Ek Villain Returns Review: A tautly edited psychological action thriller that draws compelling performances from its cast

Ek Villain Returns Movie Review Rating: 3.5/5

Ek Villain, starring Sidharth Malhotra, Riteish Deshmukh, and Shraddha Kapoor, turned out to be a surprise hit upon its release in 2014. What worked in favour of the film were terrific performances from the entire cast, a tight screenplay, and memorable music. Eight years after the release of Ek Villain, producer Ekta Kapoor, along with Bhushan Kumar, has brought its sequel titled Ek Villain Returns. The project has been in the news even before its official announcement. It stars John Abraham, Arjun Kapoor, Tara Sutaria, and Disha Patani in pivotal roles. After facing a few delays, the film entered cinemas today, and here is what our BollywoodMDB reviewer has to say about the same. Keep on reading…

STORY: A spoiled son of an industrialist, Gautam Mehra (Arjun Kapoor) helps Aarvi Malhotra (Tara Sutaria), an aspiring singer, become a singing sensation. Soon, Aarvi falls in love with Gautam, however, he backstabs her as he was seeking revenge from her for using a video clip of him beating guests at his girlfriend’s wedding, for going viral and getting fame. A couple of months later, Aarvi is kidnapped by a killer. The cops suspect that the kidnapper is none but Gautam. However, ACP V K Ganesan (J D Chakravarthy) is not convinced and he rounds up a number of suspects, including Bhairav Purohit (John Abraham), a cab driver madly in love with Rasika (Disha Patani), a salesgirl at a retail store. What happens next forms the rest of the story.

HIGHS: Filmmaker Mohit Suri is known for delivering some of the best action thrillers over the years. His films are powered by engaging plot twists, terrific performances, and great music. His latest directorial also has all of that in abundance. The nail-biting plot of Ek Villain Returns is the major highlight of the film. Just like Ek Villain, the sequel is also an out-and-out masala entertainer with punchy dialogues, intriguing twists and turns, and, of course, compelling performances from the entire cast.

Talking about performances, the one actor who stands out from the rest of the cast is Arjun Kapoor. His intense gaze hits you directly in your heart. He has nailed action scenes and how. It is undoubtedly one of his best performances. Director Mohit Suri deserves praise for presenting him in a new avatar. Tara Sutaria has also performed well. She looks perfect in her part. She has starred in only a couple of films ever since debuting with Student of the Year in 2019, but this has to be her best performance so far.

As far as John Abraham is considered, he is also fantastic. His towering personality adds to the character that he essays. He is terrific in some of the scenes. Disha Patani is okay. She shines in some scenes and looks dull in others. Her performance for a character filled with nothing but pure evil does not stand out as much as it should have.

Vikas Sivaraman's cinematography is excellent for a psychological action-thriller. The music of the film is another highlight of the film. If we talk about the best song on the soundtrack, it has to be ‘Galliyan Returns’ followed by 'Dil'. ‘Shaamat' and ‘Naa Tere Bin’ are also hummable.

LOWS: Some viewers may find the film to be relying too much on toxicity. Also, the final faceoff between good and evil - Arjun Kapoor and John Abraham – had to be kickass. Unfortunately, it lacks the desired intensity and leaves you hoping for more.

FINAL VERDICT: Ek Villain Returns gets most of the things right. Those who loved the original film are going to love the sequel as well. With a well-chosen cast that delivers well, the film has a plot intriguing enough for a psychological action-thriller. There are some good, gloriously stylized songs as well, which will keep you hooked to the screen. The makers have also made it clear that another sequel is in the offing. I am going with 3.5 stars.

Watch Ek Villain Returns trailer:

MOVIE CREDITS

Banner: Balaji Motion Pictures, T-Series Films

Director: Mohit Suri

Cast: Arjun Kapoor, Disha Patani, John Abraham, Tara Sutaria

Runtime: 129 Minutes