War 2 Reviews: Jr NTR and Hrithik Roshan's Debut, Between Action Praise and Story Criticism

Liputan6.com, Jakarta The highly anticipated action thriller "War 2" officially hit theaters on August 14, 2025, the day before India's Independence Day.

As a sequel to "War" (2019) and the sixth installment of the YRF Spy Universe, "War 2" carries high expectations from fans and critics alike.

The film brings together two major stars: Hrithik Roshan, who returns as Major Kabir Dhaliwal, and N. T. Rama Rao Jr., who makes a brilliant debut as Major Vikram Chelapathi.

The main premise of "War 2" centers on Kabir becoming a threat to national security, forcing Vikram to hunt him down in a mission filled with intrigue and action.

Your mission: Say no to piracy! Experience the real action only in cinemas. 🔥Report any kind of piracy to us on - reportpiracy@yashrajfilms.com #War2 releasing in Hindi, Telugu and Tamil on August 14th in cinemas worldwide! pic.twitter.com/iweUGsSxUp

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— P V R C i n e m a s (@_PVRCinemas) May 20, 2025

"War 2" is a Hindi-language action thriller film directed by Ayan Mukerji and produced by Aditya Chopra under Yash Raj Films.

The screenplay was written by Shridhar Raghavan and Abbas Tyrewala, based on an original story by Chopra.

The film stars Hrithik Roshan as Major Kabir Dhaliwal and N. T. Rama Rao Jr., making his Hindi debut as Major Vikram Chelapathi.

Kiara Advani also appears in the lead role as Wing Commander Kavya Luthra, supported by Ashutosh Rana as Colonel Sunil Luthra and Anil Kapoor as Vikrant Kaul, the RAW Chief.

With an estimated budget of ₹400 crore, "War 2" is one of the most expensive Indian films ever made.

Principal photography began in October 2023, with filming locations including Mumbai, Spain, Italy, and Abu Dhabi.

The film's music was composed by Pritam, while the score was handled by Sanchit Balhara and Ankit Balhara.

Early reception for "War 2" has received mixed reviews from audiences and critics.

Many War 2 reviews have praised the stunning action sequences and large-scale productions, hallmarks of YRF Spy Universe films.

The screen presence of Hrithik Roshan and Jr. NTR has also been highly praised, particularly their chemistry, which has been cited as one of the film's key strengths.

Jr. NTR, in his Bollywood debut, steals the show with his impressive screen presence and strong emotional depth.

The film's visuals are also impressive, with stylish sets and big action sequences, although some critics have noted some flawed and artificial-looking VFX sequences.

However, the main criticism raised in War 2 reviews concerns the story and screenplay, which are considered predictable and lack depth.

Some have even called "War 2" the weakest film in the YRF Spy Universe due to its weak writing.

Furthermore, the narrative pace in the second half of the film is felt to be slow and lacks the desired emotional impact, leaving some moments feeling bland.

On its opening day, "War 2" managed to earn a net income of ₹52.5 crore.

This figure makes it one of the biggest openers of the year, although it fell slightly behind the Rajinikanth-starrer "Coolie," which released simultaneously.

There was stiff competition at the box office, with Tamil moviegoers favoring "Coolie."

However, the popularity of Telugu superstar Jr. NTR managed to attract audiences in the Telugu region, contributing ₹23.25 crore to "War 2"'s total opening day earnings.

For fans eagerly awaiting "War 2" on the small screen, the film will likely be available on Netflix.

Based on the release patterns of major films, "War 2" is expected to debut digitally about eight weeks after its theatrical release, meaning it will be available for streaming around early October.