I love Saif Ali Khan. I consider him to be one of the most underrated actors in the Hindi film industry. Replacing Abhishek Bachchan as Bunty in Bunty Aur Babli 2 will obviously create doubt because of the flair with which junior Bachchan played the part. I admire both these actors equally, which is why I thoroughly enjoyed them playing the same character. Saif Ali Khan has a distinct charm in his personality and performance that makes us admire his work so wholeheartedly. In Bunty Aur Babli 2, he is not trying to recreate Abhishek Bachchan’s magic, but leaves his unique impression. I liked watching him play this super fun character and having a blast playing it.
Rani Mukerji is in her element, and it is an absolute joy to watch her play the crazy Babli. She doesn’t seem to have missed any trait of the character she played fifteen years back. Every time she is on screen, there is a bright smile on our faces. She continues to retain that perfect balance of her uncontrollable emotions for her loved ones and the insane passion for conning. Her dressing sense is still whacky, and she is unapologetic about it. She effortlessly makes us nostalgic with her dazzling appearance. It is an unmatchable joy to watch Rani Mukerji play Babli. I am always up to watch her play this character.
Siddhant Chaturvedi and Sharvari Wagh, the new entrants in the world of Bunty Aur Babli, are freaking awesome. Though I did not expect anything exceptional from them, they surprised me unexpectedly. Their conviction in portraying the con artists is commendable. Again, nowhere do they try to imitate Abhishek Bachchan and Rani Mukerji, but impress us with their fine performances. They bravely own their respective characters without feeling even slightly intimidated. I loved their changing accents with their changing avatars. It is definitely worth looking forward to what they do next.
Pankaj Tripathi is the perfect successor of Amitabh Bachchan. There is no one like both of them. The ease with which they make us fall for their performances makes them actors worth immense admiration. Pankaj Tripathi may look like he is doing the same thing again, but we can never get enough of watching him do that. It’s good to see Prem Chopra and Brijendra Kala reprise their old roles. Asrani and Yashpal Sharma have a delightful special appearance. Bunty Aur Babli 2 is high on performances making our viewing experience a thoroughly enjoyable affair.
Writer-director Varun V. Sharma, has a not so easy task of following up with the story of a decade and a half old immensely loved typical Indian commercial entertainer. He struggles a little but does a decent job. After the first con, the screenplay of Bunty Aur Babli 2 looks very risky. Predictions in it seem hard to avoid. We predict many moments throughout the film, but the twists make up for them. He keeps the film relevant. He makes some light commentary on the current political scenario and discusses the jugaadu nature of Indians. Varun very carefully ensures that we don’t lose our interest in the film even for a minute. The momentum of the narrative drops a bit in the first half of the second half, but gets it back before the matter goes out of the hands.
Bunty Aur Babli is undoubtedly one of the finest works of Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy. It is next to impossible to create those same old melodies. Their tunes used in the background score by Julius Packiam bring back the memories of the previous instalment. The trio focuses on making the compositions of this one sound contemporary and not memorable. Same goes for the lyrics of Amitabh Bhattacharya. They succeed well because the songs are thoroughly enjoyable. I heard them for the first time while watching the film, and I haven’t stopped playing them on loop since then. The title track has that magic despite adding some rap to it. Luv Ju, sung by Arijit Singh, is addictive. The Punjabi flavour in Tattoo Waaliye works well, and Mika Singh and Sunidhi Chauhan make Dhik Chik easily likeable.
I liked the glitz and glam of UAE portions as much I liked the stylishly presented rawness of India. It’s a Yash Raj Films productions, so the visual quality of the film isn’t compromised. The Holi chase sequence almost had me on the edge of my seat. It is ordinary, yet it is thoroughly thrilling. Bunty Aur Babli 2 is a fun fare. It’s a wholesome entertainer. It doesn’t ask us to return to 2005 to like such a film, but makes the desired modifications to make it equally enjoyable. After consuming so much intense content on OTT for almost two years, Bunty Aur Babli 2 calls for a happy visit to the theatres for a nice, fun and light-hearted film. I had a good time laughing and happily exited with a smile.
meri maaa, CINEMAAA 