After reading a lot of ambiguous reviews I decided to make the trip myself to catch the much awaited and heavily promoted Yamla Pagla Deewana Part 2, starring the highly celebrated and decorated family of Indian cinema, The Deols.
The film begins with the god fearing Paramveer Singh Dhillon (Sunny Deol) who is now working in the United Kingdom as a debt collector (chuckles begin because of the aptness of the role). He saves a man from committing suicide and is a general Good Samaritan carrying on with his life earnestly. Things seem to be finally falling into place and 'Rabba' is on his side as even from miles away it seems that he has had a positive impact on his infamous father and deewana brother. The devout son and elder brother Param still sends money back home to support the make belief flower shop and even ends up financing their "change of scene" from the holy lands onto the Royal Shores of Great Britain! Here we go
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Yamla Pagla Deewana and the bells ring through with Dharmji as, Yamla Baba, who comes hand in hand with good luck and commercial success, to all his Bhakts (followers). "Release yourself" "Give in to me" and that is exactly what I did with the legendary Dharmendra posing as a spiritual teacher, effortlessly mesmerizing all his 'Bhakts' (Followers) with a discourse which has them all spellbound while his partner in crime/son Gajodhar (Bobby Deol) makes away with the divine loot. Got to say that this actor still has the legs in him to outrun some of the best today in comedy. The timing impeccable and the panache like he hasn't missed a step.
They have not changed one bit since the original film released in 2011 and are out to make the most of it. The con is still on but this time the action shifts to the United Kingdom, where the almost Sherlock and Watson of the con world have set their sights on Mr Yograj Khanna (Anu Kapoor) a former rich affluent tycoon neck deep in financial debt. To ease his troubled mind and in search of the winds of change he makes his way to sacred Varanasi, where he is in for a holy surprise.
"Oberoi Pranaam" with great gusto and pomp, almost like a Houdini trick masked in some tantric mist, walks in Oberoi, Oberoi and Oberoi, Dharamji's new alias along with Bobby. The Oberoi parivaar and their quirks and tricks really grew on me, something like visualizing the big wig families you only read about in the papers.
The suited booted heavily accented dynamic Mr Yograj Khanna now considers Dharmji and the rich Deewana Punjabi Munda, Prem as his new found friends and associates who can help solve his problems and give him a solution to what he is undergoing. Little do they know that as these 2 crooks are looking to inherit a fortune from the heavily accented and ornamented Mr Khanna. The accent to me was just perfect as it was intended to be a put on, a trademark of the socialite elite in the United Kingdom.
Forever indebted to Yamla Baba, Dharamji is able to convince Khanna Saab to allow his daughter's hand in marriage to his Deewana Punjabi Munda son, Prem (Gajodhar/Bobby).
Khanna saab's daughter Suman and Prem begin their turbulent relationship and subsequent bonding over their favorite actor Salman Khan. Now the showcase of admiration over one's favorite actor is definitely a trick from yesteryear cinema. It brought back fond memories of Kishen Kanhaiya for me, where Anil Kapoor and Madhuri Dixit's love for cinema is criteria that leads to attraction. Whether 6-7 corny references point to things being over done i would beg to differ. "If you are giving it up for Bachchan" less than a month ago then admiration for a current mass superstar is definitely forgivable. Call me lenient but if I'm setting myself up to be entertained not intellectually stimulated and who else to draw inspiration from but possibly the current king, Salman Khan.
This is a story about expressing emotion and coming clean, hoping for a positive result but shedding the weight of the world. It also reflects the various circumstances and situations our 3 main protagonists find themselves in overseas in a foreign land. It also shows us that beneath the facade and charade of showing tremendous wealth, a lavish lifestyle or creating an aura around oneself everybody in life has problems or issues. Through comedy which is fast paced with whacky action, typical Bhangra pop catchy songs, a host of funny and hilarious over the top action sequences, YPD 2 has a meaningful insight to it. Is material gain, pursuing it the only thing which can make us happy today or is living life your own way with those you love, trust the better option. It's what beneath the surface which counts not the outward display which tempts as well as paints an erroneous bigger picture. What is the real truth is what the film asks you? Is landing in to a bigger zone of trouble really worth it with artificiality and living a lie.
