Kathmandu Connection 2 is a logical and riveting sequel

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Season 1 of Kathmandu Connection, which streamed from April 2021, ended with the investigating cop, DCP Samarth Kaushik (Amit Sial) being suspended, and suspected criminal and don, Sunny Sharma (Anshuman Pushkar), being arrested for conspiring in the 1993 Mumbai blasts. While Kathmandu Connection was all about a Dubai-based terror conspiracy against India, its sequel follows the IC-814 hijack and its aftermath—again about terror.

A logical sequel, Kathmandu Connection 2 is far more riveting than the original, and tackles relationships, family as well as terrorism. Now, Samarth is running a small café, but has not forgotten that he has to clear his name, as his own daughter does not want to see him. Sunny is still in love with investigative journalist and college flame Shivani Bhatnagar (Aksha Pardasany), who has relocated to London, and was a keen follower of the conspiracy angle in Season 1.  Though in jail for his other crimes as well, Sunny has always claimed innocence in the matter of being involved in terrorism. He too wants to clear his name in that respect.

Samarth had then also conspired with Shivani to help bring Sunny to book, and Sunny’s arch-enemy is Wajid (Prashant Narayanan), based in Dubai and conspiring against India.

Enough material here to get meat for another tale of terrorism (thankfully minus political patronage!) as Shivani comes down to India, meets Sunny in jail and proceeds to Kathmandu because she has evidence of something big is being planned in the Indo-Pak peace summit being held there. Samarth once again convinces his deputy Shravan (Anurag Arora) to accompany him to Kathmandu when he comes to know that Sunny has escaped from jail and his friend is given the task of tracking and arresting him. An Indian agent (Harleen Sethi) is also operating there and soon joins forces with them. What happens next?

Given the fanciful premise that just a handful of individuals—cops, a criminal, an agent and a journalist—help thwart a massive strike against a peace summit, Kathmandu Connection 2 works well. The interest does not flag, whether it is about Shivani’s determination, Samarth’s passion to clear his name for his family’s sake and his honor, and Sunny’s deep love for Shivani, whom he wishes to protect at all costs.

Technically upbeat, the series boasts of more than competent direction, and some minor script loopholes that are always the bane of such shows, especially Indian ones, can thus be accepted or overlooked. A chain of accomplished performances from Amit Sial, Aksha Pardasany, Anshuman Pushkar and Anurag Arora (he scores over the other three, in my opinion!) boost the show alongside Prashant Narayan’s suave villainy and Harleen Sethi’s determined act as the Indian agent.

At a crisp 6-episode story with crisper episode lengths (averaging 35 minutes), Kathmandu Connection 2 is a good watch, and the next season is hinted at—a story on the attack on the Indian Parliament.

Here’s hoping then that another oft-done story is treated as, or more, engrossingly as this one is.

Sony LIV presents Jar Pictures’ Kathmandu Connection 2  Produced by: Ajay G. Rai  Directed by: Sachin Pathak  Written by: Siddharth Mishra Music: Sneha Khanwalkar  Starring: Amit Sial, Aksha Pardasany, Anshuman Pushkar, Anurag Arora, Prashant Narayan, Harleen Sethi, Umar Sharif, Akanksha Pandey & others