‘Less is more in a thriller,’ says Vadh 2 director Jaspal Singh Sandhu on crafting grit and mystery

‘Less is more in a thriller,’ says Vadh 2 director Jaspal Singh Sandhu on crafting grit and mystery

• Vadh 2 is a spiritual sequel with a new story and characters.
• Sandhu maintained a gritty tone, focusing on ordinary people in tense situations.
• Sandhu believes suspense thrives with restraint and minimal exposition.

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Ahead of the release of Vadh 2, director Jaspal Singh Sandhu spoke to Moneycontrol about returning to the bleak, morally tense universe of the franchise. While the film is positioned as a spiritual sequel rather than a direct continuation, Sandhu explains that its emotional DNA remains rooted in the same space: ordinary people pushed into extraordinary situations. In the conversation, he breaks down how tone, visual language, and restraint shape the film’s thriller identity.

On maintaining the gritty crime-thriller tone

Sandhu said the tonal groundwork had already been established in the first film, which made carrying it forward more intuitive than challenging. “See, in the first film, I mean we have already made the first film, so in the first film, the grunge tone was already there. When it was appreciated and it gelled up with the characters, it was not very difficult for me because we did the tone set ourselves. This is how the narrative is going to be. I could not go beyond the signature aura of Manna Vada. I mean, if I shoot something grand, my lensing, my lighting, that is what sets the mood. It's a visual medium. These are the two things. And the flow of the story. Suddenly it cannot be an action film. But it was a straightforward film. Cause and effect, cause and effect. And this is a layered film. There is a mystery in it. And setting the tone was not a challenge.”

On carrying forward the core theme in a spiritual sequel

While the tone remained familiar, Sandhu noted that the thematic translation was more demanding because the second film is not a direct sequel. “This part was more challenging because it's not a true sequel to your first part. It's a spiritual sequel. The story is different. The characters are completely different. So that was a challenge. Shampoo Nath Mishra in the first film has a 36 year old character. He is a street smart guy. He was a very straight master. There is a jail border in this film. So you can imagine. That was a challenge. I was able to convey what was in my mind to the actors. But the actors got convinced and conveyed it well. So that was a challenge. But the rest was not that challenging.”

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On disturbing visuals and intense scenes

Asked about some of the unsettling moments teased in the trailer, Sandhu explained that most of them were deeply integrated into the screenplay, with limited improvisation. “I had written the dog scene on the set. But it already had a context. But that was improvised a little bit. The rest of the scenes that you have seen we had already sorted them on the screenplay level. So while I was writing the screenplay I have a habit of writing 8–9 drafts. So in each draft some things are added. So the scenes that you have seen are all part of the story. When you watch the film, everything will be there.”

His mantra for making thrillers gritty

Sandhu believes suspense works best when it trusts the audience and avoids excess exposition. “My tip if somebody wants to take that which I have also seen and read is that less is more in a thriller. Everything cannot be in the face. If you convey a lot of things through gestures through silence through stage you can create a thrill you can create a mystery you can never do dialogues. You can never do dialogues.”

What he expects from the audience

For Sandhu, the goal remains clear and grounded in storytelling rather than spectacle. “We are in the entertainment field. We make films to entertain people. I expect the audience to be entertained by a good mystery thriller. I don't expect them to be entertained. My purpose is to make a successful story.”