Movie Review: 'Hate Story 2'

'Hate Story 2' movie review

'Hate Story 2'
A; Thriller
Director: Vishal Pandya
Cast: Surveen Chawla, Sushant Singh, Jay Bhanushali
Rating:

Thanks to the overwhelming dose of romance and drama that Bollywood is witness to, thrillers - let alone erotic thrillers - are a genre seldom attempted by the Hindi film industry. On the rare occasion that makers decide to come up with one, it's usually an official remake. Hate Story 2 then is remarkable as it dwells little on erotica but relies more on an engaging story. The first half is where the wrong is committed while the second half is where vengeance takes the story forward. However, some sloppy sequences and technical complacency act as spoilsports in between. Overall, it comes across a job well done.

'Hate Story 2'

If you've watched Hate Story (2012), you know what to expect in its sequel. But the premise is far more believable this time around. Unlike in the first instalment, this two-hour-plus saga doesn't get carried away and it avoids loose ends. The story revolves around a woman who is forced to become a budding politician's mistress. She eventually ends up losing her freedom in return for a favour he once did for her family. As the tale unfolds, she falls for a good-hearted guy who is willing to pay a price for their relationship. And he does pay the price.

What begins as hapless torture quickly gains momentum as the female protagonist bounces back with a motive; although she commits mistakes while plotting her revenge. Her character's transformation from timid to fearless is convincing.

That said, this film didn't have to be 140 minutes long. Some of the scenes in the second half are unnecessarily dragged to the point where you scream, "Ok, we get it!" Also, the abrupt appearance of song-dance routines makes you cringe because they only serve to disrupt the otherwise smooth flow. Similarly, some dialogues mouthed by the lead actress are just clichés. In fact, her lines only take away from her acting chops. Then again, she carries the film on her shoulders along with her antagonist.

Surveen Chawla certainly has the spark and she makes the most of Hate Story 2's women-centric theme. In the same vein, Sushant Singh delivers his finest performance in recent memory as a vile politico. Jay Bhanushali manages to do little more than play a sacrificing lover as he has just a few scenes in the film.

All in all, it's not a bad film. Which also means that it could have been lot better given that it has a decent plot to fall back on.