'Vadh 2' Review: Inside the Walls of Power

Jaspal Singh Sandhu’s Vadh 2 isn’t a conventional sequel to Vadh (2022), but it continues in the same territory emotionally and morally. The same character names are followed across both. The actual plot of the sequel has transitioned to another world - a prison, where the daily lives of everyone included are negotiated through power, prejudice and vendetta. The narrative kicks off with a murder investigation, with the intention not to create a propulsive thriller, but to show the disintegration of order.

At the centre is Shambhu Nath, portrayed by Sanjay Mishra, a seemingly mundane jailer lost in routine and mutual fondness for Manju, played by Neena Gupta. This relationship is never overworked for effect; it manages to bring real warmth and some tenderness, without becoming melodramatic. You get the love, the silence, the unrehearsed reciprocity and glimpses of the lives that could have been. The ache of parenthood and loneliness becomes palpable and never really disappears.

Neena Gupta brings quiet strength to the role because she chooses to play it with restraint and that choice serves her well. Gupta has more to say about her character than dialogue; she uses silence or her expressions to fill her journey with authenticity.

Kumud Mishra’s Inspector Prakash Singh is unsettling for different reasons. Not a comic-book baddie - he is a casteist, a narrow-minded man, made powerful by his pet beliefs. Mishra plays him coolly, his ordinariness melding with the mundaneness of state violence.

An influential inmate goes missing, triggering an investigation central to the narrative. Several of the main characters involved get pulled into the supporting characters (and mysteries) surrounding the central one, deepening the complexity of characters and ideas. There are several appealing levels of construction, particularly in the themes of social consciousness, though not all are explored equally.

Many of the reveals were easy to figure out, so a better cut in general would keep tension throughout. There are so many characters and there are so many subplots that aren’t fully developed, that it makes the mystery too thin.

We get ourselves back on course as the strands start to knit. Shambhu’s reasons are uncomfortable enough not yield easy heroism. Writing keeps the sordid trade-off hazy. That is where the film does some of its best work. Visually, the prison is portrayed with extreme realism, therefore creating an image of confined space. The pacing is deliberate, at times very effective and other times less so. However, the performances are consistently compelling.

Verdict: Vadh 2 highlights issues of caste, retribution and imperfect justice without being preachy. While this film doesn’t reach perfection, it does maintain a sense of sincerity in its purpose and leaves behind questions that may be more significant than the mystery itself.