Awarapan 2 movie review: Emraan Hashmi returns as wounded hero, keeps it humming

Awarapan 2 movie review: Shivam Pandit, the straggly-haired shooter with a golden heart, returns in the sequel. Much like his predecessor, Emraan Hashmi is depicted as a wounded hero, a role that he has mastered. He faces off against a new set of mobsters, gun-toting henchmen, and helpless young women as he searches for a young girl being held captive by a gang of human traffickers.

The film maintains the thematic palette of the original, with flashbacks providing context for Shivam's betrayal of his mob boss, who died to keep him safe. The production values are slick, and the ensemble cast includes Zorawar (Puran Gabbi) as the main antagonist, his closest aides JD (Suvinder Vicky) and Vijayant Kohli, Nafisa (Shabana Azmi) as an Interpol officer, and Zorawar's sister Zara (Disha Patani) and brother Sikandar (Aniruddh Rawal) who has special needs.

The film takes place in Bangkok, adding a fresh setting to the crime thriller genre. While the first half of the film is engaging and sets the stage well, the second half begins to lose momentum, and the screenplay's holes become more noticeable. Despite this, Emraan Hashmi's performance as Shivam Pandit keeps the film from being a complete disappointment.