalises on the nostalgia associated with its predecessor while simultaneously delivering an abysmal cinematic experience.
The film's storyline, set against the backdrop of the "Crush India" campaign in 1971, follows Sunny Deol's beloved Tara Singh as he embarks on a personal mission to rescue his imprisoned and tortured son, Charanjeet "Jeete" Singh (Utkarsh Sharma), from the clutches of Pakistani soldiers led by Major General Hamid Iqbal.
Director Anil Sharma's feeble effort to tap into handpump nostalgia falls embarrassingly flat. The film's cardboard-like execution and bland narrative is a painful reminder of the melodramatic era that Bollywood was finally moving away from.
Sunny Deol's scenes are few and far between, and when he does appear, it's a disheartening reminder of his glory days. The exaggerated intensity of his roars are laughably caricaturish, making you wish for subtitles to decode their meaning.
Perhaps they were meant to distract from the film's lacklustre storytelling, as if the louder it gets, the less anyone will notice the cringe. Watching him fill the screen with his manchild-like demeanour might take viewers on a trip to the past, though not necessarily a pleasant one.
The dialogue, touted as one of the film's strengths, is nothing short of pedestrian. Rather than engaging viewers with meaningful conversations or thought-provoking exchanges, the dialogues come across as rehearsed and uninspired. The attempt to evoke emotion and patriotism through words falls flat due to its lack of authenticity and the characters' superficiality.
Utkarsh Sharma's performance is an exercise in disappointment, given his prolonged screen time. The film's attempt to bank on the Hulk-like persona of Tara Singh is an absolute failure, with poorly executed action sequences and cringe-worthy dialogues that reek of staleness. The romantic subplot between Jeete and Muskaan feels forced and contrived, contributing little to the overall narrative.
Owing to the backdrop of the 1971 war, the better part of this nightmare involves a cacophony of rattling guns, scowling soldiers, and an onslaught of patriotism. Its exhausting action sequences and heavy-handed cinematography manage to transport you to the '90s, albeit as a time traveller desperate to return to the present. The overuse of gunfire and explosions became as exciting as watching paint dry, and admittedly knocked me unconscious through its prolonged periods of mayhem.
The film's portrayal of tensions between India and Pakistan feeds into stereotypes and perpetuates divisive ideologies. It takes the complex reality of the region and squashes it into a good-versus-evil narrative, showcasing a level of subtlety that could only be achieved with a sledgehammer.
Ameesha Patel's sporadic appearances as the devout ‘good Muslim’ add little value, as do Deol’s preachy monologues. The film's heavy-handed approach to the Hindu-Muslim conflict is both embarrassing and offensive, as it shamelessly plays into outdated sentiments.
Gadar 2 is a wonderful lesson in how not to make a sequel. It's a time capsule from a cinematic era that should remain buried. If anything, this film's existence serves as a reminder that cinema has evolved for a reason, and progress is not just a suggestion but a necessity.
So, if you love handpumps, go watch Gadar 2. If you love your sanity, sleep it off.
This masterpiece is beyond stars.