Special Ops Season 2: When the enemy is in digital territory
Cyber warfare is the new geopolitical reality and thus an essential exploration area for the celluloid world. Creator-writer-director Neeraj Pandey recreates the world of AI-driven digital espionage. As the master storyteller and his lead protagonist, Himmat Singh (Kay Kay Menon), are back, compelling storytelling is in the offing once again.
This time, Himmat, the RAW (Research and Analysis Wing) officer, is entrusted with the responsibility of averting an imminent digital attack.
Day in and out, we get to read news of digital scams. Imagine if it gets amplified at the national level, leaving not just individuals but the entire nation’s economy crippled. Chilling… but the way Pandey and his co-writers Benazir Ali Fida and Deepak Kingrani build the espionage game, it is more entertaining and engaging than alarming.
The enemy this time is not our favourite bete noire Pakistan; rather, it’s a powerful neighbour, China. Only the face of the enemy is Indian. The antagonist is the handsome and dimpled Tahir Raj Bhasin. As Sudhir, ‘a straightforward businessman’, he gets enough screen-time to impress and some whistle-worthy dialogues, too, like “yeh zameen par kheechi hui lakeeren mera desh decide nahin karti”.
The writing anyway is pungent, packed with witty one-liners and intelligent wisecracks. A few smart alec comments are even given to adversaries like this Chinese man making a dig about how we are dependent on them for making of a simple drug like paracetamol.
The bit about how our enemies can usher in nuclear catastrophe lacks clarity. But then, before the technical jargon goes overboard, Himmat’s interjection — “iske baare mein kal baat karte hain” — is sufficient to not let our attention lag. As the seven-part spy drama takes us around the world, the focus is on the kidnapping of India’s key AI scientist, Piyush Bhargav (the ever dependable Arif Zakaria).
He takes pride in being from Bharat and extols its ancient civilisation. Before we accuse Pandey of pandering to the sentiments of the ruling dispensation, well, well, he does not shy away from talking of the threat from within either. A parallel track, involving Prakash Raj’s Subramaniam, who wants a particular defaulter, Jignesh Dholakia, found, deals with financial fraud and banking failure.
Every key character gets a backstory, including the badman Sudhir. Mercifully, his is not a sob story, but one that builds his arc as a swindler. Tahir’s character is embedded with many quirks like his fondness for classical music, holding a musician duo hostage in the process. His Sudhir is not a one-note villain; he even goes around chuckling, “I am a good guy”. But, ultimately, it’s Kay Kay Menon’s Himmat, spearheading the special operation, who drives the show.
With the right degree of impassivity and emotion, he is probably the real stern stuff our intelligence agents are made of. The others in his mission, the good-looking Karan Tacker as Farooq Ali and Muzamil Ibrahim as Avinash, deliver on the dotted line. Women agents don’t get much play this season, except a new entrant, AI expert Harminder (Kamakshi Bhat). However, Saiyami Kher reprising her part as undercover agent Juhi Kashyap is not just an eye candy either.
Pandey sure knows how to mock himself. One of the amusing dialogues in the film goes: “Yeh honey trap na madam, purana ho gaya hai.”
Can’t say Pandey’s style is totally fresh or earth-shattering. But his signature presentation is slick, the execution lavish, and action top-notch. Background music though not bad, could have been toned a bit.
The climax is filmy but Pandey successfully marries the massy with distinctive, the unexpected with predictable.
Ultimately, whatever we may think of this desh, its log and of course its netas who let the corrupt get away, there is no denying that there are officers who make it safe and worth living. The way Menon’s Himmat walks out of the room after the operation concludes, with just a hint of smile hovering around his lips, says it all and makes our hearts swell with pride.
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