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Inspector Avinash Season 2 follows Avinash Mishra battling a weapons cartel and his sons murder case, strong performances and pace offset uneven writing and technical flaws
Randeep Hooda as Inspector Avinash Season 2.
Inspector Avinash Season 2U/A
Starring: Randeep Hooda, Urvashi Rautela, Amit Sial, Abhimanyu SinghDirector: Neeraj Pathak Platform: JioHotstar
Inspector Avinash Season 2 tries hard to be a gritty, emotionally charged crime thriller set in the lawless landscape of 1990s Uttar Pradesh and while the series succeeds in keeping viewers invested, its uneven writing and exaggerated treatment often stop it from becoming the hard-hitting cop drama it aspires to be.
The new season follows Inspector Avinash Mishra (Randeep Hooda) as he takes on a politically connected weapons cartel led by Sheikh (Amit Sial) and Devikant Trivedi (Abhimanyu Singh). But this time, the battle is personal too. With his son Varun accused of murdering a classmate who allegedly bullied him, Avinash finds himself trapped between his duty as a police officer and his responsibilities as a father. At the same time, internal politics within the police force, suspensions, betrayals and corruption continue to push him into increasingly dangerous territory.
The show works best when it leans into its investigative drama. The constant introduction of suspicious characters and hidden agendas creates enough intrigue to keep the narrative engaging.
The show works better when it focuses on the corruption within the police system, with Avinash constantly unsure about who he can trust. The growing weapons cartel storyline also makes the conflict feel bigger than a regular cop-versus-criminal drama.
Randeep Hooda once again carries the show with sheer screen presence. He brings a rugged intensity to Avinash, making even some of the weaker scenes watchable. Amit Sial slips comfortably into the role of Sheikh, bringing menace without overplaying it. Abhimanyu Singh, with the sari, Hindi and his menacing gaze, is fantastic as Devikant Trivedi and adds unpredictability to the criminal network. Rajneesh Duggal leaves an impression as Ahlawat and Urvashi Rautela is surprisingly restrained and effective as Poonam, a wife struggling with the emotional cost of being married to a cop constantly consumed by his work. A particularly emotional scene, where she decides to leave Avinash’s house in the middle of the night with Varun after their son is accused of murder, is handled with unexpected sincerity and maturity by the actor.
However, the writing frequently struggles with tonal consistency. Several dialogues feel dated and overly dramatic, with only a handful of Randeep Hooda’s lines actually landing with impact. A major operation involving criminal Sachin Pahadi, which should have been tense, ends up feeling unintentionally comical because of its exaggerated staging and chaotic execution. Even emotional moments, particularly Avinash’s reaction to his son’s legal troubles, feel oddly underplayed.
The technical issues don’t help either. The dubbing and sound editing become distracting in places, with abrupt audio cuts making certain scenes feel awkwardly assembled.
The show also falls back on several familiar gangster-drama tropes. From hot-tempered weapon lords lounging in dingy rooms filled with music and dancers to formulaic female characters with police connections being used largely as informers and narrative devices, many portions of the series feel rooted in an older style of crime storytelling that rarely moves beyond stereotype.
Yet despite all its flaws, Inspector Avinash Season 2 remains watchable throughout. The background score effectively maintains tension, the pace rarely slows down and the constant atmosphere of danger keeps the audience hooked. It may not reinvent the cop-thriller genre, but for viewers who enjoy loud, old-school crime dramas packed with corruption, action and larger-than-life heroes, the series delivers enough entertainment to stay engaging.
