KGF: Chapter 2 review – This Yash-starrer is better than its predecessor

The highly awaited second instalment in the KGF franchise, which has broken advancing booking records, is better than its predecessor.

In the latter part of KGF: Chapter 1, Rocky (Yash) lands up at the Kolar Gold Fields (KGF), a mining region in Karnataka, to finish off the tyrannical Garuda (Ramachandra Raju), one of the five strongmen who illegally rules the land. The hero takes over and seeks to accumulate as much of the precious metal as possible to fulfil the promise he had made to his dying mother to lead the life of a rich man.

Moved by the condition of thousands of labourers in KGF, who are slaves in all but name, Rocky shows them sympathy after deposing Garuda and makes their lives better, becoming their deity in the process.

KGF: Chapter 2 sees the entry of the ruthless Adheera (Sanjay Dutt), Garuda's unhinged uncle, who is out for revenge and the KGF throne. Yash must also deal with India’s new and powerful prime minister Ramika Sen (Raveena Tandon), who is hell-bent on stamping out illegal gold mining and eliminating Rocky.

The first film depicted the orphaned Rocky’s rags-to-riches journey and how he rose through the ranks of the underworld. It was good in terms of the story and packed with quite a few iconic moments. But it was weighed down by pacing issues. The screenplay also reeked of sexism where Rocky's harassment of Srinidhi Shetty's character was passed off as romance.

These issues are taken care of in KGF: Chapter 2. This one is purely a cat-and-mouse game between Rocky and his enemies, chiefly Adheera and Ramika. The film not only has a fast-moving screenplay, but it’s also regularly filled with moments where the masses would be compelled to react with whistles and claps, especially in single-screen theatres. The powerful and creative dialogues help in this.

The second movie also tones down the sexism, which is still present, but in much milder doses.

The second outing also is more polished technically. Even the barren fields of KGF appear picturesque through the lens of cinematographer Bhuvan Gowda. Ujwal Kulkarni’s editing is sharp and sleek.

It’s a no-brainer that if a film in this genre works, one of the major reasons has to be the lead. Yash is in better form in this film than in the previous one. He appears more appealing while being heroic and keeps his character's trademark arrogance in check. His best moment is the scene where he demolishes a police station and mouths a line about violence, which is also part of the trailer.

Unlike other films of its ilk, KGF: Chapter 2 picks up in the second half. It is here that Tandon’s character comes into prominence. The actress breathes life into the character of the no-nonsense prime minister.

Sanjay Dutt, on the other hand, doesn’t get as much scope to shine as his character is largely one-dimensional. But the veteran does make his presence felt and succeeds at being menacing. Srinidhi Shetty is decent and her role is more meaningful this time.

KGF: Chapter 2, however, isn’t flawless. There are quite a few instances where the narrative isn't as smooth as it could have been. On a few occasions, the writers ask viewers to suspend too much of their disbelief. Bullets magically evade the protagonist during shootouts and for reasons best known to them, the bad guys ditch all firearms and decide to turn swordsmen when directly confronted by Rocky. The film is also plagued from beginning to end by a deafening background score. There is no reason to use loud musical cues in each and every scene when the story itself is impactful.

Despite these irritants, KGF: Chapter 2 has a lot going for it. The shortcomings don’t hamper the experience, more so for the film's target audience. And there is more excitement in store for fans after the film ends so make sure you don’t leave the hall as soon as the credits start rolling.

KGF: Chapter 2 is now playing in theatres across India in Kannada, Hindi, Tamil, Telugu and Malayalam.