War 2 (2025)

War 2 is a 2025 Indian Hindi-language action thriller film that marks a significant entry in the YRF Spy Universe. The film is the third installment in the YRF Spy Universe and serves as a sequel to the 2019 blockbuster "War". Directed by Ayan Mukerji (replacing Siddharth Anand from the first film), the movie stars Hrithik Roshan, N. T. Rama Rao Jr. (in his Hindi film debut), and Kiara Advani in lead roles, alongside Ashutosh Rana and Anil Kapoor.

Made on a massive budget of ₹400 crore, it stands as the most expensive film ever produced by Yash Raj Films and in the entire YRF Spy Universe. The film was theatrically released worldwide on August 14, 2025, coinciding with India's Independence Day.

Production Details

Direction and Writing

The film is directed by Ayan Mukerji and written by Shridhar Raghavan and Abbas Tyrewala, from a story by Aditya Chopra. This marked a significant change from the original "War" (2019), which was directed by Siddharth Anand. The decision to bring in Ayan Mukerji, known for his work on films like "Wake Up Sid" and "Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani," represented a shift in the franchise's creative direction.

Principal Photography and Locations

Principal photography commenced in October 2023, with the film being shot extensively in Mumbai along with sporadic schedules taking place in Spain, Italy, and Abu Dhabi. The international locations provided the film with a global canvas typical of high-budget spy thrillers, allowing for diverse action sequences and scenic backdrops that are characteristic of the genre.

Music and Technical Aspects

The film's soundtrack is composed by Pritam, while Sanchit Balhara and Ankit Balhara compose the background score. This musical collaboration aimed to create an audio experience that would complement the high-octane action sequences and emotional moments throughout the film.

Cast and Characters

Lead Characters

Hrithik Roshan as Kabir Dhaliwal Hrithik Roshan reprises his role as Kabir Dhaliwal from the original "War." In this sequel, Kabir is a secret agent who becomes accused of betraying his nation, making him a major threat to national security. The character has evolved from the mentor figure of the first film to becoming "India's worst villain," creating a compelling character arc. Roshan's portrayal brings both physical intensity and emotional depth to this complex character who operates in morally ambiguous territory.

N. T. Rama Rao Jr. as Vikram Chelapathi Jr. NTR makes his Hindi film debut with War 2, playing Vikram Chelapathi. Vikram is Kabir's former batchmate who is assigned the crucial task of finding and neutralizing him. He is described as "India's deadliest operative," highlighting his exceptional skills and training. This casting was particularly significant as it brought one of Telugu cinema's biggest stars into the Hindi film industry, creating considerable anticipation among audiences across different regional markets.

Kiara Advani Kiara Advani makes her debut in the YRF Spy Universe with War 2. While specific details about her character remain somewhat mysterious to preserve plot surprises, her involvement suggests a significant role in the narrative, potentially as an agent or someone connected to the espionage world of the film.

Supporting Cast

The film also features Ashutosh Rana and Anil Kapoor in important supporting roles. These veteran actors bring gravitas and experience to the film, likely playing senior intelligence officers or other key figures in the espionage network.

Plot Summary

Central Premise

The core narrative revolves around the complications that arise when Kabir Dhaliwal, a secret agent, is accused of betraying his nation, and his former batchmate Vikram is assigned the task of finding him. This sets up a cat-and-mouse game between two highly skilled operatives who share a personal history.

The Rogue Agent Storyline

The plot centers on Kabir, who has transformed from a loyal agent into a rogue operative, becoming India's most wanted villain. This transformation creates the central conflict of the film, as the intelligence agencies must now hunt down one of their own most capable agents. In response to this threat, India deploys Vikram, described as their deadliest operative, to hunt down Kabir.

The storyline explores themes of loyalty, betrayal, and the complex moral landscape of espionage work. The narrative promises a clash between "two lethal forces" that spans across the globe, suggesting extensive international action sequences and a scope that matches the film's substantial budget.

Character Dynamics and Relationships

The relationship between Kabir and Vikram forms the emotional core of the film. As former batchmates, they share a history that adds layers of complexity to their adversarial relationship. The film explores how professional duty conflicts with personal relationships when Vikram must hunt down someone he once considered a comrade.

According to reviews, the film becomes "more about friendships than about saving the country" in its second half, suggesting that the personal relationships between characters take precedence over the larger espionage plot as the story progresses.

Action Sequences and Visual Spectacle

High-Octane Action

The film promises "high-octane action, epic drama, and intense face-off" typical of the YRF Spy Universe. Given the substantial budget and international shooting locations, the film features elaborate action sequences designed to rival international spy thrillers.

Visual Effects

War 2 is described as a "VFX heavy spy thriller", indicating significant use of visual effects to create spectacular action sequences. The substantial budget allowed for extensive post-production work to create visually stunning set pieces that are characteristic of modern big-budget action films.

Global Scale

The international shooting locations in Spain, Italy, and Abu Dhabi suggest action sequences that span multiple countries, typical of the spy thriller genre. This global canvas allows for diverse environments and cultural settings that add visual variety to the film's action sequences.

YRF Spy Universe Connection

Franchise Context

War 2 is the sixth installment of the YRF Spy Universe, connecting it to a larger shared universe that includes films like "Ek Tha Tiger," "Tiger Zinda Hai," "War," and "Tiger 3." This interconnected universe allows for cross-references and potential character appearances from other films in the series.

Sequel Dynamics

As a direct sequel to "War" (2019), the film builds upon the foundation established by its predecessor while introducing new characters and conflicts. The absence of Tiger Shroff from the first film shifts the dynamic, focusing instead on the Kabir character and his new adversary Vikram.

Future Installments

The YRF Spy Universe continues to expand, with the seventh installment, titled "Alpha," already announced in July 2024 as the first female-led film in the universe, indicating the ongoing development of this cinematic universe.

Reception and Critical Response

Box Office Performance

The film's box office performance showed initial promise, with reports of selling "270 tickets/minute" and achieving a "45% jump on day two," setting it up to cross "70 crore net India and 150 crore worldwide gross despite mixed reviews".

Critical Reception

The film received mixed reviews from critics. On IMDb, the film holds a rating of 6.4 out of 10, suggesting moderate audience reception. Reviews described it as "an espionage that doesn't thrill", indicating that while the film delivered on spectacle, it may have fallen short in creating genuine suspense and engagement.

Variety's review described it as a film that "takes a nosedive" and noted that "the sixth entry in an ongoing series" was "built in reverse", suggesting structural issues with the narrative construction.

Some reviews criticized the screenplay as "clichéd and unexciting" and the direction as "subpar," while the editing was described as "dragging." However, positive aspects highlighted included "cinematography, action sequences, production design, and costumes".

Performance Aspects

Individual performances received recognition, with Sidharth Malhotra praising Hrithik Roshan as "class apart" and highlighting Jr. NTR's "standout performance". Kiara Advani's debut in the YRF Spy Universe was described as "powerful", suggesting strong individual contributions despite overall mixed reception.

Themes and Narrative Elements

Betrayal and Loyalty

The central theme of the film revolves around questions of loyalty and betrayal within the intelligence community. Kabir's transformation from loyal agent to rogue operative explores the psychological and moral complexities of espionage work, where the lines between right and wrong are often blurred.

Friendship and Duty

The film's focus shifts to explore "friendships" over "saving the country", suggesting that personal relationships and loyalty between individuals take precedence over institutional duty. This creates internal conflict for characters who must choose between personal bonds and professional obligations.

National Security vs. Personal Relationships

The narrative structure pits personal history against national duty, as Vikram must hunt down his former batchmate Kabir. This conflict drives much of the film's emotional content and provides the foundation for character development throughout the story.

Technical Achievements

Cinematography and Production Design

The film's technical aspects, particularly "cinematography, action sequences, production design, and costumes," received praise, indicating high production values that justify the substantial budget investment.

International Production Standards

The film's extensive international shooting schedule and substantial budget positioned it as a production that aimed to meet global standards for action thrillers. The use of locations across multiple countries provided diverse visual landscapes and allowed for varied action sequences.

Musical Score

With Pritam handling the soundtrack and the Balhara brothers composing the background score, the film invested significantly in its audio landscape to support the high-energy action sequences and emotional moments.

Cultural Impact and Significance

Cross-Regional Appeal

Jr. NTR's Hindi film debut represents a significant moment in Indian cinema, potentially bridging regional film industries and expanding the reach of the YRF Spy Universe to Telugu-speaking audiences and beyond.

Independence Day Release

The film's release on August 14, 2025, Independence Day, was strategically chosen to capitalize on the patriotic themes inherent in spy thrillers and the holiday box office potential.

Franchise Evolution

As the sixth film in the YRF Spy Universe, War 2 represents the ongoing evolution of Indian action cinema and its attempt to create sustainable, interconnected franchises similar to successful international models.

Conclusion

War 2 (2025) stands as an ambitious entry in the YRF Spy Universe, bringing together major stars from different regional film industries and investing heavily in production values and international appeal. With its ₹400 crore budget making it the most expensive Yash Raj Films production, the film represents a significant investment in the spy thriller genre and the continuation of the shared universe concept.

While the film achieved commercial success at the box office and delivered spectacular action sequences, critical reception remained mixed, with praise for technical aspects and performances but criticism for narrative structure and pacing issues. The film's focus on personal relationships over traditional espionage plotting created a unique approach within the spy thriller genre, though this may have contributed to some of the mixed critical reception.

The film features significant plot twists and revelations that serve as "the real highlight of the movie", suggesting that despite its flaws, War 2 provides entertainment value and surprise elements that justify its place within the larger YRF Spy Universe narrative.

The movie succeeds in expanding the scope and scale of the franchise while introducing new characters and dynamics that will likely influence future installments in the series. Its combination of star power, high production values, and connection to a larger cinematic universe positions it as a significant release in contemporary Indian cinema, even if it doesn't fully achieve its ambitious goals in terms of critical acclaim.