PremiumDream Girl 2 review: Ayushmann Khurrana fails to ring our ‘Dil Ka Telephone’ this time
Ayushmann Khurrana tries hard but fails to save this drab comedy, and Ananya Panday is avoidable.
Last Updated: 11.58 AM, Aug 25, 2023
Story:
Dream Girl 2 is a sequel to the 2019 comedy Dream Girl, in which Ayushmann Khurrana played a man who pretended to be a woman on phone calls to make money. The film was a hit and loved by the audience as well as critics. The same basic idea underlies the sequel, except this time the actor once again becomes a woman, but as a bar dancer named Pooja. Here, he gets into this situation in order to earn enough cash to wed his girlfriend Pari (Ananya Panday), who is a lawyer. However, his alter identity draws four suitors who are determined to get married to him or her, and thus the chaos in the story begins.
Review:
Dream Girl 2 makes a valiant effort to recapture the appeal and humour of the original movie but falls short. However, one of the movie's highlights is Ayushmann's comic timing; however, Raaj Shaandilyaa's script and directing fall flat. Undoubtedly, there are humorous moments, but there are also plenty of times when the plot lacks freshness.
Ayushmann's monologue at the end of Dream Girl was one of the most significant scenes in the movie, in addition to all the fun elements (which were the movie's major highlight). Additionally, the dialogue he delivered had an impact on us when the film's message was conveyed. The final monologue was not essential in the sequel, though, as it appeared like the filmmakers were unsure of how to conclude the movie and instead attempted to repeat the first one. Ayushmann failed to grab the audience's attention in this scene, which was supposed to be the most crucial, despite all the fun parts.
Ayushmann as Pooja continues to impress us when it comes to performance. He is comfortable with his character and just fully embraces it, making us all chuckle. But when it comes to Karam, I never thought I would write this for him, but he overacted. The actor approached Karam's role as if it were a piece of cake, yet he fell short in that regard. The good thing is that Karam doesn't get much screen time. In addition, despite Ayushmann's best efforts, the film's lacklustre dialogue and plot did not save this sinking ship.
About the female lead, Seema Pahwa (oops, Ananya Panday), the actress falls flat despite having very little screen time. She played a minor role in the initial plot of the movie, and by the end, you might even forget she was in it. On the other side, Seema Pahwa steals the show. Her acting abilities will wow you again, and the confidence in her eyes is unmatched. She is unquestionably the film's highlight.
Annu Kapoor's loud expressions fail to crack you up. Outstanding actors like Paresh Rawal, Vijay Raaz, Rajpal Yadav, Manjot Singh, and Abhishek Banerjee are reduced to caricatures and clichés.
In terms of music, while the new of Dil Ka Telephone will stay with you, others do not add much. The background score of the film is on point.
Additionally, the movie tries to focus on stereotypes about different groups of people, jobs, and mental health issues. However, the movie's message, which is to accept oneself and others for who they are, is lost in the mayhem of the plot.
Dream Girl 2 is a disappointing follow-up that falls short of the standards of Dream Girl. The movie is a missed opportunity that could have been a funny and enjoyable comedy but is instead a drab and uninteresting watch.
Verdict:
If you, like me, have high hopes and expectations for this movie and are considering going to watch it, I urge you to reconsider. The 133-minute running time of Dream Girl 2 will hardly make you laugh.