Khuda Haafiz: Chapter 2 Agni Pariksha Released

 

The sequel to 2020 action thriller, Khuda Haafiz, begins with Sameer (Vidyut Jammwal) and Nargis (Shivaleeka Oberoi) struggling to heal from the trauma of the latter’s abduction and gangrape in a fictional country called Noman. Nargis is still emotionally scarred and embittered but after a therapy session, she agrees to adopt Sameer’s friend’s five-year-old orphaned niece, Nandini. However, their happiness is short-lived as Nandini is taken and becomes a victim of a heinous crime.

What follows is the standard trope of a Bollywood revenge drama — power play by the rich spoilt boy’s grandmother (a ubiquitous evil Thakur playbed by Sheeba Chaddha), getting rid of the prime witness, a corrupt cop and the bloodthirsty hero going after the perpetrators, vigilante style.

Even though the premise is anything but novel and the treatment suffers from sensationalism in a number of instances, the movie is top-notch cinematically. As a director, Faruk Kabir handles the reins of the film well, as Jitan Harmeet Singh provides him able support as a cinematographer. Unsurprisingly, though, the action is outstanding — especially when Sameer takes on a jail bully, Jaiswal, who’s given a contract to kill him. It’s easily one of the most memorable scenes. The chase in the climax is just as thrilling.