In the 22 years that separates Gadar: Ek Prem Katha (2001) and its sequel, an entire generation has been raised on Hindi movies that had a different cinematic language from the action drama. But as Gadar 2: The Katha Continues opens in cinemas today, it’s evident that the Sunny Deol and Ameesha Patel-led story continues to have fans across the country. Trade analysts have predicted a first-day opening of R25 crore, the second biggest this year after Pathaan. Director Anil Sharma isn’t surprised. “From the day I conceived the plot of Gadar 2, I knew it would do well. Gadar is an emotion that 100 crore Indians have loved, but our film industry never understood that. Many criticised Gadar [after its release],” he recalls.

Taking the story of Deol’s Tara Singh and Patel’s Sakina forward, Gadar 2 shows how the protagonist heads to Pakistan to free his captive son, essayed by Utkarsh Sharma. A section of the industry, going by the trailer, feels that the sequel doesn’t have a powerful story. “When lakhs have appreciated the trailer, the opinions of some don’t make a difference to me. When Gadar released, one review called it ‘Gutter: Ek Prem Katha.’ But the audience is the only thing that matters,” shares the director.