Now Reading: Awarapan 2 earns mixed reviews, Emraan Hashmi’s return hailed
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Awarapan 2 earns mixed reviews, Emraan Hashmi’s return hailed
The much-awaited sequel Awarapan 2, starring Emraan Hashmi as Shivam Pandit, hit theatres on August 14 with mixed early reactions. While many viewers praised Hashmi's performance, the film's reliance on nostalgia and…
The Story in Brief
The much-awaited sequel Awarapan 2, starring Emraan Hashmi as Shivam Pandit, hit theatres on August 14 with mixed early reactions. While many viewers praised Hashmi's performance, the film's reliance on nostalgia and its music divided audiences. Bollywoodlife gave it 3.5 stars, noting the sequel moves the character forward. However, Binged called it 'rushed nostalgia baiting without any story,' criticising the underuse of Shabana Azmi and Disha Patani's limited role.
Trade estimates suggest an opening day collection of around Rs 20 crore, driven by strong advance bookings, as per Sacnilk data cited by Bollywoodlife. X reactions showed a mix of praise for the first half's engagement and criticism for predictable thriller mechanics. Hashmi's portrayal of an older, wounded Shivam remains the film's strongest asset.
The Indian Opinion
The narrative around Awarapan 2 is split between 'welcome return' and 'nostalgia cash-in'. Both miss that the film attempts a darker, larger story, but its refusal to explain Shivam's survival from the original is a glaring flaw. The weekend box office will test whether audiences forgive that gap for the sake of Hashmi's performance. If it holds, nostalgia wins; if it drops, story matters more.
Sources (4): indiatvnews.com, bollywoodlife.com, bollywoodlife.com (2), binged.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the 4 sources linked above.
Updated: this story now draws on 4 sources.
