Sadak 2

Sadak 2
Official release poster
Directed byMahesh Bhatt
Written byMahesh Bhatt
Suhrita Sengupta
Produced byMukesh Bhatt
StarringSanjay Dutt
Alia Bhatt
Aditya Roy Kapur
Jisshu Sengupta
CinematographyJay I. Patel
Edited bySandeep Kurup
Music bySongs:
Jeet Gannguli
Ankit Tiwari
Samidh Mukerjee
Urvi
Suniljeet
Background Score:
Sandeep Chowta
Production
companies
Distributed byDisney+ Hotstar
Release date
  • 28 August 2020 (2020-08-28)[1]
Running time
133 minutes
CountryIndia
LanguageHindi

Sadak 2 (Hindi pronunciation: [sə.ɽək 2]; transl. Road 2) is a 2020 Indian Hindi-language action thriller road film directed by Mahesh Bhatt and produced by Fox Star Studios and Mukesh Bhatt under their banner Vishesh Films. A sequel to the 1991 film Sadak, it stars Sanjay Dutt (reprising his role from the original), Alia Bhatt and Aditya Roy Kapur in the lead roles with an ensemble supporting cast, while Pooja Bhatt makes a special appearance.[2][3] The film marks Mahesh Bhatt's return as a director after 20 years.[4] The film's story takes place twenty-nine years after the events of its predecessor.

The film's trailer was released on 12 August 2020 on YouTube, and within a week, it became the second most-disliked video and the most-disliked film teaser/trailer on the platform due to internet users protesting nepotism in Bollywood after the death of Sushant Singh Rajput.[5][6][7]

Sadak 2 was released on 28 August 2020 on the streaming platform Disney+ Hotstar in India and in U.S. theaters by Gravitas Ventures.[1] The film was panned by critics, with criticism for its performance, script, dialogues and use of clichés.[8] It marked the final directorial work of Mahesh Bhatt.

Plot

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Aarya Desai vandalises a placard of Guru Gyaan Prakash. She is stopped by her step-mother Nandini and father Yogesh and Gyaan Prakash's ashram people. Ravi Kishore Verma, now an elderly man has recently lost his love and wife, Pooja. He attempts suicide and gets hospitalised. Ravi refuses when the doctor asks him to admit himself in a mental rehab. Aarya runs away, and enters Ravi's home, stating she'd booked Kailash 3 months before.

Aarya convinces Ravi to visit Kailash for Pooja's sake and gives a letter with her handwriting. Ravi agrees. Nandini and Yogesh go to Gyaan Prakash with Commissioner Rajesh Puri. Gyaan Prakash says Aarya will die by her own blood. Aarya tells Ravi about her mission to stop Guru Gyaan Prakash and all other fake gurus. In past Nandini killed Aarya's mother Shakuntala, married Yogesh and begun using their wealth to run Gyaan Prakash's ashram.

Aarya recounts meeting Vishal and initially fighting with him but reconciling and falling in love over a seminar exposing fake gurus. After her home is vandalised, they go into hiding. They're asked to visit someone who has proof against the gurus. However, it turns out as an ambush, and Vishal kills the hitman in self-defense. Ravi picks him up from jail. Yogesh and Nandini find Vishal and Aarya's reunion in security footage. Aarya and Vishal are cornered by gangster Dilip Hathkaaka.

Ravi arrives and saves them. Vishal confesses his real name is Munna Chavan, saying he came to Mumbai to win a reality show but ended up becoming a drug addict. Guru Gyaan Prakash's men helped and sent him to pretend to be in love with and kill Aarya. However, upon attending her seminars, he started questioning his own belief. Ravi takes them to John's house. It is revealed that Yogesh had planned Shakuntala's death, and now he kills Nandini.

In the end, Ravi kills Yogesh and Gyaan Prakash, dies and imagines Pooja calling out to him. Aarya performs his last rites, and has also won her battle against fake gurus.

Cast

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Special appearance

Production

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Development

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In April 2017, media reports surfaced about the sequel of the 1991 film Sadak, after its lead cast Sanjay Dutt and Pooja Bhatt visited Mukesh Bhatt through the office of Vishesh Films.[9] The source further claimed that it will feature a different plot, despite being the continuation of the original and the script will be a remake of the Tamil film Mahanadhi (1994), which will be directed by Srijit Mukherji.[9] However, no developments about the film took place, despite its initial announcement.[9]

On 20 September 2018, coinciding with Mahesh Bhatt's 70th birthday, Alia Bhatt announced the film officially with the title Sadak 2, with the original film's cast members, along with Alia and Aditya Roy Kapur was announced being a part of the cast.[10] The film marked Mahesh Bhatt's return to direction after 20 years since his last film Zakhm as a director, and also marked the maiden collaboration with Alia and Mahesh working together.[11]

Filming

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On 8 April 2019, it was confirmed that principal photography would commence in the middle of May 2019,[2] which eventually began on 18 May 2019.[12] The following day, Makarand Deshpande was confirmed to play the main antagonist in the film. Alia Bhatt joined the film on 21 May 2019.[13] The first schedule of the film was completed in the third week of May in Mumbai and the second schedule began in Ooty in mid-July 2019.[14][15] With a few sequences being shot in Mysore and Ooty, the film's principal photography wrapped up on 31 October 2019,[16] except for a few patchwork scenes which were filmed in July 2020, despite the COVID-19 pandemic.[17]

Soundtrack

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Sadak 2
Soundtrack album by
Jeet Gannguli, Ankit Tiwari, Samidh Mukerjee, Urvi and Suniljeet
Released22 August 2020[18]
GenreFeature film soundtrack
Length43:47
LanguageHindi
LabelSony Music India

The music for the film was composed by Jeet Gannguli, Ankit Tiwari, Samidh Mukerjee, Urvi and Suniljeet while the lyrics written by Rashmi Virag, Vijay Vijawatt, Shabbir Ahmed, Suniljeet and Shalu Vaish. The film score is composed by Sandeep Chowta.

Track listing
No.TitleLyricsMusicSinger(s)Length
1."Tum Se Hi"Shabbir AhmedAnkit TiwariAnkit Tiwari, Leena Bose4:43
2."Shukriya"Rashmi ViragJeet GannguliJubin Nautiyal, KK4:05
3."Ishq Kamaal"Suniljeet, Shalu VaishSuniljeetJaved Ali4:19
4."Dil Ki Purani Sadak"Vijay VijawattSamidh Mukerjee, UrviKK4:49
5."Chal Tera Shukriya"Rashmi ViragJeet GannguliShreya Ghoshal4:45
6."Purani Sadak" (Reprise)Vijay VijawattSamidh Mukherjee, UrviKK3:24

Controversies

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Nepotism debate

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Sadak 2's trailer was released on August 12, 2020, and faced vote brigading owing to the nepotism debate sparked after the death of Indian actor Sushant Singh Rajput. Speculating that Rajput had been upset over being shut out of the film industry, due to hiring practices that favored children of established film personalities, Rajput's fans blamed notable people in Bollywood, including Sadak 2 director Mahesh Bhatt and his daughter Alia.[5][6][19] Within two days of its release, the trailer had received 5.3 million dislikes on YouTube and became the second most disliked video within a week's time.[20][21] As of 2023, the trailer has received 14 million dislikes.[citation needed]

Hurting Hindu sentiments

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See also: Hindutva boycott of Bollywood films

In July 2020, a resident of Bihar filed a complaint against the makers of the film, stating that the film's poster featured an image of Kailash Mansarovar, which "hurt Hindu sentiments".[22][23] The Vishva Hindu Parishad also criticised the film's trailer for similar reasons.[24][25]

Release

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In October 2019, Gravitas Ventures bought the United States distribution rights for the feature. The film was initially scheduled for release on 25 March 2020 in India and in United States on 24 April 2020, but was pushed to 10 July 2020 in India and 31 July 2020 in the United States due to the outbreak of COVID-19.[26] It was again pulled from the release schedule as the shooting was delayed because of the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown in India.[27]

On 29 June 2020, the streaming service Disney+ Hotstar conducted a virtual press conference, where Bhatt announced that the film would be released exclusively on Disney+ Hotstar. The film premiered on 28 August 2020 in India and in theaters in United States.[1][28]

Critical reception

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Sadak 2 was panned by critics.[8] Anna M. M. Vetticad of Firstpost gave the film 0.25 out of 5, calling it the director's interpretation of a "sleeping pill", and wrote "It is not possible to be angry with Sadak 2 for its half-baked ideas and quarter-baked script though, because it is too boring to be worthy of even anger."[29] Calling it "One of 2020's worst films", Jyoti Sharma Bawa of Hindustan Times wrote that Sadak 2 is a "jaded and ponderous film that is stuck in the 90's, [which] is best avoided."[30] Shubhra Gupta of The Indian Express gave the film 1 out of 5, calling it "terrible" and wondered "why would anyone want to make something so dated, so jaded, in this day and age?"[31] Rahul Desai of Film Companion called the film "dreadful" and "atrocious", and bemoaned that the performances of the actors "sticks out like a sore thumb."[32] Anupama Chopra of Film Companion wrote, "The storytelling, performances dialogue, cinematography, songs, background music – all seem to belong to the 90's".[33]

References

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  1. ^ a b c "Alia Bhatt announces Sadak 2 premiere on August 28 on Disney+ Hotstar". Bollywood Hungama. 6 August 2020. Archived from the original on 9 August 2020. Retrieved 6 August 2020.
  2. ^ a b "CONFIRMED! Alia Bhatt starrer Sadak 2 to go on floor in May 2019". Bollywood Hungama. 8 April 2019. Archived from the original on 8 April 2019. Retrieved 8 April 2019.
  3. ^ "Alia Bhatt to start shooting for 'Sadak 2' from May 2019". The Times of India. 8 April 2019. Archived from the original on 24 August 2019. Retrieved 8 April 2019.
  4. ^ Lohana, Avinash (2 May 2019). "Exclusive: It's Alia Bhatt vs a fake godman in Sadak 2". Mumbai Mirror. Archived from the original on 2 May 2019. Retrieved 2 May 2019.
  5. ^ a b "As nepotism debate rages on, Sadak 2 trailer bears the brunt". Mint. 13 August 2020. Archived from the original on 9 October 2020. Retrieved 19 August 2020.
  6. ^ a b "Alia Bhatt's Sadak 2 the most disliked trailer on YouTube amid nepotism debate, fans demand justice for Sushant Singh Rajput". Hindustan Times. 13 August 2020. Archived from the original on 13 August 2020. Retrieved 13 August 2020.
  7. ^ "'Sadak-2' by Mahesh Bhatt is Now the Second Most Disliked Video in the World, Beats Justin Bieber". News18. 19 August 2020. Archived from the original on 20 August 2020. Retrieved 19 August 2020.
  8. ^ a b "Alia Bhatt and Mahesh Bhatt's Sadak 2 Becomes Lowest-rated Film of All Time on IMDb With 1.1 Score". News18. 29 August 2020. Archived from the original on 29 August 2020. Retrieved 29 August 2020.
  9. ^ a b c Correspondent, After Hrs (11 April 2017). "Is Sadak 2 a Tamil remake?". DNA India. Archived from the original on 11 May 2021. Retrieved 11 May 2021. {{cite web}}: |last= has generic name (help)
  10. ^ "Sadak 2 teaser: On Mahesh Bhatt's 70th birthday, Alia Bhatt and Pooja Bhatt get the greatest present". Hindustan Times. 20 September 2018. Archived from the original on 15 May 2019. Retrieved 20 May 2019.
  11. ^ "Alia Bhatt announces Sadak 2 with Aditya Roy Kapur, Sanjay Dutt on Mahesh Bhatt's 70th birthday". Firstpost. 20 September 2018. Archived from the original on 11 May 2021. Retrieved 11 May 2021.
  12. ^ "'Sadak 2': Alia Bhatt kick-starts the shooting of the much-awaited sequel". Times of India. 18 May 2019. Archived from the original on 18 May 2019. Retrieved 18 May 2019.
  13. ^ "Alia Bhatt receives a grand welcome from Pooja Bhatt on the sets of Sadak 2; See Pics | PINKVILLA". www.pinkvilla.com. 21 May 2019. Archived from the original on 22 January 2020. Retrieved 21 May 2019.
  14. ^ "'Sadak 2': Alia Bhatt starts prepping for the Ooty schedule". The Times of India. 15 July 2019. Archived from the original on 26 July 2019. Retrieved 25 July 2019.
  15. ^ "Alia Bhatt is feeling a whole lotta love for Shaheen Bhatt and Soni Razdan on Sadak 2 sets. See pic". India Today. 24 July 2019. Archived from the original on 25 July 2019. Retrieved 25 July 2019.
  16. ^ "Alia Bhatt announces Sadak 2 schedule wrap with no make-up boomerang video". India Today. 31 October 2019. Retrieved 11 May 2021.
  17. ^ "'We are planning to resume the shoot of Sadak 2 by first week of July. We will have to build a small set for the song': Mukesh Bhatt". Hindustan Times. 20 June 2020. Archived from the original on 20 June 2020. Retrieved 11 May 2021.
  18. ^ "Sadak 2 – Original Motion Picture Soundtrack". Jio Saavn. 22 August 2020. Archived from the original on 22 August 2020. Retrieved 22 August 2020.
  19. ^ "Why The Internet Is Hitting 'Dislike' On Alia Bhatt's Sadak 2 Trailer". NDTV.com. Archived from the original on 12 August 2020. Retrieved 12 August 2020.
  20. ^ "'Sadak 2' Beats Jake Paul and PewDiePie to Become the Most Disliked YouTube Video in India". news18.com. 13 August 2020. Archived from the original on 15 August 2020. Retrieved 13 August 2020.
  21. ^ "Sadak 2 by Mahesh Bhatt is Now the Second Most Disliked Video in the World, Beats Justin Bieber". News18. 19 August 2020. Archived from the original on 20 August 2020. Retrieved 30 August 2020.
  22. ^ "Alia, Mahesh and Mukesh Bhatt accused of hurting Hindu sentiments". The Indian Express. PTI. 2 July 2020. Archived from the original on 11 May 2021. Retrieved 11 May 2021.
  23. ^ "Sadak 2 poster: Complaint filed against Alia and Mahesh Bhatt for hurting Hindu sentiments". India Today. Muzaffarpur. Press Trust of India. 3 July 2020. Archived from the original on 11 May 2021. Retrieved 11 May 2021.
  24. ^ "'Nepotism, plagiarism': Too many accusations plague Alia Bhatt's new film Sadak 2". Business Today (India). 14 August 2020. Archived from the original on 19 November 2022. Retrieved 19 November 2022.
  25. ^ Jha, Lata (28 August 2020). "OTT content battles mainstream pressures, controversies". Mint. Archived from the original on 19 November 2022. Retrieved 19 November 2022.
  26. ^ "Alia Bhatt's Sadak 2 to release on July 10, 2020". Bollywood Hungama. 20 May 2019. Archived from the original on 27 May 2019. Retrieved 21 May 2019.
  27. ^ "'We are planning to resume the shoot of Sadak 2 by first week of July. We will have to build a small set for the song': Mukesh Bhatt". Hindustan Times. 20 June 2020. Archived from the original on 20 June 2020. Retrieved 21 June 2020.
  28. ^ "Disney Plus Hotstar Makes Strategic Choice to Bypass India's Theaters, Give More Movies Streaming Premieres". Variety. 29 June 2020. Archived from the original on 16 November 2020. Retrieved 29 June 2020.
  29. ^ "Sadak 2 movie review: Mahesh Bhatt's interpretation of a sleeping pill". Firstpost. 29 August 2020. Archived from the original on 29 August 2020. Retrieved 29 August 2020.
  30. ^ "Sadak 2 movie review: One of 2020s worst films, take this trip at your own risk". Hindustan Times. 29 August 2020. Archived from the original on 29 August 2020. Retrieved 29 August 2020.
  31. ^ "Sadak 2 review: A terrible movie". The Indian Express. 29 August 2020. Archived from the original on 29 August 2020. Retrieved 29 August 2020.
  32. ^ "Sadak 2 Starring Alia Bhatt And Sanjay Dutt Is Dreadful". Film Companion. 29 August 2020. Archived from the original on 19 September 2020. Retrieved 10 September 2020.
  33. ^ "Sadak 2 Starring Alia Bhatt And Sanjay Dutt Is Flat-Out Bonkers". Film Companion. 29 August 2020. Archived from the original on 2 September 2020. Retrieved 10 September 2020.
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