Dabangg 2
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Arbaaz Khan
Written by	Dilip Shukla[1]
Produced by	Arbaaz Khan Malaika Arora Khan
Starring	Salman Khan Sonakshi Sinha Arbaaz Khan Prakash Raj Vinod Khanna
Cinematography	Aseem Mishra Mahesh Limaye
Edited by	Hemal Kothari
Music by	Songs: Sajid–Wajid Score: Sandeep Shirodkar
Production companies	Arbaaz Khan Productions Stellar Films
Distributed by	Eros International
Release date	21 December 2012 (2012-12-21)
Running time	123 minutes[2]
Country	India
Language	Hindi
Budget	₹50 crore[3]
Box office	₹253.54 crore[4]

Dabangg 2 (transl. Fearless 2) is a 2012 IndianHindi-languageaction comedy film directed and produced byArbaaz Khan underArbaaz Khan Productions.^[5] It is a sequel toDabangg (2010), and the second installment of theDabangg series.Salman Khan,Sonakshi Sinha,Arbaaz Khan,Mahie Gill andVinod Khanna reprise their roles, whilePrakash Raj,Nikitin Dheer,Pankaj Tripathi,Manoj Pahwa andDeepak Dobriyal appear in supporting roles.

Dabangg 2 was theatrically released in India on 21 December 2012 during theChristmas festival. It earned₹58.3 crore (US$6.9 million) net in India within three days of its release to break the record ofEk Tha Tiger (2012), another film featuring Salman Khan.Dabangg 2 grossed over₹253.54 crore (US$30 million) at the worldwide box office, becoming the second highest-grossing Hindi film of 2012 behindEk Tha Tiger, and one of thehighest-grossing Indian films of all time. The film accumulated₹155 crore (US$18 million) net and was termed a "blockbuster" byBox Office India. The third film in the franchise titledDabangg 3 was released in December 2019.

After the events from theprevious film,InspectorChulbul Pandey takes charge of a local police station inKanpur and resides there with his wife Rajjo, half-brother Makkhi and stepfather Prajapati Pandey. In Kanpur, an assassin murders a witness who is about to testify against a dreaded gangster and politician named Thakur Bachcha Singh.

Chulbul tracks the assassin down, killing him at acoffeehouse. After several public altercations, Bachcha's brother Genda convinces him to get rid of Pandey, threatening Prajapati Pandey to kill his entire family if Chulbul keeps on interfering in Bachcha's illegal activities. Genda harasses a girl at her wedding, where Chulbul arrives and asks Genda to leave. Genda refuses and continues to insult Chulbul, who breaks his neck, leading to his death.

Meanwhile, Rajjo becomes pregnant and Chulbul is advised by everybody to leave Bachcha alone for the sake of his family's safety. Bachcha promises to avenge his brother's death before the election but he faces the pressure from his own party to condemn Genda's actions for his own and party's image. He meets Rajjo and Makkhi while they were leaving a temple. Makkhi is shot by Bachcha and Rajjo is pushed off the temple stairs. Rajjo and Makkhi survive, but Rajjo suffers a miscarriage.

Enraged, Chulbul enters Bachcha's location and kills all of his men, including Bachcha. Later, Chulbul and Rajjo bear a baby boy and Chedi Singh's photographer asks for a family photo. They all laugh and the photographer takes the picture.

When directorAbhinav Kashyap opted out of directing the sequel, Arbaaz Khan himself decided to helm the film.^{[d 1]} Prakash Raj was confirmed to have been chosen to play the main villain.^{[d 2]}Kareena Kapoor Khan chose to play an item number in the film,^{[d 3][d 4]} despite initial reports consideringKatrina Kaif for the role.^{[d 5]}

In Feb 2012, it was reported that distribution rights were sold toUTV Motion Pictures for a price of₹ 1.40 billion, the highest for a Bollywood film till date.^{[d 6]} But laterUTV Motion Pictures reported the news as completely fake & nonsense. UTV Motion Pictures has brushed aside rumours of purchasing the rights of the sequel to Salman Khan-Sonakshi Sinha starrer,Dabangg 2 for₹ 1.40 billion.^{[d 7]}The national emblem framed on the wall of Chulbul Pandey's police station was depicted incorrectly. Sensitive to the slightest abnormality pertaining to national sentiments, the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) has asked producer-director Arbaaz Khan to simply blur the corner of the film's frames where the national emblem appears.^{[d 8]}

Shooting for the film began in March 2012.^{[f 1]} The producers announced plans to shoot the film inKanpur.^{[f 2]} A set depicting the city of Kanpur was created at the Kamalistan Studios in Mumbai, where the first schedule of the film was shot.^{[f 3]} The entire studio was rented for the film, making it a first in Bollywood.^{[f 4]} The phase consisted of shooting aqawwali song underneon lights.^{[f 5]} Following the shoot, filming is expected to take place in film city in Mumbai. The last schedule has been planned to be shot at Satara.^{[f 3]} Three days after the film went on floors, it was reported that Salman Khan replaced cinematographer,K. K. Senthil Kumar, with Aseem Kumar. A song titled "Fevicol Se" was choreographed as a dance number and considered as an equivalent to "Munni Badnaam Hui" from prequel. Reports indicating that Salman would essay an important involvement in the director's role were dismissed by Arbaaz.^{[f 6]}Dabangg 2 was produced on a budget of₹560 million;₹170 million were spent on marketing costs of the film.

• The figures don't include the Print and Advertising (P&A) costs.

The songs are composed bySajid–Wajid while the lyrics were penned byJalees Sherwani, Irfan Kamal, andSameer. Thefilm score is composed bySandeep Shirodkar. The full soundtrack album was released on 9 November 2012.^[10] One notable track, often referred to as the "Chatni Song" in promotional material and sung byMamta Sharma andWajid Ali, is an adaptation of the famous Indo-TrinidadianChutney song "Kaise Bani" (or "Pholourie Bina Chutney Kaise Bani") bySundar Popo, which itself has roots in traditionalBhojpuri folk music.TheDabangg 2 version significantly altered the original English lyrics, removing specific Trinidadian cultural and historical references (such as Sangre Grande and thekudari tool) and changing contextual details (e.g., falling into a train instead of a sugarcane field), thereby adapting the song for a mainstream Indian audience and stripping it of its specific diaspora connotations.^[11]

The first look of the film was unveiled on 19 October 2012 and theatrical trailer was launched on 20 October 2012 at Salman Khan's reality showBigg Boss 6. Chulbul Pandey, Khan's character inDabangg 2 appeared inStarPlus soapDiya Aur Baati Hum to promote the film. It aired on 12 and 13 December 2012.^{[m 1][m 2]} Salman and Sonakshi promoted the film on the sets ofSa Re Ga Ma Pa.Dabangg 2 was screened at the Ketnav theatre inKhar, a western Mumbai suburb, on 17 December 2012.^{[m 3][m 4][m 5][m 6]} ADabangg 2 special screening was done for the star kids on 19 December 2012.^{[m 7]} Another premiere was held on 20 December 2012 in whichAamir Khan also attended.^{[m 8]}

Dabangg 2 released in 3500 screens in India and 450 screens overseas on 21 December 2012.^{[re 1][re 2][b 1]} The film was made on a budget of₹650 million (US$7.7 million) including prints and advertising. This figure does not include Salman Khan's fee which can go as high as the budget of the film itself.Dabangg 2 had the highest screen count for any film in India and worldwide, surpassing that ofEk Tha Tiger. The trailers forKai Po Che! andBhaag Milkha Bhaag were released withDabangg 2.^{[re 3][re 4]}

Chief judicial magistrate (CJM), Muzaffarpur ordered to lodge an FIR against seven artists ofDabangg 2, including Salman Khan, Arbaaz Khan, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Sonakshi Sinha, and others under Section 156 (clause 3) of the CrPC and submit a report within a week in connection with a complaint filed against a song "Fevicol...." in Hindi movieDabangg 2. The complainant filed the case demanding a ban on the song immediately, claiming that such songs are likely to fuel sexual harassment and misbehaviour against girls at a time when the entire nation was experiencing an unprecedented shame due to therecent gang rape and death of a 23-year-old girl in Delhi.^[12]

Dabangg 2 received mixed reviews from critics. On thereview aggregator websiteRotten Tomatoes, 33% of 12 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 5.1/10.^[13]

Taran Adarsh ofBollywood Hungama gave the film 4 out of 5 stars and said "Dabangg 2 has Salman Khan, Salman Khan and Salman Khan plus entertainment, entertainment and entertainment in large doses".^{[r 1]} Resham Sengar ofZee TV rated the film 3.5 out of 5 stars, noting "But the actor cum director has kept the standards of the film intact like a pro. So much so that it was hard to believe that a newbie in film making has directed the film. So, go on and book your ticket to enjoy this paisa vasool film with your friends and family and don't forget to grab a tub of popcorn".^{[r 2]} Srijana Mitra Das ofThe Times of India gave the film 3.5 out of 5 stars and praised the overall style.^{[r 3]}Mid-Day gave it 3 out of 5 stars and said the film was a treat for diehard Salman Khan fans.^{[r 4]} Rubina Khan ofFirst Post India gave the film 3 out of 5 stars and said it didn't matter what score she gave the film, it would still do great business.^{[r 5]}Filmfare stated "Dabangg 2 is a fanboy's dream and wouldn't disappoint the first comer either".^{[r 6]}

Saibal Chatterjee ofNDTV gave the film a score 2.5 out of 5 stars reviewing "This film might also end up raking in a much larger box office booty thanDabangg did, but assessed strictly as a pure entertainer designed for instant mass gratification, it isn't half as successful. Unfortunately, theDabangg 2 screenplay is devoid of any fresh ideas".^{[r 7]} Gaurav Malani, also fromThe Times of India gave the film a mixed review and recommended skipping it by "watching reruns ofDabangg on television".^{[r 8]} Raja Sen ofRediff gave it 2.5 out of 5 stars and feltDabangg 2 was less unwatchable than its predecessor and it had "absolutely nothing new to offer, and nothing to remember, quote or take away from the theatre".^{[r 9]}The Indian Express rated the film 2.5 out of 5 stars and said "Arbaaz should have given himself some more time" to make the film watchable.^{[r 10]}Stardust publishers Manga gave the film 2.5 out of 5 stars also calling it a "one-time watch potboiler".Anupama Chopra of theHindustan Times gave the film 2.5 out of 5 stars and saidDabangg 2 does not match "the zing of the original" and "there wasn't one line that stayed with me after the film".^{[r 11]}Rajeev Masand ofCNN-IBN gave the film 2.5 out of 5 stars and stated what the "film needed was personality and character, what it's left with is sameness. But that's probably enough for Salman Khan fans".

Aniruddha Guha also ofDNA India rated the film 2 out of 5 stars and called it "wannabe-Dabangg".^{[r 12]} After giving it a 2 out of 5 stars, theDaily Bhaskar pannedDabangg 2 by saying "you'd feel like a moron spending the last day on planet Earth filling your mind and lowering your IQ with rubbish like this".^{[r 13]} Business of Cinema gave the film 2 out of 5 stars and said it was a copy of the original and offered nothing new.^{[r 14]}Reuters gave it a negative review and raised objections to the content and said the film "objectified women in the worst way possible".^{[r 15]} Sanjukta Sharma fromLive Mint (The Wall Street Journal) said "Dabangg 2 is a disappointment. It had nothing to keep me engaged".^{[r 16]}

IGN gave the film 4.5 out of 10 stars and criticized the weak script and direction. Mufaddal Fakhruddin wrote, "the screenplay and script are majorly lacking, and whatever story it does have is stretched out in a way that it becomes blatantly obvious. There were a number of times where I went, "why did I just watch this scene?".Dabangg 2 felt lost. They say not all those who wander are lost, butDabangg 2 actually is.^{[r 17]}Digital Spy gave the film 2 out of 5 stars and objected to the content. Priya Joshi wrote, "Khan revels in the shameless display of narcissism, but there is little to commend the performance. The dialog is trite, there is no depth to the characters, and most of the effort has been applied to the elaborate fight sequences. With the emphasis on violence and the objectifying of women, it's a step back in time, where the women are either dutiful, temple-going housewives or cleavage-baring prostitutes". Joshi recommended skipping the film and added instead of watching it, we could "use the time, perhaps more wisely, pondering whether we have enough brussels for Christmas dinner".^{[r 18]} Asian review website Wogma rated the film 1.18 out of 5 and criticized all aspects, from direction to performances by the lead actors. The reviewer broke down the rating of the film and gave "1 out of 5 for direction, 1 out of 5 for the story, 1 out of 5 for lead actors performances, 2 out of 5 for character artists, 2 out of 5 for dialogues, 1 out of 5 for screenplay, 1.5 out of 5 for the music, and 1 out of 5 for lyrics". Simon Abrams ofThe Village Voice said "before they really screw up [the film],Dabangg 2's creators do a good job of not taking themselves too seriously".^{[r 19]} Trisha Gupta from First Post International said the film was a rehash ofDabangg.^{[r 20]} Instead of giving a review, theNew York Daily Times objected to the content of the film. Quoting William Nicholas Gomes, a visiting fellow at theUniversity of York, they saidDabangg 2 "glorified the practice of torture by police forces" and would "raise wider public support in favour of torture and ill treatment [of prisoners] in custody".^{[r 21]}

Dabangg 2 was the second-highest grosser of the year behindEk Tha Tiger. It netted₹211 million (US$2.5 million) on its opening day, the biggest non-holiday opener beating the previous record held byRowdy Rathore.^{[b 1]} On its second day however, the film witnessed a drop due to "excessive screenings and cold weather" but still collected around₹215 million (US$2.5 million).^{[b 2]} The film's business grew on Sunday and it collected₹224 million (US$2.6 million), taking the first weekend total to₹650 million (US$7.7 million), beating the previous three-day record set byKhiladi 786.^{[b 3][b 4]} After a successful weekend, the film had a strong Monday where it made₹100 million (US$1.2 million), beating the previous record held byDabangg.^{[b 5]}Dabangg 2 collected around₹157.8 million (US$1.9 million) on Tuesday (Christmas day).^{[b 6][b 7]}Dabangg 2 netted around₹77.5 million (US$920,000) on Wednesday.^{[b 7]} The film collected₹60 million (US$710,000) on Thursday, bringing the first week total to₹990 million (US$12 million).^{[b 8]} The film collected₹200 million (US$2.4 million) in its second weekend taking the film's collections to₹1.19 billion (US$14 million).^{[b 9][b 10]} The film was declared a blockbuster by Box Office India after its first week.^{[b 11]}Dabangg 2 has collected around₹320 million (US$3.8 million) nett in five days of its second week as it grossed a huge₹80 million (US$950,000) crore plus on Tuesday as it was New Years Day, taking its total to₹1.42 billion (US$17 million).^{[b 12]} According to Box Office India, the film became the second highest-grossing film of 2012 in 13 days, adding₹ 30 million nett on that day.^{[b 13]}Dabangg 2 collected solid figures of₹464 million (US$5.5 million) nett in its second week.^{[b 14]} After successful two weeks, the film further netted₹75.0 million (US$890,000) in third weekend to make a total of around₹1,465 million (US$17 million) nett.^{[b 15]}Dabangg 2 collected a good figure of₹287 million (US$3.4 million) in its third week.^{[b 16]} It netted around₹1.78 billion (US$21 million) nett after the completion of its theatrical run.^{[b 17]} The final distributor share of the film in India was₹940 million (US$11 million).^{[b 18]}

Dabangg 2 collected close toUS$8.5 million overseas in its opening weekend.^{[b 19]} The film reached $8 million overseas in 10 days and was declared a 'super-hit' by Box Office India.Dabangg 2 has taken its overseas total to around $10.25 million in 17 days and has become the third biggest overseas hit of 2012 behindJab Tak Hai Jaan andEk Tha Tiger, both of which earned the 'blockbuster' status overseas.^{[b 20][b 21]}Dabangg 2 grossed around $11.75 million in its total lifetime.^{[b 22]}

Dabangg 3, a circumquel and the third installment in theDabangg (film series) starringSalman Khan andSudeep was released on 20 December 2019.^[14]

Development

Filming

Marketing

Release

Critical Reception

Box office

• Dabangg 2 atBox Office Mojo
• Dabangg 2 atBollywood Hungama
• Dabangg 2 atIMDb 
• Dabangg 2 atRotten Tomatoes
• Dabangg 2 at JioCinema

• 2012 films
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• 2010s Indian films
• 2012 masala films
• 2010s vigilante films
• 2012 action comedy films
• 2012 comedy films
• 2012 directorial debut films
• Fictional portrayals of the Uttar Pradesh Police
• Films set in Kanpur
• Films shot in Mumbai
• Indian action comedy films
• Indian films about revenge
• Indian police films
• Indian pregnancy films
• Indian sequel films
• Indian vigilante films

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