Bheja Fry 2 Review

The last time we saw Bharat Bhushan, he was trying to convince an unsuspecting host what a great music lover/singer he is. This time, instead of exhibiting the contents of his briefcase to all and sundry, he has decided to acquire some money the quickest way possible, on a game show named Aao Guess Karein. If he wins, Bharat Bhushan will record his own album with the prize money.

Ajit Talwar (Kay Kay Menon) is a womaniser and also a successful businessman, who has some bogus companies set up in various parts of the world, in an effort to evade taxes. MT Shekharan (Suresh Menon), an Income Tax Inspector, is hot on his trail. When his friends and the producers of Aao Guess Karein invite Ajit on a weekend luxury cruise, he accepts, largely because one of the employees of the show, Ranjini (Minissha Lamba), has caught his fancy.

Now Ajit suspects that Bharat is the income tax guy bent on making his life hell, so he makes sure that the latter never leaves his sight. Bharat basks in the constant attention, and also falls in love with Ranjini, much to Ajit's ire. What follows is a roller coaster of mishaps, caused mostly by Bharat, of course.

Bheja Fry 2 is no Bheja Fry, the original. Despite the budget constraints and controlled environments of the first movie, there was never a dull moment, even in the most serious sequences. The sequel has a visibly bigger budget, and at times, it seems like the director does not know what to do with so much freedom (with locations and actors).

The script has its heart in the right places; only, those places are few and far between. The movie drags in most scenes, and even the funny lines seem artificial. Situations are forced upon the characters, and that takes away the humour.

Vinay Pathak is as good as he can get after years of working on similar roles. He looks a little tired, true, but he is, without doubt, the star of the show. Kay Kay Menon is decent, and convincing as the slimy, unethical businessman. If rumours are to be believed, Kay Kay and Vinay had a few ego issues during shooting, and that has boded well for their required chemistry (or lack of it) on screen.

Minissha Lamba is already jaded. She no longer has the same charm she displayed in Bachna Ae Haseeno, but she does not seem to know that as yet. At times, she looks positively suffocated.

Virendra Saxena is back on the big screen after a long time, and one wishes he had a more substantial role. Suresh Menon and Vinay Pathak play off the whole North-South divide very well, without offending sensibilities.

Rahul Vohra needs to take up a few more movies. His presence has a calming effect on the audience. Kishwer Merchant and Amit Behl are good actors, but their talent is not exploited enough. Aditi Govitrikar does what she has to, as a successful producer, and rather convincingly. Rukshar looks great, till she opens her mouth to speak in English.

The most disappointing performance comes from Amole Gupte, who plays a recluse with a mother-fixation. He screeches and overacts, and takes the fun away. Vinay and Kay Kay look rather shocked at times, at Amole's histrionics.

Again, unlike in the first movie, the environments that these characters find themselves in are anything but realistic. In short, the production design is below average. However, the cinematography is equally to blame. Flat and convenient lighting make the frames monotonous and uninteresting. Compared to Bheja Fry, with its more realistic setting, Bheja Fry 2 demonstrates how not to shoot in exotic locales.

Given that sequels are the trend this season, we recommend Kung Fu Panda 2 instead, and suggest that you wait for the DVD of the uncensored Bheja Fry 2 if you really want to watch Bharat Bhushan on screen.