Film: Khuda Haafiz: Chapter II — Agni Pariksha
Director: Faruk Kabir
Cast: Vidyut Jammwal, Shivaleeka Oberoi, Sheeba Chaddha, Dibyendu Bhattacharya and Rajesh Tailang.
Rating: 3.5 stars out of 5
Like the old saying goes, never mess with a man’s family. And in Bollywood terms, make sure that man is not Vidyut Jammwal.
This sequel to 2020’s ‘Khuda Haafiz’ picks up from where the first part ended. Sameer Choudhary (Vidyut Jammwal) and Nargis Choudhary (Shivaleeka Oberoi) are trying to put the Noman mishap behind them, where the young wife was kidnapped by a human trafficking ring in the fictitious Middle Eastern counrty. But things haven’t been easy for the couple with Nargis suffering from PTSD, depression and doesn’t trust a soul, whereas Sameer is trying his best to save the broken marriage.
As fate would have it, Nandini, an orphan, is introduced into their lives, Sameer opens his heart to the little girl, but Nargis is a little irritated about her arrival. But with time, she opens up to her and Nandini puts life back into the couple’s life.
Just when everything is going fine, tragedy strikes. Nandini and one more girl from her school are kidnapped by four boys, and one of them happens to be the son of a local politician Thakur, played by the formidable Sheeba Chaddha.
Sameer and Nargis race against time to find their missing daughter, with the outlook getting grimmer by the minute.
Broken and angry, Sameer pummels the local cop, who refuses to write the First Information Report (FIR), which results in prison time and that is where the film takes a turn. He makes friends with a rival gang and transforms into a formidable gangster.
Once out, there is nothing to stop Sameer from seeking vengeance for his daughter. He kills everyone coming in his way to find the real culprit.
Jammwal’s Sameer was driven and focused in the first part, but in the second, he is angry, raw and brutal to a point where he rips open one of the accused with his bare hands. Dramatic? Yes. But the terror is palpable, as is the rage.
Apart from intensity and brutality, the film also narrates a tale of emotion, love and redemption for a father and mother, a husband and wife.
Oberoi as the traumatised wife and mother shines in the emotionally charged moments. She has a tough role to play, but she does it with aplomb.
Chaddha and Dibyendu Bhattacharya, both seasoned actors, perform to par.
‘Khuda Hafiz: Chapter II — Agni Pariksha’ is helmed by Faruk Kabir, who has done a commendable job with the movie. Though the film tends to weigh more towards violence but its narrative is in the right place. The music of the film is situational and don’t seem out of place.
A brutally violent film may have a niche audience, but good storytelling usually brings in a wider audience.
The film ends with a promise of a third attempt. Could it happen? If the plot remains just as taut, then why not?
Don't miss it!
A still from Khuda Haafiz: Chapter II — Agni Pariksha is out now in UAE cinemas
