The highly anticipated action thriller War 2, the sixth installment in the YRF Spy Universe, is set to release worldwide on August 14, 2025, coinciding with the Indian Independence Day weekend. Directed by Ayan Mukerji and produced by Aditya Chopra under Yash Raj Films, the film stars Hrithik Roshan, N. T. Rama Rao Jr., and Kiara Advani in lead roles.
Recent reports confirm that the makers have trimmed the film by over six minutes, even after receiving certification from the Censor Board. This decision was made to ensure a tighter and more engaging narrative. The final runtime for War 2 is now locked at 2 hours, 53 minutes, and 24 seconds. Initially, the film's runtime was 2 hours, 59 minutes, and 49 seconds.
The cuts were achieved by making changes to a total of 28 scenes. While most edits were minor, with 22 shots trimmed by less than 10 seconds each, some significant deletions were also made. These include shortening several action sequences, such as a chase scene trimmed by 16 seconds and another action block cut by 24 seconds. A dialogue sequence between the two protagonists was reduced by 1 minute and 19 seconds. Additionally, the speed of the end credits roll was increased, reducing the film's length by 1 minute and 47 seconds.
Among the edits, a nine-second reduction was made to a bikini scene featuring Kiara Advani. Sensual scenes featuring Kiara Advani were reportedly cut down to 50 percent. The censor board also asked to mute around six scenes featuring "inappropriate references". One obscene line has been altered, and a 2-second inappropriate gesture has been removed.
War 2 sees Hrithik Roshan reprising his role as Major Kabir Dhaliwal. The film marks the Bollywood debut of South superstar Jr NTR, who will feature as a formidable antagonist named Agent Vikram. Kiara Advani plays Kavya Luthra. Ashutosh Rana will reprise his role as Colonel Sunil Luthra from War. Anil Kapoor and Dishita Sehgal are also part of the cast. Alia Bhatt, Sharvari, and Bobby Deol will make cameo appearances in the post-credits scene.
According to the AMC Theatres website, the plot of War 2 is as follows: Years ago, Agent Kabir went rogue and became India's greatest villain. India sends its deadliest, most lethal agent after him: Agent Vikram. Agent Vikram is described as a "relentless Terminator driven by his own demons, determined to put a bullet into Kabir's skull".
War 2 is reportedly one of the most expensive films from the YRF Spy Universe to date, with an estimated budget of ₹400 crore.
