De De Pyaar De 2 Review

There are so many sequels this year that the very dignity of sequels has been diluted. Ajay Devgn and Rakul Preet have now come together with their own, De De Pyaar De 2, written by Luv Ranjan. The good - or at least different - thing about this film is that it actually continues the story from the original. In many ways, it is a silly, light-hearted movie, with comedy sprinkled here and there.

In De De Pyaar De, Ashish Mehra (Ajay Devgn) managed to introduce his girlfriend, Ayesha Khurana (Rakul Preet Singh) - who is the same age as his children - to his family. In De De Pyaar De 2, Ashish and Ayesha are planning to get married, much to the chagrin of Ayesha's father, Rakesh Khurana (R Madhavan), who happens to be the same age as Ashish. The question is whether the marriage will happen or if there is a twist which is usually Luv Ranjan's specialty.

As I mentioned earlier, it is a silly film. It tries to amuse you with one-liners, pop-culture references, some borderline slur-filled humour, some chaos-filled scenes that this time get louder and louder, and then some awkward situations. It does entertain if you simply go with the flow, but if you think too much you will find it dumb, just like the original. And all of this becomes clear from the get-go.

Speaking of awkward situations - the source of genuine humour - the movie actually does a good job. For instance, there is a scene where the car radio suddenly plays "Kya Karu Ram Mujhe Buddha Mil Gaya" right when everyone is already uncomfortable about the couple's age gap. Another funny stretch is about how Ashish should address his future in-laws, who are the same age as him. Social situations demand that he call his mother-in-law didi, mummy, or even bhabhi, and the same confusing logic applies to his father-in-law. The awkwardness reaches its peak when a handsome hunk, Aadi (Meezaan), enters the scene - someone with whom Ashish simply cannot compete. Then Ashish vents his frustration uttering the most childish lines.

Another interesting thing about the movie is how it conveys the generational differences between the lead pair. The contrasts are conveyed through comparisons to popular film characters, from Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge to Dil Chahta Hai. Even Vashikaran and Shaitaan get referenced hilariously as examples of how Ashish "trapped" Ayesha.

Watching the movie can often feel like revisiting the original, except for two striking differences. First, the film is conspicuous by the absence of Tabu, who played Ashish's wife in the original. Second, Madhavan and Gautami Kapoor do not look old enough to be Rakul Preet's parents. But after some time you make peace with it.

Apart from with the casting, the movie also seems to have done injustice to the characterisation. The posters, trailers and overall buzz around the film have focused on Ajay Devgn and Rakul Preet. However, in the movie, Ajay's character feels somewhat less important than that of Madhavan. As the story progresses, it gradually becomes more about an over-controlling father and a free-willed daughter. The film could still have been enjoyable had the second half not messed everything up with excessive chaos, forced twists and a complete lack of emotional coherence.

As for the performances, Madhavan takes the cake. He gets several situations to be angry, cool, frustrated, vulnerable and funny, and he aces every one of them. Ajay Devgn is more or less the same as he was in the original.

The new additions, Javed Jaffrey and his son Meezaan, are pleasant surprises. Meezaan, who enters in the second half, has clearly worked on his presence; he looks good on screen, acts well, and is a superb dancer (as one might expect from Javed's son).

Rakul carries most of the emotional weight, and this is the most acting (still insignificant if you compare her contemporaries) you will see her do. However, her performance occasionally slips into loudness - almost like she is yelling - especially when juxtaposed with Madhavan's controlled range, making her appear unintentionally comical at times.

There is not much to say about the technical aspects. The film has all the bells and whistles to please mass audiences, especially Haryanvis and Punjabis - grand sets, bhangra, and a Honey Singh track that delivers bangers.

You can go watch this one if you have nothing else to do.