It is dark. It is painful. It is pacy. It makes you uncomfortable. But don't watch it if you are looking forward to some light or fun moments. It is not for the tired weekend audience, who are looking forward to some 'funtertainment' at 9. Instead it is for the suckers for suspense, thriller and crime. Let us warn you in advance, 24 Season 2 will not give you even a single second to relax in its 1 hour of runtime.
Go ahead if you don't mind spoilers.
For all those who were looking forward to hear Nana Patekar's unmistakable voice, the season begins with a brief recap in the veteran's voice that joins the link between the two seasons. Of course, it is not a happy feeling for the audience who get to know about the demise of Jai Singh Rathore's wife and the subsequent breaking of his family, following which Jai turns to alcohol and gets admitted to a rehab. The story of the fresh season starts after three years from where the first season wraps up.
The show takes you to Rann of Kutch where the testing of a deadly virus is underway. If exposed to this virus, it has the ability to give a painful death to a person within 24 hours of the infection.
The rest of the episode is more or less what you have already seen in the trailer.
Anil Kapoor as Jai Singh Rathore is brilliant, to say the least. His entry scene perfectly depicts his stressful and dark state of mind, when he wakes up to his alarm bell and takes out his revolver, with the news of Roshan Sherchan's hanging playing on TV.
It is with Sakshi Tanwar's (Malik, the new ATU chief) entry, that you relax on your seats a bit. But she doesn't have time to relax. And most of her team members (Sudhandhu Pandey and others) are her fans, barring a few. In her entry scene, she is concerned about PM's safety, but what she probably doesn't know is that she would soon face the most difficult case of her career.
Meanwhile, Rathore has sprung into action again. He doesn't look the same depressed person anymore. After a nail biting action sequence, where he surprises us with his presence of mind, composure and grit, he soon does something unexpected.
It is good to see Ashish Vidyarthi again on screen. He doesn't need to speak a word to act. He is among those veterans whose sheer aura is enough to lend a different flavour to the scene. In 24, he plays Roshan Sherchan (Ashish Vidyarthi), a dreaded terrorist responsible for gruesome terrorist attacks in Mumbai. It was Jai who got him and his accomplices arrested. In another 24 hours, he will be hanged. Everyone--even the inmates of his jail--wants him to die asap. Except one person. Jai Singh Rathore himself.
Towards the end of the episode, Jai promises to help Roshan escape. Yes, you read that right. But why does he do that? 24 Season 2 is all about this and more.
The best thing about Anil's performance is he doesn't let you decode his expressions. We never know what he is up to by reading his face.
Another baddie who needs a special mention is Haroon Sherchan, Roshan's brother. He's a complex character, brilliantly played by Sikander Kher, and can surprise you in many ways. Surveen Chawla hasn't got much screenspace in Episode 1. We are yet to see the layers of her character.
Overall, it was a riveting episode that will leave you asking for more.
Mannat Har Khushi Paane Ki
Arjun
Cricket
