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*War 2* opens with a sequence that immediately establishes Major Kabir Dhaliwal (Hrithik Roshan) as no ordinary agent. Once celebrated for his unmatched skills within RAW, Kabir’s path diverged — leaving behind the badge, turning rogue. The reasons are whispered in intelligence circles: betrayal from within, secrets hidden deep in classified files, and enemies that wore friendly faces. The country fears what Kabir has become; yet, many wonder if he was pushed too far.

Enter Vikram Chelapathi (Jr NTR), a new-breed special units officer with his own haunted past. Born in the borderlands, Vikram’s family suffered collateral damage during a covert mission that went wrong. He grew up with a conviction that justice is not blind, but precise — and those who misuse power must be held accountable. When national intelligence files leak, implicating Kabir in large-scale conspiracies, Vikram is tasked with apprehending him, dead or alive.

Their first clash is not in a gunfight, but in shadows: intelligence briefings, covert surveillance, betrayal by informants. Kabir seems always one step ahead; Vikram trails, gathering shards of evidence. Along the way, we meet Kavya Luthra (Kiara Advani), an analyst in the intelligence bureau, brilliant and principled. Kavya believes in the best of people until she’s forced into moral grey zones, caught between loyalty to the agency and her growing doubts about its methods. Kavya is both Vikram’s ally and conscience; her presence forces conversations Kabir longs to avoid.

As Kabir orchestrates daring operations around the globe — from shadowy warehouses in Tokyo to high-speed chases in Europe, and clandestine sea battles in the Arabian seas — the movie unfolds its spy-versus-spy rich tapestry. Vikram, often with Kavya’s help, pieces together elements: funds transferred via shell companies, secret military contracts, manipulated intelligence meant to justify direct action. Kabir’s rhetoric is chilling: he claims to have evidence of deep corruption that the very institutions meant to protect India have ignored or covered up.

One major turning point comes when Kabir saves a group of civilians during an attack that was meant for him — but leaves no trace of who the attackers were. The paradox: Kabir appears guilty in the eyes of law, yet heroic in flashes. This ambiguity becomes central — is he rogue, or is he the unlikely whistleblower the system silenced? Vikram’s pursuit grows personal when he discovers that some of the lines between his own family’s fate and Kabir’s past are entwined. The revelation: a mission Vikram once believed was righteous was in fact manipulated, and Kabir was sacrificed by his own agency.

Meanwhile, Ashutosh Rana’s Colonel Sunil Luthra rises as a senior officer within RAW who believes in clean hierarchy and black-and-white justice. He is threatened by the chaos Kabir is stirring. Luthra sees Vikram as the tool to restore order, but also fears the truth Kavya might uncover could unravel not just Kabir, but the reputations of many in power. Anil Kapoor, in a cameo or supporting role, plays Vikrant Kaul — a retired operative with knowledge of old missions, old betrayals, someone who once trained Kabir and holds the key to hidden secrets.

The film doesn’t slow down. A chase through the nights of Mumbai where Vikram corners Kabir, a fight on rooftops surrounded by neon, masked agents, sliced betrayal — one of Kabir’s past colleagues turns up, wounded, to confirm that a secret directive from headquarters ordered him to betray Kabir. Kavya helps him escape, and they realize that the corruption runs deeper. The agency is using Kabir’s name in false operations, “rogue agent” label is being abused to silence those who object.

Kabir, in his exile, uses guerrilla tactics, strategic leaks, and public exposure via hacked broadcasts to force the agency to confront its sins. He places evidence in shadows: videos, intercepted communications, testimonials from those hurt. Vikram, once rigid in his belief in the law, begins to see that justice isn’t always served by orders; sometimes by exposing hypocrisy. This puts him in conflict with Colonel Luthra, who wants to stop truth at any cost.

Midway through the film, a betrayal surprises everyone: Kavya, investigating quietly, is framed by RAW for being a mole. She is arrested, her motives questioned, her past examined. In jail, she reflects, confronts past fears, wonders if loyalty to country can require turning away from what’s right. Vikram must decide: obey orders or challenge them.

The action crescendos in the third act: sequences of aerial combat, underwater infiltration, dramatic face-offs. Vikram tracks Kabir to a remote mountain base, where Kabir intends to expose a final document listing top-ranking officers involved in criminal collusion. The confrontation is brutal. Kabir’s physical skill is immense; Vikram’s determination is ferocious. Their fight is as much ideological as it is physical.

In the climax, Kabir reveals a final truth: the very mission Vikram’s family suffered in was covered up on purpose; it was manipulated to cover corruption at higher levels. Vikram realizes the personal cost of his unwavering faith. But just as victory seems in Vikram’s hands, the agency sends forces to neutralize everyone. Kabir arranges an escape route, sacrificing his last chance at redemption in the public eye to ensure the documents — and the truth — reach media hands.

The final scene is both cathartic and ambivalent. Vikram stands in the ruins of a battlefield: not a war of guns, but betrayal. Kabir is gone, presumed dead (though a shadow, a flicker at the edge of the frame, leaves ambiguity). Kavya, now free, gives a press conference: the documents exposed corruption, resignations begin, but the system remains flawed. Vikram, scarred, commits to rebuilding not just missions, but integrity.

The closing shot echoes the first: a national security briefing. A younger agent submits to the system. Vikram watches from a distance. Kabir’s voice, recorded, plays over: “War never ends… it only changes sides.”

*War 2* doesn’t just deliver spectacle but asks: when the line between good and bad is drawn by those with power, who watches the watchers? It leaves the audience with the uneasy truth that sometimes heroes are created by systems, broken by them, and redeemed only by their own conscience.