In the high-octane world of Bollywood’s spy sagas, War 2 movie comes with a lot of pressure, with a budget of over ₹300 crore and a star duo ready to set the screens ablaze. Directed by Ayan Mukerji and produced by Aditya Chopra under Yash Raj Films, this sixth film in the YRF Spy Universe picks up where the 2019 film left off, dropping us back into a world of rogue agents, global chases and moral dilemmas. Releasing on August 14, 2025 to cash in on the Independence Day fervour, the film has Hrithik Roshan reprising his role as the enigmatic Major Kabir Dhaliwal, now up against the formidable Agent Vikram, played by Telugu superstar N.T. Rama Rao Jr. (Jr NTR) in his Hindi cinema debut. Kiara Advani joins as Kabir’s love interest and fellow operative, with Anil Kapoor as the grizzled intelligence chief.
The film begins with Kabir, a former RAW agent turned rogue after the previous films, going deeper into the shadows as India’s most wanted. Enter Vikram, a nuclear force of nature—relentless, demon haunted and hell bent on taking out Kabir. What follows is a cat and rottweiler showdown that spans continents, from the sun baked streets of Spain to high tech lairs in Eastern Europe. Screenwriters Shridhar Raghavan and Abbas Tyrewala, drawing from Chopra’s original story, weave a tapestry of betrayals, uneasy alliances and personal reckonings, the Infernal Affairs blueprint but with Mission: Impossible flair. A mid film flashback into Vikram’s class stratified past, courtesy of newcomer Hearty Singh’s electric performance as a young Vikram, adds a fleeting layer of socio emotional depth to the otherwise explosive proceedings.
Hrithik Roshan is the fulcrum of the film, his Kabir being a perfect blend of intense hotness and elegant fighting skills—wielding a katana, he owns every frame like a performer turned warrior. Jr NTR bursts in with unbridled energy, using military drones to make an entry and being a hero on steroids who injects new life into the old story. The chemistry between the two men becomes the focus: a sudden yet cool musical interlude where the enemies exchange moves before the guns fire. Advani is steady and open, but her relationship with Kabir feels forced, more of a requirement than a natural one—the tension comes from the brother-sister dynamic hinted in the story. Kapoor keeps the chaos in check while appearances by Bobby Deol in the post credits scene keep the universe intact.
Mukerji goes big from the introspective world of Wake Up Sid and Brahmastra and delivers set pieces that dazzle in IMAX and 4DX. A parking lot shootout defies physics with casual coffee shop banter amidst gunfire, while drone hijacked chases are kinetic. Cinematographer Benjamin Kračun captures the glamour in wide shots and slow motion, but the VFX falters – looks fake in crowd simulations and explosive composites compared to the grounded reality of War. The soundtrack is pulsating electronica and heart wrenching ballads and elevates the emotion, especially in the climax’s raw confrontations.
But for all its shine and thrills War 2 falters in sustaining pace. The script’s reverse engineered structure – prioritising star introductions over narrative flow – leaves plot threads hanging like loose ends. Subplots from Vikram’s demons to Kabir’s redemption story veer into tedium and stretch the runtime to a brutal 2.5 hours. Predictability kills the twists and homoerotic bromance attempts fall flat, more contrived than charged. Critics have panned the direction for not being able to match the visuals and the story feels like a glossy rehash of 2000s star vehicles – entertaining in bits but unsatisfying overall.
2.5/5 IMDb, mixed to negative elsewhere. Performances and action praised, brain off. One time thrill ride for fans of masala, outshines popcorn in some theaters but not the franchise. In a Spy Universe that’s getting tired, this one roars loud but whispers nothing new— a visual treat that’s fun till the end credits and then disappears into the spy void.
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