Hot take: Awaarapan never needed a sequel. It needed a really good remake.
I absolutely love Awaarapan (2007). It’s one of my favorite Mohit Suri films, and the album is still on repeat for me. Toh Phir Aao, Tera Mera Rishta, Maula Mere Pritam absolutely cooked with that soundtrack, and Emraan Hashmi was terrific as Shivam.
That said, after watching the Awaarapan 2 teaser, I felt something was missing. The nostalgia hit because of Emraan and Toh Phir Aao, but beyond that, I wasn’t completely sold. The scale and cinematography look polished, but I don’t know if I’m getting the same raw emotional intensity that made the original work.
Which brings me to my unpopular opinion, The movie deserves a good remake and not a sequel.
The core story is timeless. A broken man searching for redemption through sacrifice still works in 2026. Awaarapan had a few plot conveniences, some underdeveloped character arcs, and writing choices that could be tightened considerably today. Keep the emotional core intact, but update the screenplay, deepen the characters, fix the loopholes, and make the narrative even more gripping.
A modern remake could also update certain story elements to fit today’s context while preserving the soul of the film.
The remake could possibly be helmed by Mohit Suri himself, as he knows the world better and has actually spoken about his interest in making a sequel for it a lot of times. Nitin Kakkar is directing the sequel.
Another reason I think a remake could work is because Mohit Suri is genuinely good at introducing and extracting strong performances from fresh faces. Just look at what he did with Ahaan Panday and Aneet Padda in Saiyaara or even Aditya Shraddha back in 2013. Instead of relying on established stars, he could take a similar route with Awarapan and build it around newcomers who fit the characters rather than their market value. In fact, since his next film is again with Ahaan and Aneet, I can even see them headlining a remake if the casting clicks. And if not them, there are plenty of talented newcomers and younger actors today who could bring a fresh identity to the film.
If not them, for the male lead, actors like Vedang Raina, Ishaan Khatter, or even some other newer performers could bring a fresh interpretation without trying to imitate Emraan. For the female lead, I’d honestly prefer stronger performers like Sharvari, Pratibha Ranta, or someone from the newer generation who can bring more depth to the role. A remake would actually be the perfect platform to launch or further establish a new generation of actors while preserving the soul of the original story.
One of my biggest issues with the original was that the female lead’s performance never matched the emotional weight of the story.
And honestly, if there’s one thing Mohit Suri consistently gets right, it’s music. Whether through fresh compositions or reimagined versions of classics like Toh Phir Aao and Tera Mera Rishta, I trust him to deliver an album that balances nostalgia with something new.
I hope Awaarapan 2 turns out great. But if you ask me, Awaarapan is one of Bollywood’s strongest remake candidates. The original story is good that a well written, modern reimagining could genuinely become a huge hit for a new generation.
Anyone else feel this way, or am I in the minority here?