Special Ops 2 Review: Round Two Hits Harder

BOTTOM LINE
Round Two Hits Harder

PLATFORM
JIO HOTSTAR

RUNTIME
7 Episodes. ~6 Hours

What Is the Show About?

At a tech summit, AI scientist Dr Piyush Bhargav is kidnapped, and a RAW officer, Vinod Shekhawat, is killed. Months from his retirement, Himmat Singh is entrusted with the task of bringing Bhargav back. Meanwhile, his former superior, Subramanyam, who has lost his wife to a terminal illness, threatens dire consequences if bank defaulter Jignesh Dholakia isn’t put behind bars.

Performances

Kay Kay Menon, much like his character, leads from the front with the right composure and level-headedness, scoring big in the tense, crucial moments, without missing out on the tenderness in the seemingly insignificant segments. A flamboyant Karan Tacker, a chiselled Muzammul Ibrahim, a no-nonsense Saiyami Kher, and an enthusiastic Shikha Talsania make for a solid team, contributing their bit to the show, doing what’s expected of them.

Tahir Raj Bhasin rightly doesn’t go overboard in trying to sell his antagonism and does his best to present Sudheer’s innate spirit. Prakash Raj and Vinay Pathak, as dependable as ever, are relatively under-utilised, while the other senior hands, Arif Zakaria, Dalip Tahil, Kaliprasad Mukherjee, and Parmeet Sethi, fit their parts to a T. Gautami Kapoor is impressive within the limited scope of her role.

Analysis

Special Ops is precisely the kind of show that would have been a walk in the park for Neeraj Pandey in his prime, revolving around spies, uniformed men, bureaucrats, unsung officers, and missions, all bound by slick action, riveting tension, and taut storytelling. While both the first season and its relatively under-appreciated prequel (Special Ops 1.5) didn’t boast the storytelling finesse the director was truly capable of, they certainly did enough to hold a viewer’s interest.

After a relatively dry spell in recent years, with Auron Mein Kahan Dum Tha and Sikandar Ka Muqaddar (which were frankly…blah) to speak of, Special Ops 2 marks a welcome return to solid form for the filmmaker. It’s the better writing and the non-fussy packaging that truly puts everything into perspective, offering a tight premise that limits the scope for much distraction, yet provides ample room for the parts to breathe and make an impact.

Most importantly, the show feels very contemporary in its setting, uncovering the panic around AI, data theft, and the ever-evolving nature of warfare and its impact on the economy. These elements are woven organically into a plot around the kidnapping of an influential scientist, lending relevance to the discussion on matters of national security, but personalised enough for viewers to care about the events. The balance of the professional, political, and personal falls into place just the way we’d like it.

The story, which could have worked as a standalone series, brings together familiar characters, Himmat Singh, Farooq, Abbas, Avinash, Saroj, Juhi Kashyap et al, for a newer conflict. Watching the previous season(s) could give you a more rounded perspective of what they stand for and tell you what to expect from it: the tone, the issues, and the modus operandi. Given the sequel arrives five years after the first season, the crisp recap still establishes the context succinctly.

Before the protagonist Himmat Singh gets to work, i.e. nabbing the mastermind behind the AI scientist Piyush Bhargav’s kidnapping (and RAW officer Shekhawat’s murder) within a short duration, he gauges the pulse around the growing tensions between India and China. He understands how the latter has upped the game in cyber warfare, and why the latest events are more or less a result of poor bureaucratic action despite credible intelligence inputs.

Another subplot (that feels like a toned-down version of Pandey’s own A Wednesday) unfolds in the background, centred on the agony of a retired government official, Subramanyam, Himmat’s former superior, who loses his wife while scrambling money for her treatment. While Himmat assembles a team to tackle two professional challenges, back home, his daughter discovers a crucial truth about her past, which, though delayed, was necessary.

Besides doing everything to ensure Piyush Bhargav’s safety and unmasking the mastermind behind the recent developments, Himmat’s challenge is to find the mole within. The story, unfolding on the move, more or less progresses in autopilot mode: the team, at every step, remains within striking distance of the culprit, piecing various clues together, racing against time and consistently challenged. There’s adequate urgency, but it also doesn’t rush for the sake of it.

The globe-trotting thriller’s appeal, besides the smart plotting, also lies in its strategy (without dumbing down the digital complexities), leading to the edgy action sequences. The cinematography serves as the right canvas to showcase the scale of the operation. As the men (and a handful of women, going by Neeraj Pandey’s standards) get the work done, the tongue-in-cheek humour in bureaucratic spaces and a bunch of flashy characters provide a lightness to the proceedings.

The dialogue is generally sharp, the scenes are short, and you don’t quite feel the pinch of the six-hour runtime. One of the director’s smarter decisions with Special Ops 2 is also his deftness in dealing with the antagonist’s past. You know just enough to understand why moralities do not bind him and what fuels his ambition (which gradually turns into greed). He’s just a businessman playing by his strengths, after all. The show still could have done a better job of integrating Himmat’s mission and Subramanyam’s vigilante activism, though.

Special Ops Season 2, on the whole, is a worthy sequel that shines more and fumbles less. It is a compelling blend of action, thrills, and drama, packaged in a taut narrative that rarely loses its focus.

Music and Other Departments?

Advait Nemlekar’s score is to the point, seamlessly blending with the proceedings. Cinematographers Arvind Singh and Dimo Popov truly merit praise for the class and sophistication they bring to an otherwise busy narrative, without being indulgent.

The action choreography, by Abbas Ali Moghul, Laszlo Koza, and Irakli Sabanaoze, is top-notch and precise, keeping viewers firmly rooted to their couches. The writing, by Neeraj Pandey, Deepak Kingrani and Benazir Ali Fida, is sharp, high on detail, and most importantly, accessible to the viewer. The six-hour runtime doesn’t quite deter the viewing experience.

Highlights?

Engaging, tight narrative

Technically brilliant (action, cinematography)

Good performances

Drawbacks?

Prakash Raj’s subplot doesn’t fully add up

Villain’s backstory (could have been more substantial)

Did I Enjoy It?

Yes

Will You Recommend It?

Certainly

 Special Ops 2 OTT Series Review by M9