Hi, so here I am with yet another edition of Spoiler Alert. I will be talking about WAR 2 and more importantly, the glamour and so-called action that, according to me is more of jingoism than patriotism.
The Review
So, Yash Raj Universe released the 2nd installment of their WAR franchise on Netflix, and I have to say, honestly, I struggled to complete the 2 hours and 53 minutes action-packed, glamorous, revengeful, romantic DeshBhakti Saga.
So Hrithik plays Kabeer, an extremely fit and stunning assassin, who works for a group they call Kali. Now, Kali is an anti-India organization that aims to bump off all good Indian Army officers, and Kabeer gets paid to do that. He is but countered and chased by a Lady officer Kavya (Kiara Advani) and Raghu (Jr. NTR). They play the cat and mouse game all over the world. You have Italy, China, East Europe, you know, it’s like globe-trotting to bring the offenders to justice. But unfortunately, it’s all been done so poorly, the background looks understandably fake.
There’s plenty of action and song and dance sequences, of course, it’s Hrithik after all. What’s a Hrithik movie sans his signature steps? Hrithik of course, does full justice to his USP, in fact those are the few moments of respite you get from this otherwise bland and dull tale.
Predictability, that happens to be the biggest curse of many a Bollywood movie and WAR 2 offers nothing new to talk about. It drags, with mindless action, needless flashbacks, and twists that you saw coming ages ago. The VFX is so tacky, it could put a children’s animation film to shame.
As far as acting is concerned, the onus is on Hrithik entirely and he carries the sinking ship on his broad shoulders. Kiara and Jr. NTR are passable. The supporting cast does nothing to write home about.
Excruciatingly long and unsurprising, WAR 2 is totally avoidable.
BUT. I wish to discuss this new genre, Patriotic Action. In short, what I call Jingoism.
Glamorizing the Armed Forces
Jawaan, Pathaan, WAR 1, Baaghis, Fighter, War 2, what do they all have in common? Let me tell you.
Stylish slow motions, chic parties, fashionable attires, imported watches and goggles, coloured hair, you name it, and the soldiers have it. Plus, they all are well-trained in dance and music.
There’s a love angle for sure, and not to forget, a Traitor too.
These spies travel the world, mostly inside an aircraft, but at times, performing high-end VFX action on top of the carrier. Altitude, zero oxygen, velocity, oh what’s all that for these superheroes?
One overly long action sequence and there they are, sauvé and fresh as a flower, breaking into party dance all over again.
The ladies in question are all captains and majors, and I have absolutely no qualms about them donning swimsuits. But then, the camera angles and the tantalizing moves in bikini, somehow replace respect with repulsion. All of these have one or two of those enticing songs, which definitely is objectification of women.
Feminism is projected well, the female leads are strong and independent, but you observe their screen time and the dances they are offered, for me, this leans to treating them as mere item girls.
Action Sequences
Though I am not a big fan of this genre, it’s a huge hit across generations and absolutely nothing wrong. But then, how much action is action?
War 2 has some immense graphic stunts over trains, cars, and aircrafts. But were they even necessary? Previous movies have been somewhat okay, but War 2 crosses all boundaries. Perhaps in a race to excel, the makers go overboard with the VFX, to a point that it looks outright artificial and loud. It’s getting worse, I guess.
I don’t mean to brag, but you should actually watch the Malayalam movie Aavesham, or Lokah, the action sequences, performed by real martial arts experts, look stunning, believable, and so visually appealing.
Patriotism or Jingoism?
Amidst all the chaos, one of the team members turns out to be a double agent, yawn, you knew it already. And that’s when the Hero mouths hardcore patriotic dialogues. You have, Desh ke liye Jaan, Jai Hind, Bharat Mata ka Beta, and all of them.
All okay, but look closely, these super glam movies never portray India, her enemies, her struggles, none like that. In fact, they aren’t even shot in India. What I am trying to say is, they would have been pretty much the same, even if the story wasn’t about the country. A salute in the end, with a uniform, a few medals on display, and India sprinkled here and there, Lo and Behold, it’s a movie dedicated to the nation. Otherwise, the 3 hours are far removed from reality, just noise, VFX and parties.
Bollywood and Masala
This trend began with the success of the TIGER series, followed by numerous of the same kind. SRK won a national award for a very average film Jawaan, and surprisingly, both Jawaan and Pathaan did very well at the box-office. But of late, somehow, the trend is fading I feel, War 2 tanked, and it’s no surprise why.
You guys might tell me, Bollywood spells Masala, take it if you want it. However much masala you add, how stupid and impractical could you make the outcome?
Reality
Well. There have been certain movies like Mission Majnu, Phantom and some web series like Family Man and Sare Jahaan Se Accha, that depict some reality about our secret agents dwelling in the enemy territory, in disguise for years. Living normal lives, always on alert, wanting to go home. Also, in all of these, the female soldiers have been treated with respect.
My two cents, if only good actors like Hrithik and SRK could churn out movies or web series that illustrate a little of the actual struggle, if only actresses like Deepika and Kiara would demand meatier parts, Bollywood could end this unending run of boredom and disasters.
As for War 2, don’t watch, you aren’t missing anything.
By Preethi Warrier
Preethi Warrier has completed her Masters in Electronics Engineering and is an Assistant Professor. She is one among the winners of the TOI Write India Campaign Season-1, for the famous author Anita Nair. She can be contacted at : warrier.preethi@yahoo.com
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