Mahesh Bhatt, known for his offbeat films, has a penchant for making films revolving around a criminal protagonist. No wonder, his recent movies give you a sense of déjà vu of his previous releases, whether Angaaray featuring Akshay Kumar, which was revamped as Emraan Hashmi’s debut film Footpath or Kalyug which was very similar to his previous film Sadak.

Jism 2 is no different. The basic plot resembles Kartoos, directed by Bhatt himself back in 1999. So what does Jism 2 have to offer other than a film about a gangster, a cop and a honey trap? Essentially, nothing, except that it marks the Hindi film debut of porn-star Sunny Leone. But even Leone doesn’t deliver anything special.

Here’s the basic plot of Jism 2. Porn star Izna (Sunny Leone) is picked up by Ayaan Thakur (Arunoday Singh). After a one-night stand, Ayaan reveals that he is part of a government intelligence unit and they need her help on a mission. Ayaan and Izna fly to Sri Lanka, where she is hired by an intelligence agent to become a honey-trap for a lawman-turned-assassin Kabir (Randeep Hooda). While playing this part, she has to confront her bitter-sweet past with Kabir.

Director Pooja Bhatt, who shouted from the rooftops that Jism 2 was an erotic film, fails to establish her characters, and the sex scenes are neither explicit nor sensual. As a director, Bhatt fails to lace together a storyline along with screenplay. The script is weak and lacks conviction. The basic premise and story are jerky and the entire storyboard sets a weary tone. The script, which needed punch in each scene, falls flat.

A film like Jism 2 calls for powerful dialogue, which is patchy and breaks the flow of the film. Take, for instance, the scene where Singh confronts Leone and tries to persuade her to be part of their mission. The exchange between the two is not in sync with the context and also fails to convey any sentiment.

The characters too have not been fleshed out adequately and fail to draw you in. For instance, when Leone is persuaded by Zakaria to marry Hooda, Singh’s reaction is devoid of any emotion. The scene could have been handled in a more bold manner.

The sketch of each character is vague and there is no justification for why each one is who they are. The reason Hooda becomes an assassin is revealed only at the end of the film, robbing his character of its essence. Also, the movie starts with a voice-over of Leone introducing herself as a porn star but she doesn’t explain why.

Background score is good. Editing could have been sharper. Cinematography is an asset. Locations and costumes are apt.

The major drawback of this film is that its first half is much too slow and it is only post-interval that the story picks up. Every scene before the interval is a drag and there is ample scope for crisp editing. The scene where Hooda confronts Leone and asks her to save him from himself should have been handled with more sentiments and apathy.

The only thing that works in favour of the film is the two male protagonists. Both Hooda and Singh are at their best as actors. Hooda’s introductory scene impresses. If only Bhatt had justified his character’s dark shades early on, the film would have been a better product.

The drama isn’t convincing and is over-the-top, and the emotions portrayed fail to engage the audience. Sure, there are a few moments worth watching but they are too few. The film does pick up pace in the second half but loses its swiftness after a few scenes.

Performance-wise, Randeep Hooda gets into the skin of his character and despite the question mark hanging over his role, he portrays the grey shades of his character beautifully. Arunoday Singh plays his part with flamboyance. Sunny Leone fails to impress. She lacks the zeal her character should have had. She does carry the bold scenes with a certain ease but fails to emote her role to the fullest. Arif Zakaria and Sumeet Nijhawan have very little to offer but they perform well.

Verdict: Below expectation