Hmm, good day to release the film. It’s a sure-shot doomsday for competition, because Chulbul Pandey is here not only to chew a new villain (Prakash Raj) but also to swallow all rivals (if there were any left, in the first place!). I know I am a wrong person to review Dabangg 2, because I am an unabashed and self-proclaimed big-time Salman Khan fan, and this film is made for us.
But first, it set me thinking why the wannabe copies didn’t work ( e.g. Khiladi 786, or the earlier much more idiotic Son of Sardaar):
a) Salman’s persona is paradoxically more muted but at the same time more explosive than his counterparts- it’s the innate charismatic weight which he carries that makes him what he is ; and his portrayal though may be dismissed as ‘masala’ and ‘no-brainer’ is actually never farcical – make no mistake, he is doing it all earnestly but (and that is a big BUT) without it being evident or taking himself too seriously.
Come to think of, the critics were never kind to Big B and his films either in his heydays, but the connect he had with the audience is a legacy that actually only Salman has explored. The critics hurled the same complaints at Big B in his heydays “ no variety, same old formula, doesn’t explore his potential, plays safe” and so on.
b) Dialogues are spouted with a tongue-in-cheek casualness, rather than recited out loudly like a sermon
c) his films are more rooted despite being larger-than-life (sample: walking in a crowded Kanpur market replete with cows, he muses amusedly whether he has wandered into a field!)
As for Dabangg 2 – thankfully it’s a proper sequel, referencing to the earlier film (complete with the titles running to the older film’s montages), and takes it forward from there. So now Pandeyji is in Kanpur, and here he crosses path with a new villain, and he corrects that wrong in his own way.
Debutant director Arbaaz Khan keeps much the same flavour, pace & milieu of the first film. But what he adds are dollops of quieter moments, that (IMHO) always make a film watchable the second time round : in this, we have those tender moments with his father – whether sleeping on the ‘chhat‘ or playing a harmless phone prank, or in a subdued moment sipping hot chai stating his love for his dad; or, with his brother (the ‘jungle’ joke is a killer!); or the cute ‘nok-jhonk’ with his wife ( who somehow i found getting mock- ‘naaraaz’ with him a bit too much, and was irritatingly repetitive) but she gets her moment in the hospital scene towards the end.
The writers play to the gallery offering enough lines to take back. The editing is crisp. The sound design is superb. Overall, Dabangg 2 has slicker production values than its predecessor.
Sajid-Wajid come up with a score which is the first film’s exact replica but with new tunes, and deliver fairly well, though the songs are not all that well-placed – they just come on without warning. Kareena’s ‘Fevicol‘ elicited enough whistles in the theatre. (And since Fevicol was mentioned as a ‘brand partner’ in the pre-titles, so I guess the makers have ensured to take due permission unlike the Zandu Balm controversy that erupted previously).
And now to Salman Khan – he just gets better with each film. It’s his film, his showcase, and it’s hard to imagine anyone else doing a Chulbul Pandey – the cheeky corrupt cop albeit a family man with the heart in its right place. Just superb. And yes, he’s looking good too.
Since the film is designed around Salman Khan, other artistes are somewhat short-changed, including Prakash Raj, who I felt was not provided adequate platform. Still, amongst those that do stand out are Vinod Khanna’s endearing father-act and Deepak Dobriyal as the villain’s brother.
In short – go get entertained!