BOLLYWOOD
Phir Aayi Haseen Dillruba borders between tolerable and barely watchable despite the efforts of its cast
Director: Jayprasad Desai
Cast: Taapsee Pannu, Vikrant Massey, Sunny Kaushal, Jimmy Sheirgill, Aditya Srivastava
Where to watch: Netflix
Rating: 2 stars
There is a scene in Phir Aayi Haseen Dillruba where Jimmy Sheirgill’s zealous cop asks his subordinates to put the entire force of Agra Police in a two-kilometre radius trailing one woman to catch her. He is presented as smart, savvy, some sort of an unstoppable force. The very next montage shows the said woman meeting her supposedly dead husband under the eyes of the said force repeatedly. And nobody bats an eyelid. That is Phir Aayi Haseen Dillruba’s problem. It builds up characters as passionate, dangerous, compassionate, and lots of other adjectives. But it does so with dialogue and never manages to justify it with action. It comes across as a hollow tale, devoid of logic, emotion, thrill, or any passion.
The Jayprasad Desai film continues the story of Rishu and Rani from Haseen Dilruba. Having killed Neil, they are now on the run, except that the world believes Rishu is dead and Rani is a widow. Both live in Agra, planning to elope. But their plans go haywhire when a cop – Montu (Jimmy Sheirgill) – comes hot on their heels. He is Neil’s uncle and hence, out to get Rani with a vengeance. With nowhere else to go, Rani seeks help from a simple compounder Abhimanyu (Sunny Kaushal) and married him to throw the cops off. But that’s where everything goes from bad to worse.
At the base of Phir Aayi Haseen Dilruba is an assertion that nobody has loved like Rishu and Rani. They are the epitome of romance, as passionate as they are crazy. The trouble is that the leads have no chemistry to speak of. Vikrant and Taapsee come across as two awkward teenagers crushing on each other with very little spark that made the first film so delightful. All the dialogue about their supposed passion for each other ends up being more comical than impactful as a result. In fact Taapsee’s Rani has more chemistry with Sunny Kaushal’s Abhimanyu, which makes the plot quite convoluted.
Taapsee Pannu’s sarees had made quite a splash in Haseen Dillruba, and her desi sultry looks are back in this film too. But here, Desai overdoes it while selling Rani’s glamour. The film, for a while, descends into an almost voyeuristic display of Rani. It starts as sensuous but ends up being too in-your-face. The art of subtlety is not something the film takes seriously at all.
But beyond that is the criminal depiction of Agra Police that the film does (pun intended). While building them up as smart relentless investigators, Phir Aayi Haseen Dilruba portrays them as bumbling fools who do not follow procedure, don’t know where to look for leads, and take weeks to even look for CCTV footage. Allowing wanted fugitives to run about the city undetected for so long should be an indictment and not a plot point.
The film is as much a love story as it is a thriller. Haseen Dilruba worked because it brought the lowbrow murder mystery vibes of desi pulp fiction to Hindi cinema, including the twists and turns. But the sequel is too predictable in comparison. Every twist can be seen from a mile away and every turn is so long-winded that you get bored by the time you reach it.
Phir Aayi Haseen Dillruba wasted its actors. Taapsee Pannu here isn’t the one we saw in Pink or Rashmi Rocket for that matter. Some of her scenes are hard to watch. To get an actress of her calibre seem clueless in scenes takes special talent. Vikrant Massey is criminally underutilised, with the script relegating him to being an afterthought in this love story. Sunny Kaushal does his best to light up the screen and he actually does his best to keep the film alive. Jimmy Sheirgill is the saving grace of a lacklustre acting outing for the team. His panache and style elevate the film, but can’t save it.
Phir Aayi Haseen Dillruba gets lost in its own ambitions. It tries to do too much while not executing any of it on screen. The stories are ambitious but the premise is sloppy. And on top of it, it just goes on far too long than anyone would have liked.
The DNA app is now available for download on the Google Play Store. Please download the app and share your feedback with us.
Delhi: All primary schools closed, classes shifted to online mode due to rising pollution levels
BIG trouble for Anil Ambani, criminal charges against his Rs 14422 crore company over...
Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3 producer calls Singham Again team 'unfair' after the box office win
From Play to Pay, Gaming Is Big Business And A Genuine Professional Prospect
Leasehold vs Freehold: Exploring Options for Expats and Investors in Dubai
Mukesh Ambani's Reliance, Disney complete Rs 70352 crore media merger, to be headed by...
Badshah lands in legal trouble, case registered against rapper for...
GRAP III imposed in Delhi: What is allowed, what is banned amid 'severe' air quality
'Throwing me in deep end': Ricky Ponting takes fresh dig at Gautam Gambhir over Virat Kohli remarks
Revolutionizing Inventory Management in the Cloud Era: Pradeep Kumar’s Strategic Innovations
Delhi: AAP's Mahesh Khichi elected mayor as party defeats BJP in MCD polls
Delhi Air Pollution: GRAP 3 to be imposed in national capital from Nov 15, strict ban on...
WATCH: Inside Rinku Singh's Rs 3.5 crore luxurious house with rooftop bar, private pool
Renowned Yoga Guru Sharath Jois passes away at 53 after suffering heart attack
NASA alert! Giant 'God Of Chaos' asteroid set for close approach to Earth, may trigger astroquakes
UPPSC protest BIG update: RO-ARO exam postponed, PCS prelims to be held in one day
This man earned more money than Mukesh Ambani and world's richest man Elon Musk in one day, he is...
'World's best....': Japan vlogger's reaction to Bengaluru airport goes viral
Sania Mirza named Sports Ambassador of THIS city, not Delhi, Hyderabad, Jaipur
Shloka Mehta turns heads in sleek white gown at Tira store launch, see pics
Amid Abhishek Bachchan and Aishwarya Rai divorce rumours, Jaya Bachchan surprises everyone with...
IND vs SA: Arshdeep Singh goes past Bhuvneshwar Kumar to become Indian pacer with most....
Mukesh Ambani, Isha Ambani’s luxury retail chain opens new store at...
PM Modi to receive Dominica’s highest national award for...
Shraddha Kapoor says people with big foreheads are…
'Busy making...': Kanhaiya Kumar sparks row with remarks on Devendra Fadnavis' wife; BJP hits back
'Full baarati vibes': Vietnamese man's epic 'nagin dance' steals show at Mumbai event
Tilak Varma credits THIS player for his century against South Africa, says 'He gave me...'
UPSC IFS Mains Admit Card 2024 to be released today at upsc.gov.in, check direct link to download
'Be prepared for...': Rupali Ganguly's stepdaughter Esha Verma REACTS to Rs 50 crore defamation case
Saudi, Iran: Cautious dance toward détente?
Anushka Sharma shares glimpse of Children’s Day special dish for daughter Vamika, son Akaay
Jaw-dropping! Man wraps massive green anaconda around his shoulders, internet says...
Donald Trump plans to end Russia-Ukraine war with THIS move, is expected to 'soon' appoint...
As pollution worsens in Delhi with AQI at 'severe' level, experts at COP29 urge India to...
SDM Assault Case: 60 people arrested in Rajasthan's Tonk
Veg thali cost more than non-veg thali in October, here's why
Land drug trafficking patterns in North-Eastern Region
Shillong Teer Result November 14, 2024: Know updates on lucky winning numbers
Mukesh Ambani's SUPERHIT offer for Jio users: Get unlimited validity for 84 days at just Rs...
Delhi air quality dips to 'severe' category as AQI nears dangerous...
Bigg Boss OTT-fame Bhojpuri actress Akshara Singh receives extortion threat
‘All I do is…’: After Arjun Kapoor confirms breakup with Malaika Arora, her cryptic video goes viral