Jannat 2 Review

Okay, so let the fact be stated - 'Jannat 2' ends up being a below-expectations affair. One really thought that with arms dealing as a backdrop, the film would indeed turn out to be not just a highly engaging affair but also a volatile affair. Unfortunately though that doesn't quite turn out to be a satisfying affair and makes one hope that the subject chosen for 'Jannat 3' would really take a deep dive into the real issue instead of merely following the franchise template.

Emraan Hashmi is a big-town-small-time-transporter of arms. He is happy with his non-existent identity and is unrepentant of the fact that he gets chased down by the police practically every other day. So much so that he is pretty much unabashed about telling the same story to the girl he meets and falls in love on 'pehli nazar' (Esha Gupta). Although he doesn't reveal his real identity to her, now he wishes to be a reformed man and find 'jannat' since he has fallen in love. However, he has to hold on to his thoughts for a while since a cop (Randeep Hooda) wants to use him as an informer.

It is evident from the very opening of the film that this one is set as a template affair from Bhatts. Anything wrong with that? Not at all since a franchise is expected to carry forward a template and one is okay from his characterisation perspective since he has definitely gained considerable experience (and fan following) in this field.

However, what does jar is the convenient manner in which the entire script unfolds. Not just is it terribly predictable, it also has similar situations and characters that one has seen in countless films before. Moreover, the lowest point of the film is the element of love story. It just doesn't work. Period. It seems rather farce to see a doctor consenting to go ahead and even marry a man who, even in his fake tales, doesn't quite claim to have a stable life and is forever chased by the cops. No background check or asking him to detail out his business, it is impossible to digest the very core of the love story.

What does work though is the dramatic element and that too the portions where Randeep and Emraan interact. With a 'Departed' kind of a setup, one is truly engaged in each and every conversation between the two powerful actors since they are acidic as well as humorous at times. How one wishes the film was more about the clash of these two men instead of a love story being interwoven into the drama.

Even from dramatic content perspective, the sad part is that the suspense quotient is near to nil. What is seemingly projected as the so-called twist in the tale doesn't carry any fire whatsoever since you can see it from a distance. Also, there are loopholes galore in the entire arms supply chain tale since it is hard to believe how Emraan's 'informing' acts aren't caught by the underworld.

Thankfully, what remains with you are performances of Emraan and Randeep. Both are pretty much in their comfort zone here and do what is expected out of them. Emraan is confident as ever and plays his part way too convincingly. On the other hand Randeep carries forward from where he had left in 'Once Upon A Time In Mumbaai' and makes his presence felt in every scenes, especially in the post-climax scenes. Esha, who comes across as a mix of Lara Dutta and Neha Dhupia, is decent and though at places she seems like mouthing her dialogues in a hurry, her effervescent screen presence would ensure a longer run for her.

When 'Jannat' had released, it had promised to bring to fore the issue of 'match fixing'. Though it was later stated that this was just a 'backdrop', ultimately it turned out to be, well - just a 'backdrop', instead of looking deep down into the 'issue'. Hence there was a bit of apprehension if the sequel would follow the same route. Well, just like the first in the series, even this franchise affair talks about the core issue only from the fence with an emotional tale of a straying youth forming the core content.

Rating: **1/2