Before giving us glimpses of chase sequences, aerial stunts, and action set-pieces, the trailer of War 2 opens with something unexpected. In the first 80 seconds of the two-minute-plus trailer, Hrithik Roshan and Jr NTR’s characters are heard pledging to serve the country above all else. It turns out producer Aditya Chopra and director Ayan Mukerji decided to incorporate this oath, a feature that will now be extended to all the films in the YRF Spy Universe. 

 Hrithik Roshan (L) and Ayan Mukerji (C) at the film’s wrap-up 

In the August 14 release that also stars Kiara Advani, Roshan reprises his role of R&AW agent-gone-rogue Kabir Dhaliwal from War (2019), and Jr NTR is seen as part of the same intelligence agency. A source reveals that the two characters take this oath, as trainee agents, at a swearing-in ceremony. “Adi and Ayan wanted a motto that would not only form the foundation for Hrithik and Jr NTR’s characters, but would also tie the other characters of the spy universe together. So, Adi and writer Shridhar Raghavan penned this shapath. Henceforth, all undercover agents — from Shah Rukh Khan’s Pathaan to Salman Khan’s Tiger — will be seen taking the same oath,” says the source.