Aksar 2 trailer: Tainted ex-cricketer Sreesanth finds new life after sports

The first film in the Aksar franchise had an unsual storyline, with one man hiring another to have an affair with his wife. Now, director Anant Mahadevan returns with another unconventional suspense drama in Aksar 2.

The trailer was released today and while the storyline does not seem drastically different, the more arresting thing is the presence of tainted ex-cricketer S Sreesanth.

The former India fast bowler was accused of spot-fixing and handed a life ban a few years ago before the Kerala high court recently asked the Board of Control for Cricket in India to lift the ban.

Sreesanth, who is part of the film's supporting cast, is no stranger to the world of entertainment. He is a trained dancer while his sister is a Malayalam TV actress. Sreesanth had participated in an earlier season of the dance reality show Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa and made his debut as an actor with the Malayalam film Team 5 (2017). He has also worked in the Richa Chadha-starrer Cabaret, which is yet to be released.

Sreesanth's presence is the most notable thing in the Aksar 2 trailer. Not that he has shown any great acting ability yet, but the presence of the controversial ex-sport star is bound to draw some attention.

Coming back to the storyline, in Aksar (2006), we had Raj (Dino Morea) asking Ricky (Emraan Hashmi) to have an affair with his wife Sheena (Udita Goswami). In Aksar 2, we have TV actor Abhinav Shukla’s character using his girlfriend, played by Zareen Khan, to dupe the wealthy Khambatas. Shukla is joined by fellow TV actor Gautam Rode, who plays the heir to the Khambata millions.

Khan and Shukla's characters perhaps plan to kill the Khambatas and spirit away their wealth, but as in the first film, there are twists and turns in store. The trailer, however, isn't appealing because you can't help the feeling that maybe the director does not have the best talent at his disposal. None of Rode, Shukla or Khan seem to have the acting chops for such roles. Veteran Lillete Dubey is sure to outshine all of them.

You can watch the trailer of Aksar 2 below and predict the film's box-office performance here. Aksar 2 is scheduled to be released on 6 October.