Some movies are hits because the cinematic sensibilities of the times they were released were totally different. In 2001 when Gadar: Ek Prem Katha was released, the syntax of the commercial movie itself was different. Movies evolved so much that Gadar almost became troll material for the kind of exaggerations it had. When it comes to Gadar 2, even though the story happened in 1971, director Anil Sharma is trying to cater to the same audience stuck in 2001. With jingoistic dialogues coming from left, right, and center and logic committing suicide very early in the movie, Gadar 2 is very much an enjoyable spoof of its own predecessor.
The story is set against the backdrop of the imminent 1971 wars, which haven’t begun yet. Tara Singh is now a popular name among Indian Army chiefs. When the Pakistan army attacked Indian Army, they sought the help of mighty Tara Singh to take ammunition to the soldiers. But some foul plays in that attack resulted in Tara Singh’s capture by the Pakistan army. While the Indian military was trying to bring him back through the proper channel, his son Charanjeet Singh aka Jeetey, decided to do things on his own (no DNA test required) and went to Pakitan with a fake passport. We witness how this Save Tara Singh campaign goes in Gadar 2.
In the last decade or so, there was a significant improvement in how Hindi movies depicted Pakistan. Even when the hate-mongering was there in the content, the visualization of that country as a bunch of barbaric buffoons was considerably less. With Gadar 2, Anil Sharma is trying to entertain those audiences who got a kick from those old-school war porn like Hindi movies with excessive patriotism. Each scene is worth criticizing because of its outdated melodramatic style. I felt some of the daily soaps Gen Z people troll on social media are more coherent than things happening in Gadar 2.
I won’t be amused if this movie even triggers a war between the two countries. Because after the interval, Tara Singh and Jeetey are making fun of the Pakistan army not once but multiple times. It’s like Anil Sharma and writer Shaktimaan decided to keep on creating set pieces until the movie reached the same runtime as the original. And the essential cringe elements were infused into the film while that happened. In one scene, when Jeetey seeks shelter in a random Pakistani house, the lady of the house offers him food, and the guy calls her aunt; because Pakistan is his mom’s home (Uff). When the entire Pakistan army searched for Tara Singh and Jeetey, who got separated during an accident, the two found this unique way to find one another; sing the same song! (mobile phones weren’t there, no?)
The most creative scene in the movie, in my opinion, was the introduction of the classic handpump. I want someone to look at me like the way Tara Singh looks at handpumps. Anil Sharma ensures that every officer in the Pakistani army is an opportunist, especially the main villain. How to Be a Good Muslim lecture also happens every 30 minutes of the movie. The action sequences were hilariously entertaining because of the non-existence of physics in that universe. All the hit dialogues and moments from the original are also getting recreated here. Even the story arc has similarities with the first part. The music by Mithoon, which includes the recreated versions of the first film and the new ones, was actually good.
As Tara Singh, Sunny Deol screams really loud, and the man obviously has the body language of an insane person who will walk against an army jeep and attack it with a hammer. Ameesha Patel as Sakeena cries continuously. Thats it. Anil Sharma’s son Utkarsh Sharma reprises his role as Jeetey, and the guy was terrible in terms of acting but solid as an action hero. Sometimes after 20 years, we might see Gadar 3 against the backdrop of the Kargil war, as this one ends with Jeetey joining the Indian army. Simrat Kaur is the Sakeena of Jeetey, and it’s just that routine heroine character. The main antagonist Hamid Iqbal played by Manish Wadhwa, is just that loud, hate-mongering Pakistan major with a fragile ego.
I know that the movie is off to a fabulous start at the box office, mainly due to its legacy. I genuinely hope that the collection report and the mediocrity they have maintained will not give Malayalam director Vinayan any ideas to create a sequel for War and Love. If you still get goosebumps while watching Gadar, I guess this is indeed the movie for you.
With jingoistic dialogues coming from left, right, and center and logic committing suicide very early in the movie, Gadar 2 is very much an enjoyable spoof of its own predecessor.
Signal
Green: Recommended Content
Orange: The In-Between Ones
Red: Not Recommended