India, Aug. 14 -- It's been 19 years since the first Awarapan, a film that bombed at the box office upon release. But there's no business like film business. Today, thanks to the cult following the original developed organically over the years, Awarapan 2 has opened to packed houses, and my show was no different.

Sitting in the theatre, I was transported back to the 2000s, when Vishesh Films had a knack for churning out films at a rapid pace. Murder, Zeher, Gangster, to name a few. They shared a peculiar similarity: most were crime thrillers that worked, starred Emraan Hashmi in the lead, and came with songs that had a shelf life far longer than their theatrical runs. Awarapan 2 follows much of the same template, and for the most part, i...