Awarapan 2: Just Nostalgia Can’t Save This Emraan Hashmi Sequel Ft Disha Patani!
Awarapan 2 is directed by Nitin Kakkar, and it has come 19 years after the original. Read here.
1.5 / 5
Is the Awarapan craze back in 2026? Well, I stepped in to watch the much-awaited Emraan Hashmi starrer sequel, which is here after 19 years of the original. Directed by Nitin Kakkar, the film also stars Shabana Azmi, Disha Patani, and Puran Gabbi in pivotal roles. The beloved character of Shivam Pandit returns with a new life purpose in the sequel, but the film doesn’t go beyond nostalgia to create any deeper impact with its storytelling or characters. Read our review.
Plot
The film begins with Shivam Pandit (Emraan Hashmi) at a graveyard where he finds a little girl. He names her Aaliyah, yes, the name of his lover in the first film. However, unfortunate events unfold, and Aaliyah finds herself caught in a child trafficking racket, led by the film’s primary antagonist Zoravar (Puran Gabbi). Shivam Pandit makes it his life’s mission to rescue the little girl, and on this journey, he battles many other dangers along with a love story sub-plot featuring Disha Patani’s Zara.
What’s Not Good?
The story is very flat and unexciting. Where is the imagination? Awarapan 2 fails to establish any sort of conflict, tension or emotional depth in any of its plots, because the writing falters badly. There is nothing fresh to the story of gangsters, and the stakes are very low to keep you hooked to the story, because of course, the predictability. Little to no effort is put into establishing a strong chemistry between Zara and Shivam, and therefore, the sequel also becomes a major let-down in keeping the various emotional standards set by the original film. The pain, the loss, the longing felt in Shivam Pandit’s story is nowhere to be found here.
While the story has nothing to offer, the characters aren’t justice done to them either. Shabana Azmi’s character has no substance whatsoever, and it’s disappointing to see an extremely talented star get wasted in the story. Another female character, Zara, was not well-defined to give us a wholesome understanding of this woman. She hardly had dialogue and limited emotions to display. The primary villain, Zorawar, played by Puran Gabbi, was neither intimidating nor funny. The character is directionless in its writing.
The 2007 Awarapan is still remembered and celebrated for its music album, and the sequel does not impress with that either. In fact, the old songs ‘Tera Mera Rishta’ and ‘Toh Phir Aao’ are revamped to create nostalgia with a few flashbacks from the first film, and these are the only moments that make you feel alive briefly through the runtime.
Performances
Emraan Hashmi recreates the charm of Shivam Pandit on the big screen again and delivers the emotions in the right amount. While other performances in the film are decent too, the impact is not long-lasting.
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Verdict
Awarapan 2 wasn’t very enjoyable for me. Nostalgia is too low a bar to set for films, because then, where is the creativity? I enjoyed a well-choreographed action sequence in the film; however, the latest addition to the Emraan Hashmi franchise is not impressive due to its weak writing, underwhelming characters, dull songs and a lot of dependence on nostalgia!
First Published: August 14, 2026 5:54 PM
