Awarapan 2 Review : Emraan Hashmi Owns the Sequel in an Emotional, Action-Packed Return as Shivam Pandit

 

Awarapan 2 carries a difficult responsibility. The first Awarapan (2007) has grown into a cult favourite over the years, with Emraan Hashmi’s Shivam Pandit becoming one of the most memorable characters of his career. Nearly two decades later, the sequel brings Shivam back—but instead of simply recreating the original’s formula, it gives him a new emotional conflict involving child trafficking, revenge, redemption and his bond with a child.

The result is a sequel that isn’t perfect, but has enough emotion, action, nostalgia and star power to work as a big-screen entertainer.

Most importantly, Emraan Hashmi remains the soul of Awarapan 2.

Awarapan 2 Story & Screenplay

The film revolves around child trafficking, revenge, redemption and Shivam’s bond with a child. The premise is emotionally engaging, and the film gets off to a strong start with an impressive Bangkok car chase.

The screenplay, however, isn’t entirely consistent. Multiple subplots occasionally slow down the narrative, and certain portions could have been tighter. Still, the central story remains engaging enough to keep the audience invested.

Emraan Hashmi: The Biggest Highlight

Emraan Hashmi is simply terrific as Shivam Pandit.

He brings maturity, pain and intensity to the character while retaining the vulnerability that made Shivam memorable in the first film. His action scenes have the required punch, but his emotional performance is even more effective.

This is easily one of the film’s strongest performances and the primary reason the sequel works.

Awarapan 2 Performances

Disha Patani delivers a sincere performance and adds emotional weight to the story.

Shabana Azmi is excellent but deserved more screen time.

Puran Gabbi is effective as the antagonist, although he goes slightly over the top in places. Aniruddh Rawal, Surendar Vicky and Vijayant Kohli provide solid support.

Direction, Action & Music

Nitin Kakkar successfully balances emotion, action and nostalgia. The Bangkok sequence, several backstory portions and the climax are particularly well handled.

The action is one of the film’s major strengths, giving Awarapan 2 a strong commercial and mass appeal.

The music works well with the narrative, although comparisons with the iconic soundtrack of Awarapan are inevitable.

 

Nostalgia Factor

The film smartly brings back memories of the first instalment through flashbacks and callbacks. These moments are likely to work especially well with fans of the original without making the sequel completely dependent on its predecessor.

What Works 👍

• Emraan Hashmi’s outstanding performance
• Strong Shivam Pandit character arc
• Emotional core
• Impressive action sequences
• Effective climax
• Nostalgic connection with the original
• Disha Patani and Shabana Azmi’s performances
• Strong mass appeal

What Doesn’t 👎

• Multiple subplots affect the pace
• Screenplay could have been tighter
• Some supporting characters need more depth
• Puran Gabbi occasionally goes overboard
• Music doesn’t quite match the cult status of the first film

Awarapan 2 Review : Final Verdict

Awarapan 2 isn’t perfect, but it has enough heart, action and nostalgia to make the journey worthwhile. The screenplay may occasionally lose focus, but whenever the story returns to Shivam Pandit, the film finds its emotional strength.

Above everything else, Emraan Hashmi owns the film.

For fans of Awarapan and Emraan Hashmi, this is a sequel worth watching on the big screen.