The much-awaited teaser of War 2, starring Hrithik Roshan and Jr NTR, was unveiled by the makers on Tuesday (May 20), instantly grabbing attention across social media. While many fans praised the high-octane visuals and the return of Hrithik as the fierce and brooding Kabir, the teaser has also sparked a debate and not entirely for the right reasons.
Shortly after its release, a section of netizens began calling out the film's VFX, labeling it 'underwhelming' and 'inconsistent' for a project of such scale. Amid the visual effects criticism, a new controversy has erupted online.
An X (formerly known as Twitter) user shared a video comparing one of Hrithik's action sequences in War 2 teaser to a similar scene from Tamil superstar Thalapathy Vijay's 2017 film Bairavaa.
The video features Hrithik wielding a sword-like weapon, spinning it dramatically in his hand, a moment that's juxtaposed with Vijay performing the same move in Bairavaa. The side-by-side comparison quickly went viral, leading to accusations of plagiarism from some users, who claimed the scene appeared to be "copied."
Adding fuel to the fire, a few fans noted that the action director for War 2, Anl Arasu, had also choreographed the stunts in Bairavaa, possibly explaining the striking similarity.
Take a look at the now-viral video here:
Reacting to the similarity, a user wrote, "I think there's a similar shot in Beast as well." Another commented, "This is the exact frame."
"I'm not a Bollywood fan. But plz don't compare any Indian hero with Vijay," wrote another suer on X.
Despite the growing chatter online, the makers of War 2 have yet to respond to the allegations or address the ongoing criticism regarding the 'copied' scene or the film's VFX quality.
With the film being one of the most anticipated sequels in the YRF Spy Universe, War 2 continues to generate massive buzz, both for its scale and the unexpected controversies surrounding it.
While the original War was directed by Siddharth Anand, known for his classy action sequences, the baton was passed on to director Ayan Mukerji for War 2. The 2019 film also starred Tiger Shroff and Vaani Kapoor. It had earned Rs 318 crore at the box office, making it one of the highest grossing films of the year.
War 2, also starring Kiara Advani, is all set to hit the big screens on August 14.
