Special Ops 1.5 is an interesting start to 'The Himmat Story', notes Utkarsh Mishra.
Special Ops 1.5: The Himmat Story is now streaming on Disney+Hotstar. And the set-up doesn't seem much different than the first season, apart from the appearance of sanitiser bottles.
The first episode begins and ends on engaging notes.
Like the first season, this one also begins with an inquiry set up on Himmat Singh, played by Kay Kay Menon. However, unlike the previous one, this time it's in his favour.
And the man being grilled this time is not Himmat, but his most trusted aide Abbas Sheikh, played by Vinay Pathak.
It is a very intelligent way to let the viewer dive into the 'Himmat story' without breaking consistency.
The first few minutes of Episode 1 are very well connected with what happened in the first episode of Season 1, but it's neither repetitive nor redundant.
It shows the planning and consequences of Himmat's operation to nab Ikhlaq Khan right after the Parliament attack which was shown in the first episode of Season 1.
It also shows how Himmat and Abbas came to enjoy such a good camaraderie.
While the first episode of Season 1 was very fast paced and opened a lot of chapters at once, this one gently takes the viewer through the immediate aftermath of Himmat's failure to nab Ikhlaq during the first raid. And it slowly uncovers a new plot and introduces new characters.
The transition is very smooth and engaging.
It also throws a couple of surprises, like when young Himmat is speaking to his love interest on phone, you expect her to be his future wife Saroj. But she is revealed to be someone else.
That's a bit intriguing as the first part clearly established that Himmat and Saroj were together since their teenage years. However, the way Saroj is reintroduced into the story is even more surprising.
And one wonders how did they end up being together? Was it a mishap that brought them together or was it through deceit or betrayal?
While the first season got the story together only by the third or fourth episode, the story of the second progresses coherently.
But one thing that still leaves you amazed is how conveniently and remarkably Kay Kay Menon transitions back and forth from old to young Himmat. Kay Kay is a kind of actor who never ceases to surprise and you enjoy the whole time he's on screen.
In conclusion, it can be said that the first episode of Season 2 is more interesting than its predecessor.
Special Ops 1.5: The Himmat Story streams on Disney+Hotstar.
