If one is still wondering why there is a sequel-mania witnessed in the film industry then the opening day response to PYAAR KA PUNCHNAMA 2 should clearly answer the question (surprising even the trade pundits), further ensuring that the trend is here to stay and is not going to fade out any sooner. Taking it sportingly there is no harm to make a sequel if you have something new to offer continuing with the base-content presented in the original. But since PKP2 exactly follows the same pattern/progression and conclusion as seen in PKP1, so it would be better to call it a REMAKE instead of a SEQUEL giving you the exact picture.
However despite moving on a similar-seen before path, the film still scores well in terms of entertainment basically due to its young realistic feel, local language, enjoyable dialogues and performances specifically written from the point of view of its 3 victim boys projecting the girls as simply mean, ignorant, greedy, money-minded and wicked witches just there to exploit their foolish boyfriends using them to the maximum. So where the boys are truly going to love it, the girls would more likely hate it for their silly, dumb and unpleasant portrayal throughout.
Describing the theatre experience, the film right away comes to the point with its 3 male characters speaking their comic dialogues in a typical Delhi-NCR lingo with many annoying beeps. But the young viewers easily get to understand what’s being said (behind the beeps) mocking the questionable Censor Board, that insists on muting some key words even in a film given an ADULT rating pointing towards all confusing standards. Introducing the three girls next, PKP2 goes on maintaining the young feel and the well written dialogues, executed superbly on screen do not disappoint at all till it says intermission.
In the second half, though the viewers can easily judge that its nothing new from the team progressing on exactly the same format of its prequel, they still don’t mind enjoying it as the fun continues in its final hour too, but following a strictly one sided mindset ridiculing the three girls. Moreover it all ends on another high point in the police station sequence wherein once again it’s the boy playing the winning stroke insulting the girl for not coming up with the truth in front of her father.
In few words there are three basic reasons why PKP2 works majorly for the young boys despite having a stale subject talking about the same things. Firstly, because here we have a completely natural actor Sunny Singh who never lets you miss the most loved character of the original i.e. Liquid (played by Divyendu in PKP1). In fact Sunny brings his own freshness and charm to the character impressing one and all post the initial hiccups felt mainly due to his well built appearance of a macho-man. Secondly it’s the realistically written dialogues of the film every boy can easily relate too, making an instant connection with the viewers. And thirdly it’s the superbly executed 6.30 minutes long monologue brilliantly performed by Kartik that receives a roaring applause from the audience as if it was their personal feelings expressed by the man on screen so truthfully. No doubt, the most hilarious moment of the film indeed, quoting Kate Winslet of Titanic to discussions after sex in a highly funny tone pointing towards the intolerable attitude of girls.
In the performance section, I would like to rate Sunny Singh scoring the most (playing Chauka) as it was certainly not an easy task to match up the performance of Liquid in the original and that too with a contrastingly different (and strong) physical appearance not suiting his sheepish character at all. Next is Kartik Aaryan playing almost similar role as in PKP1 but again coming with a fabulous monologue scene deserving all the attention. And then Omkar Kapoor playing it real cool in a pretty decent manner as the main financer of the trio irrespective of an illogically written character constantly being fooled by his greedy girlfriend.
Coming to the girls, Ishita Raj scores the maximum (especially due to her belly dance scene), followed by Nushrat Bharucha working hard on her dumb character that at times also turns to be hamming in some specific sequences. Sonalli Sehgall looks hot and beautiful taking a few steps further than the prequel and the supporting cast does a fine job too including Sharat Saxena, Mona Ambegaonkar and the two girls playing Nushrat’s (Cheeku’s) friends. Technically PKP2 becomes better in art direction, cinematography, editing and background score supporting the theme aptly, but this time its vision as well as the writing becomes more biased supporting the boys in particular.
Stating the downers, PKP 2 doesn’t offer anything worth mentioning in its soundtrack and one frankly misses a song like “Ban Gaya Kutta” in its various sequences. Probably the makers couldn’t come up with anything equally exciting or catchy, hence decided to use the same track running in its backdrop providing the much needed support especially in the second half. The basic characterization also turns out to be hugely contradicting when we get to see a supposedly talented and educated person earning 3 lacs a month (Omkar) being fooled so easily by a girl met in a gym, living alone in a big apartment. And then the otherwise confident boy (Kartik) forgetting all his smartness once the girl says ‘Yes’.
For friends who think the film is once again misogynistic in nature as earlier, it’s actually not the same as seen in PKP1 which did have some major features pointing towards the same. As per definition, a misogynist is a person who hates, dislike, mistrusts or mistreats women. Whereas in PKP2 the boys are all loving, trusting and believing in their girls wholeheartedly right till the end and it’s the girls only who repeatedly ditch them on purpose either for money, security or being plain dumb like the one portrayed by Nushrat. As a result, the three girls simply get projected as someone highly selfish, intolerable, manipulative and always looking for money or security in their man, instead of love or togetherness. (And if the film gets appreciated by even the girls then they will be readily agreeing to the portrayals proving them all to be true!)
In comparative terms, where PKP1 could easily be called as a fine satire on love and cracking relationships among the youth, PKP2 is a more comical take on the subject conceived specifically from a male point of view as being the key sufferers.
In other words, in PKP1 we did have a decent relationship also reaching the stage of marriage talks with the parents, a playboy having an affair with another playgirl teaching him some essential lessons and then a revenge taken by Liquid from his rival boyfriend in the end balancing it all. But in PKP2 the major emphasis is entirely on giving you a good time in the theater with loads of witty one liners following a female-bashing attitude that majorly works (but obviously for the boys alone). Interestingly, sex doesn’t become any centre of attraction of the script this time for a change and it’s the humour that takes care of every shortcoming of the film providing a fine return of your money and time spent on the multiplex outing.
Having said that, though PYAAR KA PUNCHNAMA 2 surely deserves a good rating for its entertainment factor well taken care of, it still remains ‘a guilty kind of enjoyment’ derived from a one dimensional project sidelining its female characters. Perhaps in the third part we will get to see an equal fight of the sexes scaling much better heights. Till then the boys are definitely going to have a great time in the theater supporting Chauka and more.
Rating : 3 / 5 (including an additional 0.5 for Sunny and Kartik together)
Interesting Observations for the interested friends
A. Writer-director Luv Ranjan delivered a surprise hit as his debut film PYAAR KA PUNCHNAMA in 2011 and then went to make a more mature film focusing on an extremely important social problem rarely taken up in our Hindi films due to the obvious reasons. It was AAKASH VANI (2013) made on the theme of “MARITAL RAPE” having a worth listening soundtrack too with some exceptional lyrics. But since the film flopped without making any kind of impact whatsoever, Luv had to keep his meaningful projects aside and deliver a remake of his own debut movie to prove himself once again, which in fact represents the ugly truth why we don’t get to see great cinema from even the young thoughtful directors around.
B. Continuing with the tradition of having an extraordinary monologue (as seen in PKP1), there is a brilliant 6.30 minutes long monologue by Kartik in the present film too with the first 3 minutes progressing without any cut going non-stop at a super speed.
Now at one end this undoubtedly raises the standard of performance expected from the young entrants, on the other it would really be interesting to see that whether any KHAN, KAPOOR or KUMAR would like to try this in their upcoming films complimenting the exceptional effort.
C. The film has a scene shot in Gurdwara Bangla Sahib (Delhi) wherein the three boys are coming out of the main premises and then bow down in front of the ‘Kesari Flag’ known as ‘Nishaan Sahib’. Now its not the director’s fault here, as the bowing down to the ‘Nishaan Sahib’ is normally considered as an essential ritual by a majority of devotees visiting any Gurdwara all over the world due to their innocent ignorance.
In reality, there is no such religious ritual of bowing down to the ‘Nishaan Sahib’ and its simply done out of ‘pure (innocent) devotion’ or ‘shraddha’ as we usually like to put it. A person has to bow down only in front of the ‘Divine Granth’ and not anywhere else as repeatedly instructed by the learned teachers, scholars and care-takers of the Gurdwara. But since everyone is performing the act so lovingly, it seems to be as a religious ritual to be followed unconditionally.
Giving you the exact logic, the high rise Kesari flag known as ‘Nishaan Sahib’ is the traditional symbol of 'Khalsa Panth' that is also supposed to be an indication for the travelling people, visible even from a long distance, informing them that here is a Gurdwara where you will be given free water, food and shelter too for few hours along with the spiritual blessings of the ALMIGHTY irrespective of any caste, colour or discrimination. And that is why the word used is ‘Nishaan’ meaning ‘Symbol’.
Cheers!
