In the 22 years that separates Gadar: Ek Prem Katha (2001) and its sequel, an entire generation has been raised on Hindi movies that had a different cinematic language from the action drama. But as Gadar 2: The Katha Continues opens in cinemas today, it’s evident that the Sunny Deol and Ameesha Patel-led story continues to have fans across the country. Trade analysts have predicted a first-day opening of Rs. 25 crore, the second biggest this year after Pathaan.

Director Anil Sharma isn’t surprised. “From the day I conceived the plot of Gadar 2, I knew it would do well. Gadar is an emotion that 100 crore Indians have loved, but our film industry never understood that. Many criticized Gadar [after its release],” he recalls.

Taking the story of Deol’s Tara Singh and Patel’s Sakina forward, Gadar 2 shows how the protagonist heads to Pakistan to free his captive son, essayed by Utkarsh Sharma. A section of the industry, going by the trailer, feels that the sequel doesn’t have a powerful story.

“When lakhs have appreciated the trailer, the opinions of some don’t make a difference to me. When Gadar released, one review called it ‘Gutter: Ek Prem Katha.’ But the audience is the only thing that matters,” shares the director.

A Deol film cannot be complete without hardcore action. Last time, the leading man had famously uprooted a hand-pump in one of the action sequences. What can we expect this time around? “People are asking me if I have shown his dhai kilo ka haath. I’d say we have shown dhai-sau [250] kilo ka haath in Gadar 2. The action is raw, real and powerful.”

Now that the sequel has opened on a strong note, has he considered making a third instalment? Sharma says, “People are saying that I should make it a franchise like Baahubali. But I made Gadar 2 only when I got the right story. It all depends on whether I get a good story for the third part.”