Film: Satyameva Jayate 2
Cast: John Abraham, Divya Khosla Kumar, Gautami Kapoor, Anup Soni, Harsh Chhaya, Deep Joshi, Palak Singh, Nora Fatehi, Jass Manak
Produced by: T Series Films, Emmay Entertainment
Directed by: Milap Zaveri
Distributed by: AA Films
Rating: 4 Moons
There are 4 Moons given for Milap Zaveri’s vigilante action sequel Satyameva Jayate 2 and three reasons to see the film – John Abraham, John Abraham and John Abraham. He gives fans of the dishum-dishum genre and the frontbenchers paisa vasool and plenty to whistle and applaud for in this massy entertainer that’s not meant for intellectuals, the weak-hearted and audiences of niche cinema.
See Satyameva Jayate 2 with the same hearty enthusiasm and suspension of belief that you reserve for the James Bond films, Mission Impossible espionage thrillers, and Jason Bourne series. If you can breathtakingly accept Tom Cruise running up the Burj Khalifa in Dubai, why should you not look in awe when John Abraham lifts a motorcycle with its rider astride? He plays a triple role. A father and twin sons. So John’s in every frame. And he’s an attractive man, remember. Looking lean, mean and ripped. A walking, talking killing machine that the Hulk would cross the street to avoid.
The story couldn’t be simpler. An honest, God-fearing, flag-waving farmer Vijay Singh Azaad (John) and his wife Prachi (Gautami Kapoor) of Varanasi are leading a fight against injustice and corruption and teaching their twin sons Satya Maan Azaad and Jay Chand Azaad (John and John) to be fearless together against all that is bad, evil and corrupt. They will be indomitable, then. However, the poor farmer gets killed by the baddie and his wife goes into a coma that she only comes out of dramatically in the climax two decades later.
The twins grow up as the home minister and a police officer. Satya is the Mantriji (bespectacled, that’s the only way you can tell them apart) and alone he’s trying to pass a bill against corruption in the Vidhan Sabha that is opposed even by his wife Vidya (Divya Kumar Khosla) who is an opposition MLA and the Chief Minister’s daughter. The cop, who is the younger brother by a minute and therefore allowed to be witty and naughty, is doing his bit to clean up the system as well. He does it in uniform. Once, he sheds the khaki Amar Akbar Anthony style to take on a gang of molesters. The Mantriji is the vigilante in a hoodie setting right all things at night that dissed him off in office during the day. And together, they bring the baddies and also their father’s killer to grief in the end.
Satyameva Jayate 2 is outstanding in the first half. Three moons are for that. The second half is a bit odd. It is a violent film with messages of revenge. But it is also unapologetically funny and the comic timing and dialogue delivery are hilarious. Its script could be the newspapers because from hospital admissions, deaths due to lack of oxygen, rape, the blindings of beggars and corruption in the assembly and police force – the film has it all. There are also some messages of nationalism and secularism in between, Jana Gana Mana, and one for women’s rights.
John Abraham eats up the action scenes. He’s rugged and gritty as the famer, audacious and funny as the cop, and dark and dangerous as the avenging Mantriji. In all three avatars, he gives his full heart and every sinew of muscle. Divya Kumar Khosla, petite and demure, plays a strong role, standing out when required. There’s also Nora Fatehi, utterly sinful and sinuous in the number Kusu Kusu, and Jass Manak performing as himself in Tenu Lehanga. The fourth moon is for them. Do see Satyameva Jayate 2 if you are a John Abraham fan. And to welcome cinema back to the theatres.
PeepingMoon.com gives Satyameva Jayate 2, 4 Moons
