Name: War 2 (2025)
Genre: Action, Spy, Thriller
Released: 2025-08-14
Rating: 6.5
Cast: Hrithik Roshan, Jr. NTR, Kiara Advani, Ashutosh Rana, Anil Kapoor

Years ago, Agent Kabir went rogue and became India’s most feared villain. Now, as he sinks deeper into the shadows, India sends its deadliest agent after him: Special Units Officer Vikram. More than Kabir’s equal, Vikram is a relentless hunter, driven by his own demons, and determined to take Kabir down. Their clash turns into a ruthless war, with the world itself as their battlefield.

War 2 (2025)

Times of India

Rediff

A chiselled mercenary taking on an army of Japanese bodyguards, taming a ferocious wolf with just a gaze, engaging in swordfights, and more should tell you what to expect from the latest chapter in the YRF spy universe. This is a film where logic takes a backseat to the sheer scale and spectacle of its action, and you just revel in it. From the outset, director Ayan Mukerji sets the stage for death-defying stunts and a classic, edge-of-the-seat action ride. The stakes rise when a global criminal syndicate, Kali, recruits Kabir to bring India to its knees in a bid to seize control over governments worldwide. The R&AW team, comprising Special Units Officer Vikram, Wing Commander Kavya Luthra (Kiara Advani), and Chief Vikrant Kaul (Anil Kapoor), is tasked with stopping Kabir after he assassinates his mentor, Colonel Luthra (Ashutosh Rana).
With two formidable forces facing off, expect star power, relentless action set pieces, exotic locales, and a visual spectacle throughout the film. Stunts unfold atop bullet trains, airplanes, on a boat, and amid the snowy Swiss mountains. Benjamin Jasper’s cinematography and Spiro Razatos, Se-yeong Oh, and Sunil Rodrigues’s stunt choreography impress in every frame. The script (Aditya Chopra) and screenplay (Shridhar Raghavan) start strong, setting up Kabir outsmarting — and eventually partnering with — his nemesis Vikram, alongside the R&AW Chief Kaul’s suspicious behaviour. However, an abrupt flashback, limited spy-drama payoff, and a somewhat uneven narrative take away some of the edge. The movie packs in several twists, some more effective than others, while the pacing in the second half slows the momentum. The VFX quality wavers, with some scenes lacking polish.
Hrithik Roshan brings gravitas to the screen as the roguish yet poised Kabir, embodying the character with ease. He impresses equally as a high-octane action hero and in the film’s emotional moments. Junior NTR matches his energy and intensity, holding his own both as a performer and in executing the action sequences. Kiara Advani makes her presence felt despite limited screen time, though the use of stunt doubles in an early fight scene is noticeable. Ashutosh Rana and Anil Kapoor are impactful in their roles.
War 2 offers enough high-octane moments, striking visuals, and polished production to make for a passable big-screen experience. Worth a watch if you’re in it purely for the action and spectacle.

There’s no better theatrical experience when a well-made masala film delivers on its promises.

War 2, with all the trappings of a sleek actioner and collective power of two massive stars in form of Hrithik Roshan and Jr NTR offers you exactly what you’d expect from a mass entertainer: some escapist fun, truly knockout action scenes, and overall, a good time at the movies.

As the latest entrant in the YRF Spy Universe, this is a direct sequel to War that had paired Hrithik Roshan and Tiger Shroff for the first time.

The sequel has RRR actor Jr NTR making his Bollywood debut and going head-to-head with Hrithik, spelling out the film’s title.

 
But this is not a straight-out hero-vs-villain story.

And thankfully, there are no easy plot contrivances for shock value (remember the ludicrous plastic surgery twist in the earlier part?).
The writing by Shridhar Raghavan is clean and as a new director to the Spy franchise, Ayan Mukerji understands the assignment well and crafts a Hollywood-style actioner with just enough masala for a true-blue desi entertainer.

The film builds up on the lore of Kabir, played by Hrithik Roshan.

He is a former Indian intelligence agent, disillusioned by the system as seen in the first film.

Kabir is now a 'freelancer' who works as a contract killer for powerful individuals.

'The man who doesn’t miss,' a character describes Kabir as a hitman.

The plot kicks off in Japan where Kabir is on assignment to finish off a Japanese kingpin.

The very first scene has him looking bruised and bloodied, but his fiery eyes lit up the screens and tame even a riled-up wolf.

A Samurai-style fight scene ensues and Hrithik gets to show his katana-fighting skills in a sensational hero introduction shot.

Some powerful nations join forces and form a secret cartel named Kali that aims for global dominance. Their next big plan? To cause India’s downfall.

Kabir is hired to execute the next move, which puts him face-to-face with Colonel Luthra (Ashutosh Rana).

The Indian government deploys R&AW agent Vikram Chalapathi (Jr NTR) to stop Kabir.

After Tiger 3, there’s a change in the YRF Spy Universe.

The stories are darker and the characters, more complex.

When we first see Kabir here, we know he is carrying the weight of his past.
We see flashbacks that deepen his equation with many of the characters around him.

On the surface, it's one solider against another. But deep down, it's the fallout between individuals due to conflict in idealism versus realism, much like what we saw in Pathaan.

This shows that mainstream entertainer can not only be frivolous fun, but also thought-provoking. This aspect is highlighted in Raghavan’s script that finds a well-balanced flavour of patriotism, justifying the film’s Independence Day release.

Ayan Mukerji, taking over the directorial duties after the much hyped Brahmastra (2022), shows full commitment to this subject and it’s good that he doesn’t follow the Siddharth Anand playbook and brings his fresh perspective.

There are some smartly executed stunts, thrills, and explosions on a train, a ship, and an aeroplane, giving us a briskly-paced globe-trotting adventure as the story moves from one stunning location after another of Salamanca, Berlin, Amsterdam, Abu Dhabi, Davos and New Delhi.

Even the small flourishes in emotional scenes work just as good amid the action galore.

Sanchit Balhara and Ankit Balhara's BGM pumps adrenaline to the proceedings and wins major brownie points, but the same cannot be said for Pritam’s songs that remain strictly functional.

The face-off between Hrithik and Jr NTR is the main highlight of War 2.

Hrithik's smouldering looks and cockiness is put to dazzling effect, while Jr NTR lends brooding intensity to his Vikram. His shirtless appearance in the entry sequence is an instant callback to RRR.

The film also finds a (pretty reasonable) way to show the brewing bromance that leads to their super-charged dance-off on Janaabe Aali in a well-orchestrated fan-service move.

How could it not be?

The tantalising prospect of Mass God and Greek God competing against in an epic dance-off gives us a total seeti-maar moment!

And when the big battle between two feuding rivals finally happens, it's a total doozy!

Kiara Advani is introduced as substantial to the plot but her Kavya is at short-changed due to flimsy characterisation. She is reduced to a one-note love interest to Hrithik’s Kabir.

She looks stunning, and that remains the only takeaway from her character.

At almost three hours of length, War 2 also feels a bit too long and some flashbacks (the romantic portion with Kiara-Hrithik) wander off-topic at times. But the film quickly moves to its next eye-popping set piece and keeps the momentum going.

By the time we reach the conclusion, it invites some new people to the party that promises even bigger and better things for YRF Spy Universe.

WAR 2 Official Trailer | Tamil | Hrithik Roshan, NTR, Kiara Advani | Ayan Mukerji | YRF Spy Universe

WAR 2 Official Trailer | Telugu | Hrithik Roshan, NTR, Kiara Advani, Ayan Mukerji | YRF Spy Universe

WAR 2 Official Teaser | Tamil | Hrithik Roshan, NTR, Kiara Advani | Ayan Mukerji | YRF Spy Universe

WAR 2 Official Teaser | Telugu | Hrithik Roshan, NTR, Kiara Advani | Ayan Mukerji | YRF Spy Universe

Hrithik Roshan is one of the most popular Bollywood actors known for his dancing skills and versatility. He made his debut as a child actor but rose to superstardom with 2000’s blockbuster romance Kaho Naa….Pyaar Hai. He went on to appear in superhit films like Kabhie Khushi Kabhie Gham, Koi...Mil Gaya and Jodhaa Akbar. He was critically acclaimed for his performances in films like Guzaarish, Agneepath and Fiza and received several prestigious awards including the IIFA, Filmfare and Stardust among others.

Hrithik Roshan

Jr. NTR is a Kuchipudi dancer, playback singer and a celebrated actor particularly in Telugu cinema. He made his debut with the 1996 movie Bala Ramayanam. His performance in films like Aadi, Simadhri, Raakhi and Janatha Garage has earned him critical acclaim and several prestigious awards like the Filmfare South and SIIMA among others. He is the son of Tollywood actor and politician Nandamuri Harikrishna and the grandson of actor and former Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh N.T. Rama Rao.

Jr. NTR

Kiara Advani is a well-known face in Hindi & Telugu film industry. She made her acting debut in 2014 with the movie Fugly. Kiara is a trained actor from Anupam Kher's training institute- Actor Prepares. Kiara has been part of blockbuster movies like M.S Dhoni: The Untold Story. She made her Tollywood debut in 2018 with Bharat Ane Nenu opposite superstar Mahesh Babu.

Kiara Advani

Ashutosh Rana is a popular name in Hindi, Marathi, Telugu, Kannada and Tamil cinema. He started his acting career with the television show Swabhimaan (1998). He gained popularity with Tanuja Chandra's movie Ghulam in 1998. Best known for portraying negative characters, Ashutosh has featured in movies like Kasoor (2001), Raaz (2002), Haasil (2003), Kalyug (2005), Awarapan (2007), Zila Ghaziabad (2013), Shorgul (2016) and Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania (2014).

Ashutosh Rana

Anil Kapoor is one of the most celebrated actors of the Indian cinema. The recipient of two National Awards and six Filmfare Awards, Anil’s acting career spans almost four decades. His debut movie was Vamsa Vruksham (1980). Since then he has delivered numerous blockbusters like Meri Jung, Janbaaz, Mr.India, Virasat, Pukar, Awaargi, No Entry, Taal and Dil Dhadakne Do. Anil has also featured in the Oscar-winning movie Slumdog Millionaire (2008). A global icon, Kapoor has also played a crucial role in the American TV series “24” & adapted the same for the Indian audiences too.

War 2 (2025)(2025)