There are some movie characters that an actor can play again after years without losing their identity. Shivam Pandit is one of them for Emraan Hashmi. Nineteen years after Awarapan turned heartbreak, sacrifice and redemption into the defining emotions of its story, Hashmi returns to the character in Awarapan 2, and the familiarity is immediate. The new film changes the scale of Shivam’s world, moving him from romantic anguish into a darker story involving crime and child trafficking, but Hashmi remains its strongest emotional anchor.
Directed by Nitin Kakkar, Awarapan 2 is not trying to recreate the first film scene by scene. Instead, it uses the emotional history of Shivam to build an action thriller around a man who has lost his purpose and unexpectedly finds another reason to keep going. The result is a film that understands why audiences still care about Shivam, even if the screenplay does not always give him a story worthy of the wait.
Awarapan 2 Review: Story
The sequel begins with Shivam still carrying the emotional weight of Aliyah’s death. Years have passed, but he has not really moved on, and his visits to her grave underline how deeply that loss continues to define him. His life changes when he discovers a baby and decides to take responsibility for her, naming her Aliyah after the woman he once loved.
That relationship gives the film its most effective emotional material. Shivam is no longer simply the damaged man audiences remember from the first film; he has developed a paternal instinct and a greater willingness to protect someone else. When Aliyah is adopted, he makes himself let her go because he believes she will have a better life, only to discover later that she has fallen into the hands of child traffickers.
The news pulls Shivam back into a world he has spent years trying to escape. He travels to Bangkok after learning that Aliyah is among children being held by a trafficking network, with the larger mission involving the rescue of dozens of other children. To reach them, Shivam has to enter a dangerous criminal operation controlled by people who have inherited a violent empire.
That setup gives Awarapan 2 a considerably different identity from the original. The first film’s emotional engine was built around love and sacrifice, while the sequel increasingly relies on crime, violence and rescue. The connection between the two stories is Shivam himself, and that is ultimately what keeps the sequel from feeling completely disconnected from its predecessor.
What Works in Awarapan 2
The biggest success is obvious: Emraan Hashmi knows exactly how to play Shivam Pandit. He does not need an exaggerated introduction or a manufactured heroic moment to remind viewers who this man is. His performance works because Shivam carries his history quietly, and Hashmi understands that the character’s silences can sometimes say more than another dramatic monologue.
The emotional material in the first half is also where Nitin Kakkar’s direction feels most confident. Shivam’s relationship with the young Aliyah gives the character a new dimension, and the film benefits whenever it slows down enough to explore that bond. The story’s decision to make Shivam responsible for a child rather than simply sending him after another revenge target gives his actions a stronger personal motivation.
The Bangkok setting gives the film a larger action canvas, and the first major car chase is among its most effective sequences. It has energy without becoming completely detached from the story, and the locations help Awarapan 2 feel bigger than the intimate romantic drama that came before it.
The supporting characters also get enough background to make the criminal world reasonably convincing. The rivalries surrounding Amrit, Nafisa and the next generation of the crime family give the story additional layers, even though not all of them are explored with equal confidence. Anirudh Rawal stands out as Sikandar, bringing an unsettling quality to a character who could easily have become a conventional supporting figure.
The film has also benefited from the nostalgia surrounding the franchise. Early audience reactions have particularly highlighted Hashmi’s return, the action and the emotional connection to the original, although reactions have not been universally positive.
Where Awarapan 2 Loses Its Grip
The problem is that the screenplay becomes easier to predict as it moves forward. Once the central rescue mission is established, several revelations feel like steps the audience can anticipate rather than genuine surprises. The characters have potentially interesting histories, but the film sometimes explains them in the simplest possible way instead of allowing their actions to reveal who they are.
This becomes more noticeable because Awarapan had such a strong emotional identity. Its pain came from the characters and their relationships, whereas Awarapan 2 frequently tries to manufacture intensity through violence and increasingly complicated criminal situations. There is nothing wrong with making Shivam an action hero, but the sequel is at its best when the action grows naturally out of his emotional journey.
The supporting cast is another missed opportunity. Disha Patani gets a comparatively substantial part as Zara and brings the required screen presence, but the chemistry between Zara and Shivam does not develop into the emotional strength the story appears to be aiming for. Puran Gabbi is effective in crucial moments as Zoravar, although the performance occasionally crosses from threatening into overplayed.
Shabana Azmi is particularly underused. Nafisa has the potential to become one of the film’s more memorable figures, but the screenplay does not give her enough material or screen time to fully justify the presence of an actor of Azmi’s stature. Suvinder Vicky similarly makes an impression as Jaideep without receiving enough space to make the character truly memorable.
The music is another area where expectations are difficult to escape. The original Awarapan had a soundtrack that became inseparable from its identity, and the sequel inevitably has to live in that shadow. Contemporary audience reactions have appreciated the nostalgic musical connection, but the new film does not consistently reproduce the same emotional impact that made the first soundtrack so enduring.
Performances and Final Verdict
Hashmi remains the reason to watch Awarapan 2. His return does not feel like simple franchise casting because he brings enough history to Shivam to make the character’s new motivations believable. Even when the screenplay becomes predictable, Hashmi’s control over the character keeps the film moving and gives the quieter moments the emotional weight they need.
The rest of the cast works unevenly. Anirudh Rawal delivers one of the stronger supporting performances, while Puran Gabbi makes an impression despite some inconsistency as the antagonist. Disha Patani looks comfortable in the action-heavy portions, but the film never finds enough depth in her relationship with Shivam, while Shabana Azmi and Suvinder Vicky deserved considerably more material.
The interesting thing about Awarapan 2 is that it does not completely fail at being a sequel. It understands the character audiences came back for and avoids turning Shivam into a generic action hero. At the same time, it does not consistently recreate the emotional force that made the original a cult favorite, leaving the sequel caught between nostalgia and a new crime-thriller identity.
Verdict: 3/5. Awarapan 2 works best as an Emraan Hashmi comeback vehicle and a nostalgic return to Shivam Pandit’s world. The action is more ambitious, the story gives Shivam a meaningful new purpose, and Hashmi remains completely convincing in the role. But the predictable twists, uneven supporting characters and comparatively weaker emotional core keep the sequel from reaching the impact of the 2007 original.
Awarapan 2 Review Q&A
Is Awarapan 2 worth watching?
Yes, particularly for Emraan Hashmi fans and viewers who have a strong connection with the original. It works better as a standalone action drama than as an emotional continuation of the first film.
Is Emraan Hashmi good as Shivam Pandit?
Hashmi is the film’s biggest strength. He brings the character’s pain and maturity into the sequel without relying on an exaggerated heroic performance.
Is Awarapan 2 as emotional as Awarapan?
No. The sequel has emotional moments, especially around Shivam and young Aliyah, but its focus on crime and action makes it less emotionally powerful than the original.
Who is the best supporting performer in Awarapan 2?
Anirudh Rawal stands out as Sikandar, while Puran Gabbi makes an impression as Zoravar despite an uneven performance.
Does Awarapan 2 have good action?
The action is one of the film’s stronger technical aspects, with the first Bangkok car chase standing out as a particularly effective sequence.
What is the biggest weakness of Awarapan 2?
Predictability. Several twists and character revelations become increasingly easy to anticipate, reducing the impact the film could have created with a more surprising screenplay.
