Dream Girl 2 review: Ayushmann Khuranna's film is tacky and unoriginal

Ayushmannn Khurrana's latest film Dream Girl 2 has a lot going for it. A situational comedy, it has the lead man dressed in drag saying some of the funniest dialogues taking major references from pop culture. It has a credible supporting cast which delivers to the hilt. It is a sequel to a hit film which is Khurrana's most successful film to date. Yet, filmmaker Raaj Shaandilyaa's film is so hollow and formulaic that you stifle a yawn or two by the end of it.  

I have always been a fan of Ayushmann Khurrana's genre of films. Yes, I call his films a genre in itself because the man has time and again taken up pertinent issues plaguing society and featured in films that deliver relevant messages on society with a dash of humour. Most of Khurrana's films have very smart writing and always manage to drive home a point. He plays real characters and tells relatable stories- mostly. Yet the man who always seemed like one of us thanks to his characters ends up doing the most generic comedy film that Bollywood is ever known for. A comedy of errors that never lands too well and constantly reminds you of comedies of the late 1990s and early 2000s - Dream Girl 2 looks dated and predictable from the word go. 

Dream Girl 2 plot is wafer-thin

You know how the plot will unfold from the first scene. Plagued by loans and debts, Karam (Khurrana) and his father (Annu Kapoor) move into Karam's friend Smiley's (Manjot Singh) home after banks take over their haveli due to non-payment of loan. Karam and his father are singers and performers and hence salary is limited. He is also in love with Pari (Ananya Panday) whose father (Manoj Joshi) wants Karam to earn a sizeable amount of money within six months in order to marry his daughter. A college drop-out, Karam then resorts to dressing in drag and becoming a bar dancer, a psychiatrist (things escalate quickly) and eventually a rich man's wife. The man in question is Shahrukh (Abhishek Banerjee) who is seemingly depressed and his father Abu Salem (Paresh Rawal) declares he will provide five million rupees to the person who will marry his son and bring a smile on his face. 

The plot starts off in the bylanes of Mathura and subsequently moves to a rich Muslim household in Agra where Pooja (Khurrana dressed in drag) attracts multiple suitors which adds to the comedy of errors. 

Now a lot of questions come to mind while watching Dream Girl 2. Why doesn't Karam get a regular job, considering he is a good impersonator and street-smart? Why does Pari, a lawyer, fall in love with a good-for-nothing Karam? Why doesn't Karam ever loop her into his plans of dressing in drag to earn money? Many such questions plagued me while watching the film and I can safely tell you that none were answered. 

Dream Girl 2 has funny lines that take potshots at everyone and everything, and use wit to refer to pop culture yet the writing by Shadilyaa and Naresh Kathoria is shabby and very old-fashioned. There are references in galore to TV- Roadies, Kasauti Zingdagi Kay, Kapil Sharma- all are given a hat tip and manage to bring in the necessary humour even but overall, Dream Girl 2 looks tacky with an outdated plot and jaded jokes.

Many moons back a similar situational comedy, full of sexual innuendos, featured Govinda in drag. The film was called Aunty No 1 and it was released in 1998. The film had several older men falling for a begum (Govinda). Over two decades later, somehow Dream Girl 2 seems to fall back on a similar bracket with men hovering over a very obviously disguised man and thereby creating havoc. In so many instances I thought of Govinda while watching Dream Girl 2- Khurrana's role seemed just up the veteran actor's alley. 

Offensive and regressive

The plot also has dollops of body shaming, age shaming, making jokes about one's height, and making poor jokes on women's monthly cycles. While these are usual tropes for slapstick comedies in Hindi films, one hopes things are different when Khuranna is leading the show. Alas, the actor too heavily falls back on formula script as it is a sure-shot way to box office success. 

The actors are wasted

Seema Pahwa, Annu Kapoor, Abhishek Banerjee, Manoj Joshi and Manjot Singh are all wasted in the film. Khurraana, despite an illogical story, delivers his part well. He is theatrical with his act as Karam but as Pooja he is quite natural, playing a demure woman with complete 'ada' and 'nazakat'. But the rest of the cast has limited scope to showcase their talent. 

There is no chemistry between the lead couple. Ananya Panday looks gorgeous but has limited screen time and looks odd next to Khurrana. The actor in fact has better chemistry with Banerjee. Perhaps because the two are good actors and complement each other or maybe have better-written lines to themselves.

I got a major late 1990s hangover while watching Dream Girl 2. It is definitely not the usual Ayushmann Khurrana film. Sure you find yourself laughing a few times but overall, the film will remain one of the worst in the otherwise impressive repertoire of the actor. Watch at your own risk.

WATCH WION LIVE HERE

You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.