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Star Cast: Neena Gupta, Sanjay Mishra, Kumud Mishra, Amitt K. Singh, Shilpa Shukla
Director: Jaspal Singh Sandhu
What’s Good: A solid plot and a tight script that is yet relaxed in narration
What’s Bad: Probably Nothing!
Loo Break: Never!
Watch or Not?: This is a killer of an entertainer, so, yup!
Language: Hindi
Available On: Theatrical release
Runtime: 131 Minutes
User Rating:
Opening:
Cop Shambhunath Misra (Sanjay Mishra) supplements his salary by stealing vegetables from the local jail and selling them. He has developed a soft corner for Manju (Neena Gupta), who is serving 28 years in prison, wrongly accused of two murders. The middle-aged couple develop a soft corner for each other as both have tragic back-stories. Their regular nightly rendezvous is facilitated at night by a sympathetic woman officer, Nafeesa (Nidhi Dewan).
Shambhunath has eked out a loan for his ungrateful son’s foreign education and is still repaying it with his humble income, as his NRI son has broken all contact with him.
Enter a new prison head honcho, Prakash Singh (Kumud Mishra), very caste-conscious and incorruptible. When he is frustrated by Keshav (Aksshay Dogra), a deviant and violent convict and his bribes-led influence on the jail cops and even on Prakash’s superior, he bashes him up one night. Keshav also has some hold on female warden, Rajni (Shilpa Shukla) and lusts after another young inmate, Naina (Yogita Bihani), who too has been framed by her superiors. He has once told Rajni to ‘arrange’ for Naina for a night.
After the beating, seemingly from a locked room, Keshav disappears. His influential politician uncle (not shown) is livid. An enquiry committee is set up, led by the dogged investigating officer, Ateet Singh (Amitt K. Singh).
Vadh 2 Movie Review: Script Analysis
And what Ateet unravels is a fascinating amalgam of a love story, deviant morals, police procedurals and the strengths and frailties of human relationships. It is amazing how Jaspal Singh Sandhu’s story and the way he narrates it combine all these varied elements into an enticing, excitingly crisp saga. The final whopper twist takes on a very different dimension from what seems obvious in the pre-climax, where the disappearance is explained.
The clues are there from the beginning, a la a solid thriller like Gupt or the best of British, American and Indian thrillers, and yet we get into a zone where social issues are also addressed. And with a stunningly effective punch! A final clue for me, though not the solution, is that seasoned artistes are not going to accept superficial roles!
The dialogues are superbly lifelike and true to the milieu in which the film is set. I liked the laconic lines of Prakash, the casual yet commanding tones of Ateet and the earnest but guardedly-determined words spoken by Shambhunath in particular.
Vadh 2 Movie Review: Star Performance
In a unique case, this far-better sequel is headlined for a change by two mammoth talents, who have long since proved their mastery over the art and craft of histrionics. Neena Gupta is outstanding as the philosophical Manju, who maintains an evenly stoic attitude to the end. Her expressions, tonal nuances and body language are just fantastic.
Sanjay Mishra, ever the chameleonic wonder, is also equally marvellous—and that’s an understatement. He is best in his first interaction with Ateet and better than best (!) in his first sequence with Manju.
Kumud Mishra is his usual versatile self and does his cop role with a difference with perfect tonality. Shilpa Shukla is okay. As Keshav, Akkshay Dogra makes you hate him, and that’s his ace. Nadeem Khan as the two-faced cop is superb, in a longer but better turn after playing the errant cook in Dhurandhar recently.
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Vadh 2 Movie Review: Direction, Music
In such a film, music, as in songs, is superfluous, and the sole track is forgettable. But Advait Nemlekar’s background score lifts this taut suspenser to a higher dimension.
Jaspal Singh Sandhu improves upon his debut directorial, Vadh, and brings us an adroit thriller that he himself describes as a love story. Believe me, his statement is no spoiler but will actually whet your appetite for the unique denouement. Sandhu is one director whose career must be watched with great expectations, unlike so many who flourish despite grated expectations! As detailed above, he coalesces so many aspects into a single masterful piece of cinematic triumph.
And if he makes a Vadh 3 with Sanjay and Neena again, he will be hailed as the first filmmaker to make a universe sans stars but with renowned character artistes playing leads! Vadh even had the two sharing the same reel names! Wow!
Vadh 2 Movie Review: The Last Word
Superb plot, superb execution, superb casting and superb performances. Aur kya chahiye?
Four stars!
Vadh 2 Trailer
Vadh 2 releases on 6th February, 2026.
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