When justice fails, revenge takes centre stage

Sidney Sheldon famously observed that, to the ancient Greeks, the concept of justice (dikaiosini) was often synonymous with vengeance (ekdikisis). Vadh-2 and System, two films released this week on OTT, are based on this very belief. The cornerstone of both films is: “If the system can’t deliver justice, then it’s acceptable to take the law into your own hands and seek revenge.”

As expected, while Dhurandhar and Dhurandhar-2: The Revenge, which dish out nationalism in the garb of chauvinism, keep the moolah flowing into the multiplexes, these two films, which portray the pain of ordinary people and their fight back, find shelter in the comfort of home on OTT platforms.

After all, who cares so much about the common man that they would visit a theatre to watch a film?

While both films depict protagonists facing immense misery at the hands of the high and mighty and then plotting actions that result in the downfall of culprits who got away scot-free under the law, the story of Vadh-2 spans decades, whereas in System, justice comes more swiftly.

Also, while in Vadh-2 the wrongly framed character accidentally gets an opportunity to settle scores, the victims in System plan their moves meticulously. While Vadh-2 begins at the crime scene and then moves to prison, System opens in prison and then takes viewers back to the crime. Both films slowly unravel the losses suffered by the have-nots, their hardships, and finally their retaliation.

The films explicitly depict how the affluent use not only the judiciary and police but the entire system to shift the blame onto the downtrodden and escape accountability. Apart from sterling performances by the casts of both films, one remarkable feature of Vadh-2 is seeing Luv Ranjan produce a film that is neither a love story nor one that blames girls while supporting boys. Similarly, it is a pleasure to see Jyotika and Sonakshi after a long time in System.

So, if you are sick and tired of the bravado of Dhurandhar, or are waiting for Dhurandhar-2 to arrive on OTT, these two films are worth watching.

Both Vadh-2 and System tap into a growing public frustration with institutions that often appear inaccessible to ordinary citizens. Though rooted in the unsettling idea of vigilante justice, the films compellingly portray the anguish of the powerless and their quest for accountability.

In an era dominated by larger-than-life nationalist spectacles, these OTT releases offer a more grounded reflection on inequality, injustice, and the moral dilemmas that arise when the system itself seems to fail.

The writer is an educator author, and corporate coach; Views presented are personal.