Before giving us glimpses of chase sequences, aerial stunts, and action set-pieces, the trailer of War 2 opens with something unexpected. In the first 80 seconds of the two-minute-plus trailer, Hrithik Roshan and Jr NTR’s characters are heard pledging to serve the country above all else. It turns out producer Aditya Chopra and director Ayan Mukerji decided to incorporate this oath, a feature that will now be extended to all the films in the YRF Spy Universe.

In the August 14 release that also stars Kiara Advani, Roshan reprises his role of R&AW agent-gone-rogue Kabir Dhaliwal from War (2019), and Jr NTR is seen as part of the same intelligence agency. A source reveals that the two characters take this oath, as trainee agents, at a swearing-in ceremony.

“Adi and Ayan wanted a motto that would not only form the foundation for Hrithik and Jr NTR’s characters, but would also tie the other characters of the spy universe together. So, Adi and writer Shridhar Raghavan penned this shapath. Henceforth, all undercover agents — from Shah Rukh Khan’s Pathaan to Salman Khan’s Tiger — will be seen taking the same oath,” says the source.

Raghavan, the head writer of the franchise and screenplay writer of Pathaan (2023) and Tiger 3 (2023), confirms the development. To him, the pledge, India first, sums up the ethos of each spy in the banner’s fictional world. “India first was always their driving force. From now, it will be the war cry of every agent in this spy universe,” he shares.

The oath had another purpose in War 2, he reveals. “Adi was clear that he did not want a single plot point to be given out in the trailer. So, we created a fictional oath that the agents take during their induction into the deadly covert task forces. It mirrors the film’s dramatic story. Hrithik and Jr NTR are mirror images of each other, both bound by the call of duty to protect India — then why are they battling each other? The idea was to play on the intrigue.”