It’s a proud documentation of India’s valorous men. Based on Shiv Aroor and Rahul Singh’s book, ‘India’s Most Fearless 2’, Avrodh 2 unravels a three-level Pak-hatched conspiracy to “bleed Hindustan”. Spread over nine episodes, it dramatically documents the bravehearts of India who joined forces with a decisive government to squash the forces inimical to the country.
Across the border, army chief General Aziz (Rajesh Khattar) and well-heeled Ehsaan Waziri (Sanjay Suri) have a common goal: to bring India to her knees. Fuelled by a common hatred for their neighbouring country and harbouring dreams of bringing back the “glory of the Mughal sultanate”, the general with the army muscle whose boys are itching for “aatankbaazi” and the businessman with ample means to fund the conspiracy, pore over the blueprint they’ve drawn in Islamabad.
A three-pronged attack.
25 simultaneous air crashes all over India.
Uncountable crates of authentic looking counterfeit currency ready to flood India.
The funding of violent separatist movements from Kanyakumari to Kashmir, Punjab, Chattisgarh and Nagaland to be activated on December 6, a statement on Babri day.
The thrust is to attack India’s economy.
In India is Waziri’s agent Parveena Shehnaaz (Aahana Kumra) who can’t wait to unleash mayhem all over the country.
In Delhi is also a fearless Prime Minister (Mohan Agashe) who holds meetings with National Security Advisor Shailesh Malviya (Neeraj Kabi) and the Defence and Finance bureaucrats to counter external threats and to nip India’s cash or parallel economy. Digitisation, cashless payments, opening of bank accounts, a GST meeting where the PM wants the Opposition and the states to be on board, and a determination to crush unaccounted money and counterfeit currency, lead up to the ‘D’ word ‘Demonetisation’. A PM ready to back his forces, never mind what conventional PR demands on the international stage. A PM so willing to change the system that he remarks, “Instead of removing a tea stain from your kurta, you can buy a new kurta too.”
Across the border, Waziri swears, “Bahut jald Hindustan apne ghutne par hoga.”
In India, Malviya growls, “Stop this vermin from entering our country.”
India also has Pradeep Bhattacharya (Abir Chatterjee), introduced as Additional Income Tax Commissioner, Mumbai, and Captain Imtiaz Ahmed (Vijay Krishna) who heads the Intelligence Department of the armed forces. They’re the brains that connect the dots after the arrival of 100 kgs of RDX in the country and the tip-off that a bombmaker is being slipped into India.
Together, the team makes India’s decisive strike to counter terror seem real and factual with Shenaaz using the shield of social work for her ‘Ruin India’ agenda.
Director Raj Acharya and writers Bijesh Jayarajan and Sudeep Nigam have a book as a template for an exciting, nail-biting tale of how India fought back the attempts at crippling her. But they cram it with the unoriginal (eg the annoying staple of one character who’s obsessed with food), the unnecessary (eg Pradeep’s wife who makes a bigger appearance as a dabba full of food than in person), the unexciting (sleep-inducing night operations with zero action; the verbosity over the money trail; lines like, ‘Hindustani kaafir’ and ‘This is home till homeland is safe’), and the obvious (eg the eventual teaming up of Pradeep and Imtiaz who snarl at each other initially).
It’s the brainwork by Pradeep, Imtiaz and their network that’s ultimately more engrossing than the action on the field.
However courageous and ready he may be to be out there on the field, Abhi Chatterjee as Pradeep is not the slim-trim man of action and looks more suited for a desk job with ticking grey cells. It’s Vijay Krishna as Imtiaz who comes off looking smarter. But do catch this season of Avrodh. It’s always good to watch India win.
Watch Avrodh Season 2 Trailer:
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