Satyameva Jayate 2 review: Three times the torture

Satyameva Jayate 2

Hindi (Theatres)

Director: Milan Zaveri

Cast: John Abraham, Divya Khosla Kumar, Harsh Chhaya, Gautami Kapoor

Rating: 1.5/5

Even for a die-hard fan, John Abraham in a triple role in Satyameva Jayate 2 (SMJ2) is not only too much to chew, but ‘three much’ to digest. Be it the high-octane action, over the top dialogues or the constant staring and grunting in the guise of acting, everything in the film is insufferable.

For most part of the film, the three characters are either mouthing tasteless and, at times, nauseating lines (sample, Har gunehgar ko aisi maut maroonga ... ki agle janam mein maa ki kok se kya ... baap ki top se bhi nikalne se darega. “I will kill every criminal in such a way that in their next lives they will not only fear coming out of their mother’s womb .. but also fear coming out of their father’s sperm) or pulling off mindless and gravity defying stunts.

If the father triggers a mini-earthquake by hammering a plough into a barren ground, one of his twin sons pulls the engine off a SUV in one scene and, in another, equally ridiculous, flings a high-end motorcycle into the air with its rider still in the straddle.

As if that’s not enough to drive you crazy, the three come together to prevent an helicopter from taking off with their bare hands. The sequel to the 2018 blockbuster is indeed beyond one’s imagination.

The prequel, released intentionally on the Independence Day in 2018, surprised and shocked the pundits and the box office experts alike by beating Reema Kagti’s 'Gold', starring Akshay Kumar, in the opening day collections. It went on to become a stunning hit.

But the sequel, clashing with Salman Khan’s 'Antim – The Final Truth', is unlikely to do an encore as the genre of vigilante action films has evolved far beyond the grasp of 'SMJ2', both in substance and style.

The plot – revolving around an idealistic politician, his righteous wife and their twin sons, whose ideologies are diametrically opposite, and their fight against everything evil on earth - is outdated and more of a tribute to the films of the 80s rather than a torch-bearer for the millennium.

Unlike the prequel which had one agenda in its plot - to burn alive the corrupt - the sequel is more ambitious, and mostly ambiguous, as it widens its glare on the evils in society (the inequalities, illegalities and irregularities) and wants to wipe the slate clean overnight.

The focus is on far too many topics, right from the misuse of power, farmer suicides, violence against women, communal harmony, religious intolerance and the social media menace, to name a few.

As such, there is scope for more 'masala' but the lack of meat is the worrying matter and makes this film look half cooked. Even Nora Fatehi’s sizzling item song can only add some spice to the proceedings, but cannot save the platter.

'SMJ2' is technically sound and at times even impressive, but three John Abrahams and two Milan Zaveris (director and writer) combine effectively to spoil the broth.

Abraham literally packs a punch in his body language, but clearly lacks in intensity and emotion in either of the three avatars while Divya Khosla Kumar as the righteous wife of Abraham senior makes the most of her limited screen space and leaves a lasting impression in an otherwise easily forgettable fair.

“I intend to push the envelope in this genre even further and get more intense,” said Abraham in a pre-release interview. He certainly has pushed the envelope … but, sadly, it is closer to the edge of the table.