Vadh 2 review: A truly ‘arresting’ tale of justice that delivers unflinching social commentary and heart-winning catharsis!

Vadh 2 is a spiritual sequel that outshines its original with deeper humanity, sharper mirrors to our broken systems, and payoffs that hit hard!

Helplessness is claustrophobic, and if this claustrophobia reaches a breaking point where it threatens survival, it can push the most virtuous or ordinary to take the law in their hands, and break-free from its shackles, without fearing consequences. Whether it’s right or wrong, we leave that up to the legalities, but a closer look at their situations and awareness of the state of our systems makes us, the aam janta, want to at least listen to their side of the story, if not justify them. Jaspal Singh Sandhu’s Vadh franchise explores stories of these ordinary men and women who resort to violence in their defence and desperation stemming from a system that turns a deaf ear to their pleas!

Sequels rarely outshine their originals, but one will have no qualms in admitting that Vadh 2 is an exception. As a standalone story, it surpasses the 2022 film with its gripping narration, understated yet sharp social commentary, and the deeply satisfying way it delivers justice for every character. While the first film saw Mr. and Mrs. Mishra essayed by Neena Gupta and Sanjay Mishra slay a serial offender, things get a bit more complicated this time as the two characters, now featuring as a weary prison guard and a strong-headed inmate serving decades for a crime she didn't commit, forge an unlikely, tender bond, only to confront an even darker situation that forces them into morally gray choices once again.

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Set in Shivpuri, Madhya Pradesh, Vadh 2 unfolds in a grim prison and the modest police quarters surrounding it where Shambhunath Mishra (Sanjay Mishra), and Manju Singh(Neena Gupta) form a quiet connection through secret meetings, shared despair, and exchange of small but thoughtful gifts, that offers them some solace and sense of belonging in their otherwise bleak worlds. The efforts they put into those secret meetings, which involve string-pulling and a plethora of punitive risks, and the conversations they share are genuinely heartwarming. Grounded in honesty and the little joys life still allows them, these meetings reveal the beauty of human connection when everything else has been stripped away. 

For the audience, the sequence conveys just how much this bond means to both of them and sets the tone for the lengths they'll go to for each other. In the meantime, we are also introduced to the new no-nonsense jailer of the prison, Prakash Singh (Kumud Mishra), who refuses to play favourites. Nothing grounds a story in realism like flawed characters and just when you're ready to root for him as the virtuous one, especially when he calls out a sycophantic colleague for trying to soften him toward Keshav (Akshay Dogra), an influential and violent inmate, he reveals his casteist side by openly asking everyone their last names and sizing up their caste rankings. Nonetheless, everything changes when the special inmate mysteriously disappears, after Singh brutally assaults him in custody, sparking multiple theories, suspicion, and high-stakes investigation. While the 5 Ws behind Keshav’s disappearance are predictable in the first thirty minutes of the film, it's the steady world-building, rooted investigation, and captivating narration that keep you hooked throughout its run-time. 

As Inspector Ateet Singh essayed by Amitt K Singh, digs deeper into the case, Shambhunath and Manju get pulled into a murky situation filled with secrets, suspicion, and desperate choices. What begins as a story of quiet hope and connection swiftly turns into a layered thriller about justice, survival, and systemic failures that blur lines between right and wrong. The film retains the soul of the first film but with heightened complexity and emotional depth. While the execution of crime can appear too straightforward given its heavily guarded prison setting, the film does a fine job of blending intrigue, social commentary, and situational humor to lighten the mood. 

The makers seem to have deliberately kept the story uncluttered so the spotlight stays firmly on the societal and systemic inequalities that push ordinary people into such desperate corners. We have Manju, who has been framed for a crime she did not commit, police officials who throw the weight of their wardisin front of the poor and downtrodden but turn sycophantics in front of the rich and powerful, a jailer who lets cast be the basis of how he treats people and Keshav, who is entitled to special privileges in the jail because he happens to be the brother of a bahubali neta. The film subtly holds a mirror to the systematic corruption in the executive and judicial wings of our country and goes on to show how almost everyone, irrespective of the titles they hold, is a pawn in the hands of the powerful. 

While Neena Gupta, Sanjay Mishra and Kumud Mishradeliver on expected lines, Amitt K Singh packs a punch as the highly efficient investigative officer who stands his ground when he refuses to reveal his last name to Prakash Singh, has a knack for extracting the truth off his tricky interrogations but also understands the essence of justice in that deeply satisfying climax, that wraps up every character's arc in a way that's becoming rare in Bollywood these days-delivering revenge that's ice-cold and long over due!

Overall, Vadh 2 stands out as a captivating, character-driven crime thriller. Even where it stays simple, it builds to some heart-winning payoffs that linger long after the credits roll!

Vadh 2 is now playing in theaters near you!