Heropanti 2 Movie Review: Tiger Shroff, Nawazuddin Siddiqui cause mayhem in cyberworld for no rhyme or reason

Heropanti 2 has a very basic hero vs villain storyline set in the world of digital crime. Such films work upon minor plot twists but continuously raise the stakes. However, director Ahmed Khan invests in a non-linear narrative and ends up taking too much on his plate. Most of the story runs back and forth in time but there appears no justification for choosing the kind of treatment for a rather basic premise. In effect, the story gets convoluted. Following the different timelines becomes a task for the audience. Entertainment takes a back seat and too much time is lost in putting the different pieces together. If that was not the case, Heropanti 2 would have been a decent watch. But, it's far from that. 

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Babloo (Tiger Shroff) is living a dual life. He is a hacker who is selfish, money-minded and has fled India. His ways have forced him to cross paths with the world's most notorious crime syndicate, led by Laila (Nawazuddin Siddiqui). On the other hand, the CBI wants Babloo to use his technical prowess against Laila and his gang. Babloo gets pragmatic and sides with Laila. A master plan is set in motion wherein Indian taxpayers will be looted of their hard-earned money. The only thing standing in Laila's evil way is Babloo. But will his conscience take a turn for the good? 

Tiger's performance is devoid of any nuance. His character's back story is narrated in a voiceover and a few montage shots of him playing with a Rubik's cube surrounded by computers are meant to make us believe he is a master hacker. No subtlety here and this comes across as a little unconvincing. The action sequences are scattered throughout the film. The choreography of stunts is not at all novel. There are slo-mo shots in which Tiger's physique is focused upon. But movie-making has moved on to a much better and stylised version of such sequences. The director has failed to extract the best of Tiger's abilities as the action appears to be of poor quality.

Tara Sutaria plays Inaaya. She claims to be a genius game designer but then suddenly, her romance track with Babloo takes over. The love angle is underdeveloped but does give a few light moments to this otherwise weary plot. Tara is loud in parts but comes across as the only likeable character in the movie. Her chemistry with Tiger in the songs looks nice. Her costumes enhance her screen presence and in scenes with Tiger, our eyes gravitate towards her. 

Nawazuddin is a misfit in the movie. He is presented as a queer character but at times, the actor appears to miss a beat or two in his portrayal. The design of the character created many possibilities but Nawazuddin is restricted in his delivery and otherwise over-the-top. His dialogues make him sound caricaturish. He uses proverbs to evocate but the writing is a huge letdown for could have been an interesting villain, who uses his brain and not brawn. For a character who is the opening act of the movie, his presence is sporadic and leaves you wanting for more.

Heropanti 2's music is the biggest highlight of the film. AR Rahman's compositions are well placed within the story. The choreography and set design of the tracks Miss Hairan, Jalwanuma, and DaFa Kar are really pleasing. They come as pleasant intervals in this bland and ineffective mix of action and drama.

With an incoherent packaging of action, romance, comedy and drama, Heropanti 2 fails to deliver any heroics.