Mirzapur season 2 highlights all the narratives that might have missed your eye in season 1, but also goes a tad too predictable for its own good.
Story
A major revelation here, is that this season doesn’t just run around in Mirzapur. Lucknow and Siwan also become laying lands for major progressions in the story.
The first episode unfolds with an intriguing accident scene. It sets the stage for Munna Tripathi and Guddu Pandit’s much anticipated rivalry. The first season’s climax gave enough reasons for Guddu to desperately seek Munna’s death.
All those who have seen the first season are well aware of Uttar Pradesh’s bloodshed politics and illegal gun peddling that lies in the backdrop of this story. In addition to that, some innocent hearts turn grey and some courageous ones drop weapons this time around.
Aside of what the trailer tells us, it’s not just Guddu and Golu who seek revenge. With newfound motives, Sharad Shukla has also gotten his hands dirty. Lala, whose daughter became a widow due to Munna’s merciless death row, also seeks vengeance.
All these loose ends are introduced in order to knit the story tighter. Instead, it leads to predictable alliances with very little scope for a major twist.
There is a fair chance that the audience might not remember every detail from the previous season. To solve this problem, there is a five-minute recap before the pilot episode begins.
Performances
Mirzapur became a colossal success in the country owing to the cast and their performances. While some of the same cast members carry forward the legacy in this season, some new additions are also made.
Vijay Varma as Bharat/Shatrughan Tyagi, Isha Talwar as Madhuri Yadav and Priyanshu Painyuli as Robin are some major additions to the plot.
Pankaj Tripathi as Kaleen Bhaiya is equally impactful as before. His subtle yet powerful demeanor makes up for a very mature portrayal.
Divyenndu Sharma shines the brightest. He has outdone himself as Munna Tripathi. The sheer agony of not being able to make decisions is visible all the time as he essays the role.
Ali Fazal, Rasika Dugal, Shweta Tripathi and Amit Sial are flawless too. An adorable Lalit played by Bramhaswaroop Mishra also lights up the mood every time he is on screen.
Positives
Just like its predecessor, Mirzapur 2 lays a lot of emphasis on using real time social issues as breeding ground for stories. Since it’s based in Uttar Pradesh, it tries to bring out the casteist and sexist side of upper caste Hindus in power.
The web series is an engaging ride throughout. Almost an hour long episodes go by in a jiffy keeping the narrative a smooth ride when it comes to pace.
The performances are powerful and it is glorifying as a viewer to see some characters come out of their shell, while some go back to being timid or undercover.
None of the new additions to the cast seem forced or unnecessary. There isn’t unexpectedness in crime and violence but sure is in human relationships. As opposed to general expectance, Sweety and Bablu’s absence wasn’t as painful because other elements filled in.
Negatives
Despite a gripping and engaging plotline, Mirzapur 2 gets too predictable for its own good. The story doesn’t really kick off until after the second episode. And even after that, it seems to be running in circles for the most part. The process of endless alliance formations isn’t as pleasurable to see if it gets annoyingly unsurprising.
Vijay Varma’s potential is criminally underused. As opposed to what the teasers suggested, Pankaj Tripathi wasn’t a very big part of the frame in this season. It’s his brilliance that he managed to pull it off well.
There is grave shortage of humor and witty one-liners that the pilot season was remembered for.
Worth It?
There is no point talking about the climax because spoilers are only bound to ruin the experience. But owing to Mirzapur’s great contribution to a select few commendable web series in India, it is highly recommended to go for the second season.
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