Em aa
Hashmi
etu s
to
o e
of
his
most
ecog isable
cha acte s
with
‘Awa apa
2’,
which
hits
theat es
today,
almost
two
decades
afte
the
fi st
film.
Di ected
by
Niti
Kakka ,
the
sequel
b i gs
back
Hashmi
as
Shivam,
with
Disha
Pata i
a d
Shaba a
Azmi
joi i g
him
i
key
oles.
The
biggest
adva tage
fo
the
film
is
u doubtedly
the
emotio al
co ect
that
the
2007
o igi al
has
developed
ove
the
yea s.
While
‘Awa apa ‘
did
ot
eme ge
as
a
majo
theat ical
success
upo
elease,
its
music,
i te se
oma tic
d ama
a d
Hashmi’s
po t ayal
of
a
t oubled
ga gste
g adually
ea ed
it
a
loyal
cult
followi g.
The
sequel
appea s
to
be
co sciously
tappi g
i to
that
se time t,
b i gi g
back
the
cha acte
a d
the
wo ld
that
fa s
have
emai ed
attached
to.
The
music
is
a othe
majo
ostalgia
facto ,
with
the
sou dt ack
ca yi g
the
musical
ide tity
associated
with
the
f a chise
a d
a
ep ise
of
the
much-loved
‘Toh
Phi
Aao’
addi g
to
the
ecall
value.
Fo
Hashmi,
who
has
expe ie ced
seve al
ups
a d
dow s
at
the
box
office
i
ece t
yea s,
the
film
could
p ovide
a
much- eeded
comme cial
b eakth ough.
A
st o g
ope i g
combi ed
with
positive
wo d
of
mouth
could
make
‘Awa apa
2’
o e
of
his
most
sig ifica t
successes
i
a
lo g
time.
Ru i g
alo gside
it
is
Su y
Deol’s
‘Batwa a
1947’,
a
pe iod
d ama
di ected
by
Rajkuma
Sa toshi
a d
p oduced
by
Aami
Kha .
The
film
featu es
a
e semble
cast
comp isi g
Deol,
P eity
Zi ta,
Shaba a
Azmi,
Ka a
Deol,
Ali
Fazal
a d
Abhima yu
Si gh.
Set
a ou d
the
Pa titio
of
I dia,
the
sto y
exami es
the
huma
cost
of
o e
of
the
most
t aumatic
chapte s
i
the
subco ti e t’s
histo y.
Deol
plays
Sika de
Mi za,
while
Zi ta
po t ays
Hamida
Mi za
a d
Azmi
takes
o
the
ole
of
Mai.
The
a ative
evolves
a ou d
a
Muslim
family
that
moves
i to
a
house
i
Laho e
afte
Pa titio ,
o ly
to
e cou te
the
Hi du
woma
who
emai s
co ected
to
the
p ope ty,
b i gi g
questio s
of
displaceme t,
ide tity,
loss
a d
huma ity
to
the
fo ef o t.
The
film
also
eu ites
Sa toshi
a d
Deol
while
b i gi g
Deol
a d
Zi ta
back
togethe
o
sc ee ,
addi g
a othe
laye
of
ostalgia.
I te esti gly,
Shaba a
Azmi
is
the
commo
li k
betwee
the
two
Hi di
eleases,
appea i g
i
pivotal
oles
i
both
films.
The
two
Bollywood
eleases,
howeve ,
have
a othe
majo
challe ge
to
co te d
with:
Ma vel’s
‘Spide -Ma :
B a d
New
Day’,
which
has
al eady
bee
playi g
i
I dia
ci emas
si ce
July
30.
Sta i g
Tom
Holla d,
Ze daya,
Jacob
Batalo ,
Jo
Be thal
a d
Ma k
Ruffalo,
the
supe he o
film
has
established
a
st o g
theat ical
p ese ce
befo e
the
a ival
of
the
two
ew
Hi di
films.
With
the
Hollywood
blockbuste
al eady
comma di g
sc ee s
a d
audie ce
atte tio ,
‘Awa apa
2’
a d
‘Batwa a
1947’
will
have
to
ca ve
out
thei
ow
space
th ough
thei
espective
st e gths
–
ostalgia
a d
music
o
o e
side
a d
sta
powe ,
emotio
a d
histo ical
d ama
o
the
othe .
The
I depe de ce
Day
weeke d
the efo e
sets
up
a
i t igui g
th ee-way
box-office
battle.