Asur season 2 review: Rekindles its magic in the latter half

In Asur season 2, Shubh returns to take Kali Yuga to its peak. Nikhil and DJ start working separately with teams of their own to stop Shubh’s sinister plans. The second season is now streaming on JioCinema.

Story

Since their last encounter with Shubh, the CBI has fallen apart. The people are demanding Kesar’s release, considering that the CBI has no solid proof against him.

Nikhil is depressed because he sacrificed his own daughter, and Naina is seeking a divorce from him. DJ is searching for peace in Dharamshala, Himachal Pradesh, and he no longer wants to be the reason for someone else’s death.

Shubh starts making his next moves by sending Nikhil the coordinates of another body’s location. Kesar hints that Shubh is starting a war. Meanwhile, Naina and an initially hesitant DJ join forces to form a team of their own to carry out an unofficial investigation.

This time around, DJ doesn’t plan to hold back, and Nikhil is looking to right his wrongs. However, Shubh is now more concerned about his endgame, which will be to take Kali Yuga to its peak and force Kalki to appear.

Performances

Arshad Warsi as Dhananjay “DJ” Rajpoot is more ruthless and aggressive this season. Warsi gave glimpses of this side of DJ in the first season, but now the viewers can see the entire picture of it.

Warsi, since day one, has managed to navigate through emotions such as guilt and rage swiftly. He balances these emotions in the second season as well, which establishes him as a formidable lead character.

Barun Sobti, as Nikhil Nair, loses most of his importance this season. He primarily becomes a supporting character who is no longer of use to the main antagonist.

Though the second season sees Nikhil struggling with his guilt, it is not explored in depth, and the viewers don’t see the best of Sobti.

On the other hand, Anupriya Goenka, as Naina Nair, shines as her character is paired with Warsi’s. Similarly, Ridhi Dogra as Nusrat Saeed, even if it’s for a limited time, gets to express her emotional side.

Positives

The second season continues to put forth an engaging narrative that is quick in its developments, revelations, and twists. It’s like the creators know that viewers came to see Shubh’s next big game, so they are delivering it precisely and with the right tension.

While developing the main plot, the second season doesn’t compromise on the individual stories that the characters should have. Their stories become part of Shubh’s game. In a way, the viewers are watching the main plot and sub-plots develop together.

Throughout the second season, none of the characters are given any special attention of any sort. They are all equally suffering. Asur season 2 clearly makes a viewer feel that its story is what is important, and these characters are just a small part of it.

An improvement the second season has made over the previous one is that it has left behind those soap opera effects the show used during the action sequences. With that, the second season looks more like a serious crime drama.

The last three episodes of Asur season 2 are exceptionally well written with good creative choices. There is a hostile environment, and the war that Shubh promised has been delivered.

Negatives

The first five episodes of Asur season 2 work like a regular Indian crime drama. The curiosity factor of the show is missing. In the first season, people didn’t know Shubh, but now they do. In these first five episodes, Shubh is slowly playing the same tricks he played in the first season, and Nikhil’s team is falling into those same traps all over again.

All in all, the first five episodes are entertaining, but they don’t give the viewers anything new to look forward to. In a way, these episodes look like they are stretched out from the previous season. It’s only from the sixth episode that there are some real and more serious developments.

Verdict

Asur season 2 is certainly an entertaining follow-up to the first season. It’s just that the magic the first season had will only be found in the latter half of the season.

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