Heroes don’t exist|Jul. 29, 2022|India|129 Min.|R
Genre: Action;Bollywood;Drama;Thriller
Description: Ek Villain Returns is a 2022 Indian Hindi-language action thriller film written and directed by Mohit Suri. Serving as a spiritual successor to his 2014 film *Ek Villain*, it is produced by Shobha Kapoor, Ekta Kapoor, Bhushan Kumar, and Krishan Kumar under the banners of Balaji Motion Pictures and T-Series. The film features a star-studded cast including John Abraham, Arjun Kapoor, Disha Patani, and Tara Sutaria. It was released in theaters on July 29, 2022.
The story revolves around Gautam Mehra, a bold and impulsive man who shares a complicated love-hate relationship with Aarvi Malhotra, a talented singer. When Aarvi is mysteriously murdered by a serial killer, Gautam becomes the prime suspect. However, ACP V. K. Ganesan has suspicions about a cab driver named Bhairav Purohit, who harbors an unrequited love for Rasika Mapuskar. The film explores Gautam’s quest for vengeance against Bhairav while striving to prove his innocence.
The music for *Ek Villain Returns* is composed by Ankit Tiwari, Tanishk Bagchi, and Kaushik-Guddu, with lyrics penned by Manoj Muntashir, Kunaal Vermaa, Tanishk Bagchi, and Prince Dubey. The film score is created by Raju Singh. Notably, the song “Galliyan Returns” is a reimagined version of the track “Galliyan” from the 2014 film *Ek Villain*. Other singles like “Dil,” “Shaamat,” and “Naa Tere Bin” were released in July 2022, with Tara Sutaria making her singing debut in “Shaamat.”
Upon its release, *Ek Villain Returns* received largely negative reviews from critics. Taran Adarsh of Bollywood Hungama gave it 2 out of 5 stars, calling it a disappointment and inferior to its predecessor. Conversely, Shweta Keshri of India Today rated it 3 out of 5 stars, praising its gripping plot and engaging storyline. Rohit Bhatnagar of The Free Press Journal also awarded it 3 out of 5 stars, noting that the sequel lacked the charm of the original.
Overall, *Ek Villain Returns* is a masala entertainer with thrilling moments, massy dialogues, and noteworthy performances, but it struggles to match the impact of its predecessor.
Cast director: Mohit Suri
Cast actor: John Abraham, Disha Patani, Arjun Kapoor, Tara Sutaria, J. D. Chakravarthi, Karishma Sharma
Original name: एक विलेन रिटर्न्स