Movie: War 2
Rating: 2.5/5
Banner: Yash Raj Films
Cast: Hrithik Roshan, NTR, Kiara Advani, Anil Kapoor, Ashutosh Rana, Sony Razdan, and others
Story: Aditya Chopra
Screenplay: Shridhar Raghavan
DOP: Benjamin Jasper ACS
Music: Pritam
Background Music: Sanchit Balhara, Ankit Balhara
Editor: Aarif Sheikh
Production Designers: Rajat Poddar, Amrita Mahal Nakai
Action: Spiro Razatos, Franz Spilhaus, Anl Arasu, Oh Sea Young, Craig Macrae, Sunil Rodrigues
Producer: Aditya Chopra
Directed by: Ayan Mukerji
Release Date: August 14, 2025
NTR’s foray into Bollywood was bound to create a stir, and his collaboration with superstar Hrithik Roshan in YRF’s Spy Universe only amplified the buzz. Despite stiff competition from Rajinikanth’s Coolie, War 2 has managed to fuel massive box office expectations.
The big question is - did NTR’s decision to make his Bollywood debut with this film pay off?
Story:
Kabir (Hrithik Roshan), a top RAW agent, comes into contact with the deadly Kali Cartel. This is a syndicate of international operatives determined to stop India’s rise. In a shocking turn, Kabir assassinates his mentor and RAW chief, Luthra (Ashutosh Rana), prompting the agency to deploy a new agent, Vikram (NTR), to bring him down.
But as the chase unfolds, it’s revealed that Kabir and Vikram share a bond dating back to their childhood. Who is the real rogue agent: Kabir or Vikram? And can the Kali Cartel succeed in their mission to assassinate the Indian Prime Minister?
Artistes’ Performances:
This is, at its core, Hrithik Roshan’s film. Having led the first installment, he reprises his role as Kabir with ease. With his Greek-god physique, effortless charisma, and razor-sharp action skills, Hrithik commands the screen from start to finish.
NTR, making his Bollywood debut and stepping into the spy genre for the first time, delivers some impressive action moments. However, the role itself feels ill-suited to his image. For a mass hero in Telugu cinema, agreeing to such a thinly written character comes as a surprise. There are no true heroic high points for NTR either.
Kiara Advani gets a few action beats and flaunts her beach-ready glamour, but her character adds little to the overall narrative.
The rest of the cast, including veterans Anil Kapoor and Ashutosh Rana, appear in underwritten parts, each granted just one standout sequence before fading into the background.
Technical Excellence:
Like all YRF action spectacles, War 2 delivers high-octane sequences and lavish production values, with filming spanning multiple international locations.
The Mission: Impossible–inspired action set pieces are standout moments, and the cinematography emerges as the film’s biggest strength; matching the grandeur of top-tier Hollywood blockbusters.
However, the film falters in its writing and music. Both songs - one picturized on Hrithik Roshan and NTR, and the other on Hrithik and Kiara Advani - lack a memorable hook, while the editing fails to maintain a brisk, edge-of-the-seat pace.
Highlights:
Faceoff between NTR and Hrithik Roshan
Action Sequences
Cinematography and production values
Drawback:
Predictable universe
Lack of engaging narrative
Story and screenplay is totally formulaic
Poor and forced climax
Analysis
Bollywood’s “War” became a massive hit for two key reasons. It brought together action powerhouses Hrithik Roshan and Tiger Shroff, and it delivered jaw-dropping action sequences. Tiger’s role was solidly written, complementing Hrithik’s lead presence.
For the sequel, producer Aditya Chopra replaced director Siddharth Anand with Ayan Mukerji to give the franchise a fresh spin, bringing NTR on board in place of Tiger Shroff. However, what “War 2” sorely lacks this time is a strong, well-crafted story.
The film leans heavily on the combined star power of Hrithik and NTR, opening with separate, grand introduction episodes for each.
Hrithik’s entry, set in Japan, sees him taking down goons before the plot shifts to the Kali Cartel. This is a criminal syndicate introduced with a mythological twist, hinting at Hrithik’s character as a reincarnation of Kalki. While intriguing at first, this concept is dropped entirely as the movie progresses.
NTR’s introduction as agent Vikram is staged as a high-voltage moment, followed by a large-scale chase through a European city - clearly inspired by the Mission: Impossible franchise - and then a train sequence. The interval point reveals that both leads share a childhood connection.
Although the backstory for both characters is decently written, the overall screenplay is formulaic. The repeated flip-flop of one hero turning villain and vice versa feels contrived and quickly becomes tiresome.
The second half treads a predictable path. After framing NTR’s character as the antagonist in several key sequences, the climax spins things in yet another direction, creating confusion over how the heroes are meant to be perceived. This lack of clarity in character presentation robs the film of emotional depth, dragging down its engagement factor.
Unsurprisingly, Hrithik Roshan dominates most of the film with his screen presence and charisma. While NTR matches his energy in performance, his poorly written role never truly feels heroic. This is an unfortunate waste of his potential in a Bollywood debut.
Except for the childhood episodes at the beginning of the second half, “War 2” goes downhill post intermission.
The action is alright. The production values are superb. The star power is superb. What is missing is that none of these blend well to make it an enjoyable experience. It is true that spy movies run on a predictable template. But Aditya Chopra and Sridhara Raghavan’s screenplay writing is a huge letdown. The emotional beats are missing.
Overall, War 2, despite featuring two big stars and a handful of stylish action sequences, ends up as a disappointment due to its weak screenplay and lack of compelling narration. While it follows the same template as War, it doesn’t come close to matching the impact of the original. This feels like a missed opportunity for both NTR and YRF. Director Siddharth Anand’s films are known for their fast-paced, racy execution, but Ayan Mukerji fails to bring that same energy and finesse here.
Bottom-line: So Predictable
