Dream Girl 2 movie review (2023)
Director Raaj Shaandilyaa returns with his latest comedy, a follow-up to the original Dream Girl, known for its unique premise and quirky setup. However, this time around, the film falls short of capturing the same magic. Karamveer (played by Ayushmann Khurrana) finds himself in a tight spot when he urgently needs a significant amount of money to marry his girlfriend Pari Shrivastav (Ananya Panday). To solve his dilemma, he adopts a familiar strategy – impersonating a woman named Pooja and securing a job as a dancer at Sona Bhai’s bar. Despite its promising start, the movie struggles to bring anything new to the table over its 133-minute runtime.
Writers Raaj and Naresh Kathooria attempt to elevate the humor quotient, but the storyline veers off course, resulting in a mishmash of disjointed situations and characters chasing each other. Aside from Sona Bhai, Pooja inadvertently garners the attention of Shoukiya (Rajpal Yadav) as she pretends to be a psychiatrist treating Shoukiya’s heartbroken brother, Shahrukh (Abhishek Banerjee). Unfortunately, the film’s handling of the sensitive topic of mental health feels superficial, reducing it to a mere cliché. Shahrukh’s father, Abu Saleem (Paresh Rawal), absurdly believes that marrying Pooja is the solution, promising her a reward of Rs 50 lakhs for their union. Amidst this chaos, Shahrukh and Shoukiya’s sister Jumani (Seema Pahwa) develop feelings for Karam, while Karam’s father Jagjit Singh (Annu Kapoor) falls for Jumani.
Amidst the whirlwind of characters’ antics, some storylines drag on, particularly Karam’s switch between his real identity and Pooja’s persona. Numerous comedy scenes come across as forced, contributing little to the film’s humor. In a comedy, the impact of one-liners and their timing is crucial for generating laughs. However, the film’s dialogue falls short in this regard, often relying on kitschy lines that miss their mark. For instance, Karam’s friend Smiley (Manjot Singh) tries to convince him to become a dance girl by saying, “Shakti nahi bachi par Shakti Kapoor poora bacha hai.”
While the film is punctuated with a series of songs, the music by Meet Bros and Tanishk Bagchi fails to leave a lasting impression, with the exception of “Dil Ka Telephone 2.0,” a revamped version of the hit track from the first installment of the franchise.
Ayushmann Khurrana masterfully toggles between Karam and Pooja’s characters, particularly excelling in the dance sequences where his flair for situational comedy shines through. His performance is undoubtedly one of the film’s highlights. On the other hand, Ananya Panday’s role offers limited room for her to showcase her talents, and her delivery of the Braj Bhasha dialect lacks consistency. Annu Kapoor’s standout performance brings depth to the film, while other cast members such as Paresh Rawal, Seema Pahwa, Vijay Raaz, Manjot Singh, and Abhishek Banerjee provide commendable support.
Dream Girl 2 leans heavily on familiar territory, occasionally veering into unnecessary comedic tangents. Despite some strong performances and notable moments, the film struggles to capture the offbeat charm that made its predecessor a hit.
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