'Ghayal Once Again' review: Action-packed but not as emotionally engaging as the original

Rating: ***1/2

Cast: Sunny Deol, Narendra Jha, Soha Ali Khan, Om Puri

Direction: Sunny Deol

Genre: Drama

Duration: 2 hours 7 minutes

Story: A sequel to one of our most iconic revenge dramas Ghayal (1990), the film marks an action-packed comeback of Sunny paaji and his Dhai kilo ka haath. After teaching Balwant Rai and his kuttey a lesson, 26 years later, vigilante Ajay Mehra (Sunny Deol) returns to fight the corrupt system and bring a shrewd businessman Bansal (Narendra Jha) and his accomplices to justice.

Review: Ajay runs an investigative newspaper that seeks truth not business. Which is why four college kids strive to handover a murder footage to him, accidentally recorded by them. However, it's not as easy as it sounds since influential people are involved.

Deol fairly manages to retain the essence of Santoshi's blockbuster, while giving it a contemporary twist. While the good-old dialoguebaazi and hand-to-hand combat scenes are in place, digitalisation in today's world (computer hacking, phone tapping etc) has been highlighted too.



Though not as emotionally engaging as the original, the sequel delivers what it promises on the action front. Skilfully shot, elaborate nail-biting chase sequences across the city leave you glued to your seats, gasping for breath. Heavy-duty fist fights are equally gripping. Soha Ali Khan acts well and so do the teenagers.

However, a few things do bother. The trademark Ghayal background score is slightly altered, making it sound like Mission Impossible. Dialogues like "Paid mercenaries can never match up to the missionaries of truth," etc sound too preachy. Flashback scenes look juvenile and the father daughter scenes, soppy. .
Despite the flaws, Sunny's idealistic film exudes the sincerity and unbreakable spirit of a common man. If you mess with us, "We will find you and we will punch you." Watch it.