Yamla Pagla Deewana 2
Director: Sangeeth Sivan
Cast: Dharmendra, Bobby Deol, Sunny Deol, Annu Kapoor, Anupam Kher

“Since we have so many in house actors, we don’t need outside actors.” Sunny Deol frankly answered one of the journos who (rather needlessly!) wondered why Deols did not hire services of any major actors from the industry!

The Deols have already developed a loyal niche audience in the Northern states such as Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh. This audience has helped them score hits like Apne and Yamla Pagla Deewana (YPD) in past. Now they try to tap the same goodwill while extending the YPD- franchise into its second installment. So how does this part of YPD work?

What’s the plot?

The father-son conmen duo (Dharmendra and Bobby Deol) have continued their con-acts. Now settled in Varanasi and posing as a saffron-robed Baba and his disciple, they find their new target- a UK-based NRI businessman (Annu Kapoor). Assuming identities of a rich Indian tycoon and his only son, they travel to UK to tie the knot with the NRI-businessman’s only daughter. What they don’t know is that the good elder son (Sunny Deol) is currently working for the same man they are trying to dupe, not to speak of the many complexities and confusions waiting for them there!

What’s hot?

·         Like their previous films the Deol father-sons’ chemistry is adorable as always. It is good to see Garam Dharam (with his impeccable comic timing); Bobby (with his impish charm) and Sunny with (his action-hero image) together on screen.

·         Anupam Kher and Johnny Lever are good as the over-the-top comic villains.

·         There are some genuinely funny scenes.

What’s not?

·         The film drags.

·         The leading ladies are just props.

·         Humor could have been better conceptualized.

·         Farcical treatment and silly humor will not appeal to everyone.

·         Sharib-Toshi’s music is too generic to make any impression.

Verdict

Watching and liking YPD-2 will take some doing. The first part was much better. But still if you count yourselves amongst those clicking ‘Like’ for things such as Deols and goofy, silly humor; then there is no harm in giving this second part a try. I personally enjoyed the film for those reasons!