A ₹400 crore cinematic gamble on a sprawling global spy odyssey
In short: With an estimated budget of up to ₹400 crore, War 2 stands as one of India's most expensive ever produced. It attempts to weave a complex web of international espionage across multiple continents, pitting former operatives against a shadowy criminal syndicate.
The YRF Spy Universe expands with its sixth entry, War 2, which Aditya Chopra produced via Yash Raj Films and Ayan Mukerji directed. The narrative follows Kabir Dhaliwal, a former RAW agent who went rogue to become an international mercenary. The plot involves a high-stakes game of deception where Kabir is manipulated into infiltrating the Kali Cartel—a powerful criminal syndicate seeking to control the Indian government. The story adds layers of complexity by revealing that many actions were orchestrated by Colonel Sunil Luthra, who secretly tasked Kabir with infiltration years prior.
The production scale was immense, featuring principal photography from October 2023 to July 2025. While shot extensively in Mumbai, the film traveled to Spain, Italy, and Abu Dhabi to capture its global scope. Production involved a Salamanca car pursuit, Abu Dhabi boat scenes by Franz Spilhaus, plus filming throughout Naples, Tuscany, Venice, Sorrento Peninsula, Lake Como, and the Amalfi Coast. The film even featured an aerial action sequence in Vile Parle and a set resembling a Shaolin Monastery to facilitate a katana fight.
Despite its massive scale and being the first Indian film graded in Dolby Cinema format, the reception was polarized. Critics praised the performances of stars like Hrithik Roshan and N. T. Rama Rao Jr., as well as the action sequences, but many noted issues with the screenplay's pace and narrative purpose. At the box office, the film reached a worldwide gross of approximately ₹303–351 crore by the end of its theatrical run, underperforming relative to its high production costs.
The film also faced unique marketing challenges; it was released on August 14, 2025, coinciding with Indian Independence Day. This choice drew criticism from netizens who pointed out that the date is also Pakistan's Independence Day, sparking a debate over the appropriateness of such timing for a patriotic action thriller.
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Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: War 2 (film)
- Also: www.britannica.com — War 2 | film by Mukerji [2025] | Britannica
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