The last week of the year has not been memorable for cine lovers in India due to the debacle of Ranveer Singh’s Cirkus.
As the final big-budget film of 2022, it couldn’t impress in any of the expected spheres. In other news, Charles Sobhraj, a dreaded criminal, was recently released from prison.
The name is important because he had a role to play in the infamous Kandahar hijack of 1999. And the hijack is vital because the second season of Kathmandu Connection has been released on SonyLiv.
The series first premiered in 2021 and managed to sail through a bumpy plot. Nevertheless, it deserved another part for several reasons.
Kathmandu Connection is a crime drama promising thrills and chills in ample quantity. The show is directed by Sachin Pathak and stars Amit Sial (Samarth), Aksha Pardasany (Shivani), Anshuman Pushkar (Wajid), Prashant Narayanan (Sunny), Anurag Arora (Shravan Mishra), among others.
Also Read: My Top 10 Hindi Films of 2022
What is the story of Kathmandu Connection Season 2?
After the Kandahar Flight Hijack, India releases several terrorists who then plot a deadly attack against the country. Kathmandu Connection uses this premise to hatch a story where Samarth, Sameer, and Shivani cross paths in their respective endeavors.
Here’s my Kathmandu Connection season 2 review, where I discuss the strengths and flaws of the show, which is now streaming on SonyLiv.
What factors work for Kathmandu Connection Season 2?
It has a decent screenplay, compactly furthered by a pounding background score. You will find the happenings exciting, but I suggest you take this with a pinch of salt if you are not planning to read my full review.
Moreover, the pace of narration is brisk, ensuring a non-dreary overall experience. It is one thing I would give without grudges to Kathmandu Connection.
How are the performances?
Amit Sial continues his stellar act as Samarth. In the second season of Kathmandu Connection, he is more rough and tough. He carries the series, especially the second half, entirely on his shoulders.
The actor leverages his dialogue delivery to great effect, combined with his deep vocal intonations. His underrated mien is a boon for Kathmandu Connection. Also, Sial’s characteristic hold on the screen is superb in the show.
Aksha Pardasany starts where she left off in the first season. Her charming presence lifts the story and furthers your admiration for the actress.
She leaves a mesmerizing impact on your senses as Shivani in Kathmandu Connection season 2. The best part of Aksha is her determined aura.
Prashant Narayanan comes back as Sunny. His performance as a lover is as enthralling as it was in the first season. It is the writing that lets him down this time.
Intense expressions, crisp dialogue delivery, and voice stretches are the hallmarks of Prashant’s performance in Kathmandu Connection season 2.
Anshuman Pushkar as Wajid is dark and mystical. He adds the required villainous touch to the series. His surreptitious ambiance allows the impending threat to grow in the plot.
Anurag Arora as Shravan Mishra deserves mention. His simple and sober cop act is refreshing to witness on the screen.
Arora ably restricts himself and allows the rest of the cast to take the limelight. Still, he manages to find a way into your heart.
All the other actors are good in Kathmandu Connection season 2.
What goes wrong with the series?
The conceptual base of Kathmandu Connection season 2 is too fragile. It starts with actual clips of the Kandahar plane hijack, but it blows my mind why the makers did not go into detail.
They should have either fictionalized the hijack to some extent or should not have used it as a reference. Kathmandu Connection season 2 thinks that the viewer is already familiar with the case that happened two decades ago.
What about the naïve audience? And those from other countries? How are they supposed to gauge the impact of the Kandahar hijack in the plot?
I think Kathmandu Connection season 2 needed a few more episodes to fictionalize the plane capture. The role of Sunny, Wajid and other characters in the event would have made the story intriguing.
The present creation seems half-hearted. It is somewhat confused whether to emphasize on reality or fiction. There were no disclaimers regarding the show being based on or inspired by real events.
So, it is quite puzzling why such an approach was taken in Kathmandu Connection season 2.
Secondly, the storyline itself seems banal at points. All it cares about is establishing connections among different characters and activities. The depth is surprisingly missing from the story.
You will see the protagonists saying, “something big is about to happen,” more than five times. That’s too clichéd and overused.
Furthermore, too many timelines are a cause of concern as well. In one moment, you are in India, then Nepal, and then Dubai.
At times, even I was surprised to see how quickly the cops traveled from India to Nepal and back to Agra. Yes, Nepal and India share an open border; however, that only ensures easy access, not a quick commute.
If one has to travel from Kathmandu in Nepal to Agra in India via car, it will take almost twenty hours. But Kathmandu Connection season 2 gets it done in an instant.
It goes on to show that the makers were not mindful of their surroundings.
Moreover, the series is three hours long in length, spread over six episodes. Usually, I would call it a plus point. However, in the case of Kathmandu Connection season 2, the makers should have used more time to narrate the story.
You cannot half-cook a dish and expect it to arouse the tastebuds.
Should you watch Kathmandu Connection season 2?
If you have watched the first season, you can go for it. New streamers can pass the show.
More or less, Kathmandu Connection is salvation gone wrong. The show initially puts emphasis on a plane hijack but eventually ends up being a redemption story of a rogue officer.
FAQs
Is Kathmandu Connection based on the Kandahar Plane Hijack?
No, the show only uses references of the event.
Is Kathmandu Connection based on Charles Sobhraj’s life?
No, there’s no official information on this. However, the character of Sunny seems to be inspired by Charles Sobhraj’s life.
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