Hyderabad Blues 2

Just caught this movie on TV late last night. Despite not having seen the first Hyderabad Blues, I have to say that the film gave me a new vision of the social lives of contemporary middle-class Indians. The plot was quite tedious - focusing on one guy's indiscretions with a work colleague and his fiancée's subsequent soul searching over whether to take him back - and the characters were mostly a bunch of macho, unsympathetic yuppies, but the acting was on the whole quite natural, and the film didn't glamourise the petty events of these people's lives. It surprised me to see an Indian movie, made for Indian audiences, presented in a realistic way. Maybe this isn't such an odd thing for an Indian viewer, but for someone whose main exposure has been to subtitled Bollywood musicals or sanitised Westernised productions (think 'Monsoon Wedding'), it was quite novel to hear such casual swearing and vulgar talk from both men and women.

The worst movie i have ever seen!! the main actress is HORRIBLE!! I've been wanting to rip her head apart every time i see her face!! acting by Waring and his friends was decent but over all the story line was terrible, and the actress selection for this movie was awful... again ABSOLUTELY TERRIBLE MOVIE DO NOT WATCH THIS MOVIE, it will be the biggest waste of your time. Hyderabad blues 1 was a million times better. Just to tell you how horrible this movie is... this is the first time i've registered on an website to write a review about anything. again this is a warning Don't EVER WATCH THIS HORRIBLE HORRIBLE movie...

I loved this movie for the wit, the not-so-obvious turns of events, and the accurate depiction of current Indian youth.

I could also relate to its premises and culturally mixed backgrounds from India and USA. The director was very well balanced in his references.

The key element of the movie is also the smart way it mixes intelligence, humor, and emotions in the Indo-US lifestyle and thoughts.

The booming call center industry in Hyderabad, the nouveau-riche young professionals and their mode of communication, the subtle conflict of values between the currently-thirties generation and their parents, are all blended in a way that makes this realistic, while not just a documentary.

I am very curious to watch part one of this movie.

... but this film does let you down like most "sequels" do... I came out wishing the makers of the film had not bothered at all with this!!

What made the former special was it's originality, spontaneity and raw energy that appealed to almost everyone - mostly Indian techies like me in the US who could relate to lots of it! The sequel on the other hand just prods on, quite aimlessly for the most part, and never really builds the pace to keep your engrossed or care for the characters on screen!

However, there are moments that are genuinely funny - mostly involving Nagesh's government employed buddy Sanjeev and his wife Seema - I am surprised I have not seen these 2 in more mainstream movies. Production quality though is below average and so is the acting; with Nagesh's success with more superior work like "Teen Deewarein", I was surprised with the "home movie" feel this film had.

That said, the few good moments don't really hold the movie together or make it nearly as charming as the former. I surely would not have missed anything if I had decided to skip this one entirely :-)

If you have enjoyed Hyderabad Blues and have developed a taste for "good" cross-over cinema then don't miss the opportunity to watch HB2-Rearranged Marriage. All the important characters re-visit with forward extension to their characters.

Storyline:: Hyderabad Blues.... happy ending. Cut to: Six years later. Varun (Nagesh Kukunoor) is happily married and running a successful call-centre business while his adorable wife Ashwini (Jyoti Dogra) is planning to start a clinic of her own. Sanjeev (Vikram Inamdar) and Seema (Elahe Hiptoola) have become proud parents of two which fuels fire to Ashwini for moving onto parenthood, while Varun detests the very thought. Varun recruits a new supervisor Menaka (Tisca Chopra). True to her name, Menaka carries husband-cum-boss stealing feat in her Curriculum Vitae, leading to chain of events challenging the very near seven-year-old-itch married life.

Notable tracks which you would enjoy are Seema's new business venture, seduction tips from aunty and Varun's parents - typical.

Heroines have been forte' of Kukunoor's movies - Juhi Chawla in 3-Deewarien, Perizaad Zorabian in Bollywood Calling, Nandita Das in Rockford, Rajshri Nair in Hyderabad Blues. This time its the turn of Tisca Chopra appealing enough to justify the vulnerability of Varun.

Jyoti Dogra portrays Ashwini who is no match to the original Rajshri Nair. The new Ashwini appears pale and lacks conviction. Elahe' get a meaty-pie as a compensation to her blink-and-miss role in 3-Deewarien.

The buzz word from Part I "Dil Pe Mat Le yaar" resurfaces here as a song - which even Menaka seems to be enjoy.

As in all his movies, Nagesh strictly ensured devoting substantial amount of time and effort on scripting. At times he has tried breaking the Bollywood norms. The minute details are portrayed effectively. The movie is loaded with witty one-liner which aptly fit into flow of the movie.

Go watch it - and if you don't enjoy then "Dil Pe Mat Le yaar"!

PS: I sincerely hope his style is not corrupted by big production houses. Otherwise Mukta Arts carries the reputation of too much interference viz. Mukul Anand in Trimurti. Already we have seen "Iqbal" changing to "Iqbal - The Rampur Express".