Everyone’s favourite bad-arse working mother-turned-mafia doyen Aarya Sareen returns for yet another intense and unease-evoking season. This time around too, just like in season 1, the emphasis is still on Aarya doing everything in her power to protect her children from lurking threats.
The events of season 2 unfold with Aarya returning from her safe haven in Australia with a daughter whose mental health is spiralling out of control and her youngest son still in therapy due to severe PTSD triggered by the events of season 1. As soon as she and the kids touch ground in Rajasthan once more, fresh new antagonists come climbing out of the woodwork- ranging from the vengeful relatives of a deceased mob boss to the Russian mafia, and the odds are stacked against Aarya’s favour more than before.
Furthermore, despite pleading her innocence in a court of law, she is still a prime suspect in the eyes of ACP Khan who is simultaneously her confidante and an arch enemy who holds the keys to her freedom, and after a failure to cooperate with a prosecutor who has her own agenda in mind, Aarya and her children Veer, Arundhati and Adi are left susceptible to life threatening attacks from friend, family and foe alike. And while Aarya took on and persevered against every hurdle in the first season in a discreet and level minded fashion without losing neither her charm nor her morals, she is definitely starting to show shades of grey in the second outing.
There are plenty of twists and turns interwoven with anxiety-inducing moments the second time around and the show also steers clear from ludicrous and over the top moments, so there’s never any sense of inauthenticity to the proceedings. There is also plenty of interesting characterisation and surprising character arcs in store and I was particularly impressed by ACP Khan’s character arc as the calm and composed officer whose unwavering and relentless commitment to the case at hand also gradually becomes his weakness and poses a potential risk to his morals and ethics as an authority figure. Khan’s relationship with his fiance Ajay too is developed further, with scenes such as the latter acting as the former’s moral compass during moments of mental and emotional duress standing out for me.
The character of Aarya too is impeccably written and you’ll find yourselves rooting for her to win against all odds again. Sushmita Sen is in top form yet again as she slips into the skin of Aarya effortlessly and indeed very elegantly. Here’s hoping that there will be more accolades coming her way in the future. Sen also gets an opportunity to cut her teeth into a few stunt sequences, such as during the interrogation scene wherein Aarya defends herself against a threat by using a lethal chokehold. Such scenes bring to the fore this scorned character’s volatile nature and her ability to resort to physical violence when push comes to shove. Sen also shares an endearing bond with the actors playing her onscreen kids- Pratyaksh Panwar, Viren Vazirani and Virti Vaghani- all of whom show tremendous promise in their respective roles.
Fellow female characters such as Aarya’s loyal support group comprising of Hina and Maya too have a lot more screen time in season 2. Hina’s character arc in particular and her transformation from a loyal friend to Aarya in season 1 to an unhinged adversary with her own bone to pick in the second outing only further add to Aarya’s overflowing plate of problems. Sughanda Garg is a revelation as Hina and she captures this character’s grief and shattered mental state in a nuanced manner.
Sikandar Kher turns in a formidable performance as Daulat, the chivalrous hitman who seems to harbour more than just feelings of loyalty towards Aarya and Vishwajeet Pradhan isn’t too far behind in portraying Sampat, a goon with a similar penchant for chivalry when the occasion calls for it. Akash Khurana and Charu Shankar are equally intimidating as the German-spouting duo of a father and daughter who are intent on making Aarya’s life hell. Shataf Figar has a brief but pivotal role as a potential father figure for the young, impressionable and troubled Adi, who also finds himself embroiled in Aarya’s tumultuous life and Figar’s charming screen presence leaves a lasting impression. Hopefully we’ll see more of this character and a few others like Geetanjali Kulkarni’s policewoman Sushila Shekhar in future episodes, since the door is left open for a third outing.
Vishal Khurrana’s soundtrack is also a highlight in this season since it delivers the desired emotional impact in a show that is high on family drama, intrigue as well as gutting and heartbreaking moments. The retro Bollywood songs that were integral to both the background score and storyline in season 1 are also back in this season and yet again, they complement the unfolding events perfectly.
If you’ve been a fan of Aarya since season 1, then the second season won’t leave you disappointed.
*Read my review for season 1 here: https://www.themoviebuff.net/2021/11/trust-issues-within-a-family-lead-to-murder-and-mayhem-in-the-revenge-thriller-aarya/
Jinx Coolness' Cinephile Blog 
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