Khuda Haafiz: Chapter 2-Agni Pariksha

Since the Nirbhaya incident happened, protecting women has been that safe bet plot for many lousy films as they can justify the film by claiming it to be pertinent. Khuda Haafiz: Chapter 2-Agni Pariksha, the sequel to the 2020 movie starring Vidyut Jamwal, tastelessly goes after this savior-mode rape-revenge story hoping the audience will fall for the pertinency card. With the broad strokes in its narrative and certain insensitivities getting covered in melodrama, Khuda Haafiz: Chapter 2 is a banal sequel with high ambitions.

After what happened in Khuda Haafiz, where Sameer rescued his wife Nargis from flesh traders in Noman, the couple tries to return to their everyday life. But the trauma of the rape has taken a toll on Nargis, and she is on anti-depressants. One day Sameer comes home with the niece of his close friend, who lost her parents and has no one to take care of her. This plan eventually works in cheering up Nargis. But the tragedy hits the couple again when this girl, Nandini, gets abducted by a gang. Sameer’s efforts to find her are what we see in Khuda Haafiz: Chapter 2.

What I felt odd about the 2020 film Khuda Haafiz was that it took a really long time for the hero to get into action mode. It was surprising mainly because Vidyut’s movies aren’t known for that pattern. The same thing happens in Khuda Haafiz: Chapter 2 as well. In fact, they have pushed it further back, and the action slot in the movie is lesser, and it is more of an anger show. And finally, when the action happens, it is more of a blood bath, and human body parts are treated like plastic furniture.

Vidyut Jamwal is better off as an action star, and when he tries to become this commoner, you can easily sense the misfit. In the first half of Khuda Haafiz: Chapter 2, he is playing this naive version of Sameer, and his face is literally shaking to show that vulnerable state of Sameer. Even the body language switch when he arrives at home feels far too artificial. Shivaleeka Oberoi as Nargis is forgettable, and the characterization would remind you of sloppy daily soaps. Sheeba Chaddha, Dibyendu Bhattacharya, and Rajesh Tailang are immensely talented actors who were given roles that barely used their true potential.

Faruk Kabir’s writing is ambitious but uninspiring. In no time, we see the hero getting into jail, proving himself to be the biggest gangster, and even making the police head give him an unofficial responsibility of killing the culprit who was abroad. And -SPOILER ALERT!- the movie ends with Sameer becoming this Vito Corleone-like figure who is running a parallel judiciary for rape victims and their families! The movie conveniently forgets the idea of being coherent and uses Rajesh Tailang’s Ravish Kumar-like commentary to emotionally manipulate us into cheering for a slaughtering hero.

In terms of being creative, Khuda Haafiz 2 is undoubtedly a lazy attempt. Even if you approach it as a movie where you want to see Vidyut Jamwal do his Commando bits, the movie will make you wait for almost an hour and a half to reach that phase. Khuda Haafiz: Chapter 2 – Agni Pariksha is Vidyut Jamwal’s attempt at delivering a better Baaghi. And with the possibility of a potential sequel, he is now a threat to Tiger Shroff and the audience.