Vadh 2 review: Come for the brilliance of Sanjay Mishra and Neena Gupta, but stay for a thriller that feels far too convenient

Vadh 2 story:

Vadh 2, a spiritual sequel to the 2022 crime thriller, presents a fresh, standalone narrative set within the grim walls of Shivpuri District Jail. The protagonist, Shambhunath Mishra (Sanjay Mishra), is a low-ranking prison guard on the verge of retirement who smuggles vegetables for extra money, and Manju Singh (Neena Gupta) is a long-term prisoner on the verge of finishing her sentence for a double homicide. Within the prison walls, Shambhunath and Manju form a peaceful friendship until the arrival of the crazy and politically connected convict Keshav (Akshay Dogra) triggers a violent incident that disrupts the delicate balance of power in the prison. Shambhunath must navigate a perilous situation filled with lies and moral dilemmas to protect Manju and pursue a form of justice that the law cannot offer, as their lives become intertwined with a horrific crime involving a biased supervisor and a strict warden.

Vadh 2 review:

In the climax of Drishyam, the lead character, who still hasn't confessed to the crimes, says subtly, without looking into the eyes of the victim's parents, what his family had to go through because of an uninvited guest who had the capability to ruin their peace and happiness. It just became a template of sorts for many such crime thrillers, which narrate how some crimes are committed where the criminal deserves to die and not the victims who were their prey.

I will admit that I haven't watched Vadh (2022), and I was sceptical about whether it would change my opinion of the sequel. However, both films share a similar style, but their storylines and overall setups are entirely different. In the original film, Sanjay Mishra and Neena Gupta play a married couple whose life turns upside down inside their house itself. While in the sequel, we see Gupta as Manju Singh, a jail inmate who has been imprisoned for nearly three decades, while Mishra is Shambhunath Mishra, a prison guard. They both form an unbreakable bond while sharing their life moments without seeing each other. They are on the opposite sides of the wall and talk for a few minutes, which makes them completely dependent on each other.

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From the very beginning, we see that Manju is counting down the days until her sentence ends, after which she will be a free bird. The duo also starts making plans on how to lead their lives from thereon. However, the story's transition from smooth to haunting is what makes the rest of the plot compelling.

There are no surprises in Vadh 2; yes, it gets on with the whodunit plot, but we see that several characters are implanted into the script for the same effect. We see Akshay Dogra as Keshav, a convict who is a thug in the outside world as well as in prison. His brother is an influential politician, so it's definitely established that he lives life with no rules, because he can get away with anything and everything. 

There's always a sense of style in bringing in the bad guy in the picture. Here, we see Keshav, who, before getting into the police van, put two puppies near the tyres so that the van could run over them. Well, even if they hadn't shown that, we would have guessed that he was a villain who needed to be wiped off the face of the earth. So, here's the villain, and we have two protagonists who don't even see each other. So how does a conflict enter in which these lives are intertwined?

Enter Kumud Mishra as Prakash Singh, the new jailer who is a no-nonsense person. However, he has a significant flaw: he is overly confrontational and upfront about his casteist views, often asking for a person's last name before deciding how to proceed with the conversation. Thus, here's another character added, and he also needs to get deeply involved in the whole conflict.

Jaspal Singh Sandhu, who has directed both instalments, didn't take a darker turn when executing his story this time. We still see daylight and a ray of hope for how things will eventually fall into place for the lead characters. Yes, the title is quite heavy; it's "revenge", and it's a dish best served cold, which is quite literally done here. Well, I can't get into the details for it, but nothing will make you spring up from your seat as such.

Vadh 2 primarily focuses on Sanjay Mishra's character, who takes a leading role similar to that of the protagonist in Drishyam. To be honest, even though the film is a little over two hours, Neena Gupta was out of the scene for nearly 45 minutes, and I wondered if it's a deliberate move for her to have a larger role in the third act. As I mentioned earlier, the film offers no surprises, which is consistent with what I observed.

By taking the unfolding events step by step, we see how everything finally makes sense, but this clarity primarily benefits the inquiry officer Ateet Singh (Amitt K. Singh), as we viewers receive all the information laid out for us without experiencing any significant moments that would make us gasp.

The entire culmination, especially the last 10 minutes of the film, represents a convenient resolution that the story adopts. Although it's a beautiful sequence, we see that until the third act, men's entitlement dominates the film to such an extent that it feels like yet another story where women serve merely as catalysts for boosting men's egos. 

However, the climax takes us through the idea that there are men who can go to any lengths to be protectors, but even that narrative is given limited time and scope, with subtle hints dropped during the course of the film.

Vadh 2 thrives on extremely talented actors who are just a treat to watch and can never go wrong with their characters as well as performances. On one side, we have Mishra, who is almost in every frame and has the best dialogues, even in seriousness as well as comic relief. There's a scene in his house with Amitt where he talks about having a freezer at his home where he stores vegetables. Amitt responds by saying that he is using the freezer and that the government has to pay the bill, to which Mishra innocently replies that the freezer is also being used as an air conditioner. It was amusing, so to speak, and it elicited a collective laugh.

On the other hand, there's Gupta, who is so subdued in the film; that's what elevates the whole narrative. Being a convict, she is considered an empath and also a toughie who has won hearts even of the jailer. The actor has a heavy part later, but it's her subtlety that gives her character more depth.

Vadh 2 doesn't exude the vibe of a crime thriller that will leave you engrossed throughout, and the slow-burn narrative takes the story to a convenient route that will have you see everything coming and lessen the excitement, so to speak.

Vadh 2 verdict:

Vadh 2 leans heavily on the brilliance of its seasoned actors rather than genuine shock value. While the tale explores complex moral boundaries and unconventional protection, its predictable trajectory prevents it from becoming a truly pulse-pounding mystery. The movement feels measured, prioritizing quiet emotional beats over high-octane suspense.