Cast: John Abraham, Divya Khosla Kumar and Harsh Chhaya
Director: Milap Zaveri
Rating: 3/5
The 2018 release Satyamevba Jayate, which established director Milap Zaveri as a force to be reckoned with, emerged as a massive hit mainly because it did justice to John Abraham's macho reel image. The actioner, however, didn't cater to those fond of subtle, thought-provoking cinema.
Satyameva Jayate 2, which hit the screens on Thursday, takes the franchise forward. It is a feast for the Dhoom villain's fans. The film revolves around a vigilante who decides to purge society by eliminating the corrupt. His actions give the political class sleepless nights, following which the authorities decide to rope in a dangerous cop to take on their nemesis. The basic storyline is quite predictable and caters to those who like the works of directors such as Shankar and Manmohan Desai. The storyline reaches its potential mainly because of the effective execution and nearly perfect packaging.
Effective intro sequences
The film opens with a scene set in the assembly, which introduces the viewer to Satya-- a principled home minister. The sequence initially plays out like the one seen in Mammootty's Malayalam movie One but soon transforms into a truly 'massy' affair because of John's monologue. The focus then shifts to Jay, the cop. This character too gets a terrific intro scene that can truly be enjoyed only on the big screen. Dialogues such as 'body dekhni hai' are sure to induce whistles in the theater. The best intro sequence, however, is reserved for the third character Dadasaheb.
Milap is in his comfort zone
Milap touched upon the importance of communal harmony in his previous film Marjaavaan, which has references to 'Bajrang Bali'. He does the same in Satyameva Jayate 2 in the most commercial way possible. The narrative touches upon issues such as vote bank politics and the plight of the poor. These subplots gel with the narrative but are never really explored in detail. This kind of makes it a bit reminiscent of Karthik Subbaraj's Petta and Jagame Thanthiram as these films dealt with sensitive issues such as moral policing and the Sri Lankan Tamil crisis even though they weren't the focus of the narrative.
Similarly, a scene involving Jay and 'Shukla Ji' appeals to those who are fans who liked Salman Khan's antics in Dabangg.
Not flawless
On the flip side, the flashback sequence doesn't make the type of impact it could have as it is similar to the one seen in Sardar Ka Grandson. There isn't a lot of scope of romance even though it has always been an important aspect of commercial cinema. The twist involving the vigilante's identity does not have any surprise element as it's too evident. Similarly, the character of Satya and Jay's mother isn't fleshed out too well.
John at his best
Coming to performances, John is the muscle behind Satyameva Jayate 2. The Jism actor has emerged as a box office draw over the years because of his sincerity and larger-than-life screen presence. These are the exact reasons which he impresses in Satyameva Jayate 2. His fitness levels help him do justice to the paisa vasool action sequences.
Divya Khosla doesn't get much scope but shines in a couple of sequences. Harsh Chhaya and Anup Soni are, unfortunately, burdened with one-dimensional characters.
Music
Catchy music has always been a key component of commercial cinema. The actioner Wanted, for example, featured the dance number Jalwa, which appealed to the single screen audience. Satyameva Jayate 2 is no exception as features the songs such as Dadasaheb and Kusu Kusu that are a treat for the target audience. The Maa Shero Waali song has been used well and gels with the narrative. The other technical aspects are up to the mark.