Weak screenplay, overacting and awful comedy make it a mess of a movie

BUNTY AUR BABLI 2

WHETHER it was the story, songs, or stand-out performances, 2005 release Bunty Aur Babli was a hugely entertaining film and has since become a cult classic.

There was undoubtedly scope for a sequel, but the production immediately got off on the wrong foot by getting Saif Ali Khan to portray a pivotal role originally played by Abhishek Bachchan and replacing the towering police officer

Starring: Saif Ali Khan, Rani Mukerji, Siddhant Chaturvedi, Sharvari Wagh, Pankaj Tripathi Director: Varun V Sharma presence of Amitabh Bachchan with Pankaj Tripathi. The other big mistake was getting someone relatively inexperienced like Varun V Sharma to be on writing and directing duties.

There was real potential

in telling the story of two young con artists takingon the moniker of Bunty and Babli and going on a collision course with the original older thieves, who have now settled in retirement, but it needed a strong screenplay.

Unfortunately, that doesn’t happen, and the result is a massive mess of a movie. The film starts off slowly and it is almost immediately apparent that it doesn’t have any of the original film’s magic.

There is a weak storyline, overacting, awful music and comedy that just isn’t funny from start to finish. The seemingly clueless writer-director seems torn between riffs from the original and taking the story forward. Clearly out of his depth, he ends up wasting a big budget and talented cast.

Original cast member Rani Mukerji puts in a spirited effort to salvage something from this film and provides the only real positives, but that isn’t enough. There aren’t any clever cons, big stand-out moments or a story engaging enough to keep you interested. It seems Abhishek Bachchan made a smart move by not returning for this ill-judged sequel.