Asur 2 review: A worthy successor to season one; but is it overstaying its welcome?

Cast: Arshad Warsi, Barun Sobti, Anupriya Goenka, Meiyang ChangDirector: Oni SenLanguage: HindiSpoilers AheadI first heard the term Asur while watching Akshay Kumar ranting about his father-in-law in 2017’s Toilet- Ek Prem Katha. He snarled- 'Sasur nahin asur hai asur.' The whole theatre erupted and I struggled to understand what it meant. Three years later, creators Gaurav Shukla and Vibhav Shikdar and director Oni Sen came up with a show on that name. Asur means demon. And the show was indeed about destruction and demonic intentions. The final episode saw a cliffhanger and three years later, season two drops on JioCinema.Asur 2 isn’t only about unfinished business, it’s about redemption, revenge and regrets. Hidden purposes have been unraveled and the mystery to find that demonic child Shubh continues. Just like The Kerala Story, Asur bases its narrative on brainwashing. Shubh quotes mythological references and Shlokas with both fluidity and sternness, successfully creating his disciples out of even the educated. It’s all about the battle between the good and the evil, with a murder mystery thrown in for kicks. What psychology does it take to create monsters out of sanity?In the last three years, the three central characters are all washed-out and emotionally scattered. Arshad Warsi suffers from regret, Barun Sobti and Anupriya Goenka go through a sinking marriage and the loss of their daughter. Asur returns, and so does the trio’s conscience. It’s not over until it’s over. The series shows some unseen modus operandi and certain scenes keep you hooked. It’s all very dense and complicated for people who haven’t really re-watched season one. Warsi has always been a delightful and dazzling actor to watch, and he needed an equally delightful and dazzling material to truly capture his flair. Here, he playes Dhananjay Rajpoot aka DJ, a CBI officer who can be both cool and cold-blooded. Look how coolly he interrogates a lead in the murky case, or how cold-blooded and remorseless he is when he stabs and slices a culprit’s neck.But the series is definitely not seamless. Warsi’s suspicion on Rasul (Amey Wagh) that acted as the cliffhanger of season one in the form of the last stare is never addressed. When Naina tells DJ about this suspicious mole in the team, his reaction suggests he nearly forgot about his existence. When we first meet DJ in season two, he’s almost turned into a monk, praying and turning to spirituality at Dharamshala. When a 11-year old miracle boy imparts some life lessons, Warsi tells him exactly what he told Shubh in season one. I cracked a smile.[caption id="attachment_12662952" align="alignnone" width="640"] A still from Asur 2[/caption]However, it’s nearly impossible to binge-watch the show; there are eight episodes with an average runtime of 50 minutes. Given how complicated the first season was, the second one is equally dense if not more, with new characters thrown in that have conflicts of their own. Also, the whole idea of sacrificing your own life over throwing in the towel feels too convenient and cliched now. Also convenient is how quickly Naina (Goenka) shows up whenever Nikhil (Sobti) needs her for assistance or help, be it in office or one of the masterminds’ hideout. And every time the two meet this season, a sense of awkwardness and aloofness fills the room, there’s an unhandy stare, a stutter before the conversation can truly begin.The series captures the scenic beauty of Himachal and the hideous side of Varanasi meticulously. The latter, in particular, has been purposely shot with a certain sense of gloom, whereas Dharamshala bursts with liveliness. This could be to suggest two contrasting behaviours or beings- Demonic and Angelic. The angel here is the aforementioned miracle boy. It’s hard to think if there’s ever going to be a more powerful and effective antagonist than Shubh. As the show progresses, it keeps digging deeper into his psyche. He’s not a murderer or a serial killer. Who is he? In season one, we saw his father’s brutal assaults on him and how he always considered his son a monster and a curse. Most of the villains need an origin story, a justification of why they became what they did; for Shubh, it was a haunting and terrifying past. For all his intimidating gaze and discourses, he finally breaks down while talking to his grandfather, and blames his father for the birth of this demon.[caption id="attachment_12662972" align="alignnone" width="640"] A still from Asur 2[/caption]Also, another scene informs (or spoon-feeds?) us about who he really is. It’s about the five stages of anarchy that range from denial to negotiation to war. The whole nation is on its feet and on the brink of absolute collapse. The makers throw some nice twists and turns that may seem amusing, but since the battle has turned way too personal, anything goes, no holds barred. But in between so much chaos, mayhem and murders, the idea to have a live television debate between the good and the evil seems implausible. I think one of the news readers also imitated Arnab Goswami in a film very recently. No parody of him here mercifully. But not so very mercifully, season 2 has a cliffhanger too, and now the wait for season 3 has begun. What the show is trying to preach is that bodies die, spirits don’t. In that case, the show may never see an end despite an impressive story. Anyone’s k(asur)?Asur 2 is now streaming on JioCinemaRead all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News,India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.