Chulbul Pandey is back and this time, with more style, romance and action and yes, this time he has more laws…err…jaws to break! Dabangg 2 turns out to be one helluva ride which has tons and tons of entertainment to offer despite limited content! The film presents Salman Khan the way his fans would like him and in that context, the masses would be thoroughly entertained!
The story of the movie: After eliminating Cheddi Singh (Sonu Sood) in his hometown Lalganj, charismatic and dynmanic cop, Chulbul Pandey (Salman Khan) is transferred to take charge of Bajariya Police Station in the city of Kanpur. Soon, Chulbul gets into conflict with the most dangerous chap in the city, Bachcha Bhaiyya (Prakash Raj) and his two brothers – Chunni (Nikitin Dheer) and Gainda (Deepak Dobriyal). Problem arises when Chulbul keeps challenging Bachcha and his family members and in a decisive situation, even kills one of them. Bas aur kya…it turns out to be the ‘aata maajhi satakli’ moment for Bachcha and he decides to straighten up Chulbul once and for all.
Dabangg 2 is a complete Salman Khan film in all respects. He keeps one high-spirited and entertained throughout the narrative with his antiques and dialoguebaazi. To be honest, there’s nothing unpredictable or innovative in the sequel. Salman’s entry was expected and the title song that followed was expected too. Similarly, Salman going bare chested in the climax…everything is done as per the ‘Salman-Khan-entertainer’ format. And viewers don’t mind as long as it’s entertaining and executed well!
The first and second hour both have its strengths and little bit of blemishes as well (more on that later). The first half is embellished with some brilliant action scenes, especially the one in the roadside dhaba (the best action sequence of the film, undoubtedly). The bond shared by Salman with his wife Rajjo (Sonakshi Sinha) brings a smile on one’s face. In fact, it’s a rare Hindi film which shows a couple getting all romantic on a regular basis even after getting married! Also, Chulbul’s interaction with his father (Vinod Khanna) and brother Makkhi (Arbaaz Khan) has its moments. The intermission comes at an apt moment. The madness and the fun continue in the second half. The confrontation in the pre-climax works and the climax, as expected, was clap and whistle-worthy!
Now, to the flaws! Dabangg 1 worked not only because of Salman Khan but also because of the story, the confrontation between the characters, especially in the family, and the regular tiffs that Chulbul had with Cheddi. Moviegoers expecting something similar in the second part might be in for a disappointment. This is because Dabangg 2 doesn’t attempt to elaborate the good v/s bad battle and instead keeps it simple which is good, but not great. The villain, Bachcha Singh, is supposed to be influential and someone not to be messed with. Yet, he keeps silent when Chulbul goes on challenging him to the extent of even bumping off his close family aide. He only gets charged up, that too all suddenly, only when someone close to him humiliates him for being a coward. This is something he could have done much before. Secondly, Makkhi suddenly becomes a simpleton – something that he wasn’t, at least to this extent, in the first part.
As mentioned above, Dabangg 2 is all about Salman Khan. He knows the pulse of the audiences – the ones who love and adore him – and he doesn’t disappoint them. It’s a sheer pleasure watching Salman fighting goondas, dodging their kicks, punches and bullets, romancing his wife, playing pranks with his brother and father, shaking a leg with the lovely ladies and being ever-ready to help the aam junta! Dabangg 2 turns out to be another feather in Salman’s cap and at this rate, he shall soon be in a space where there’ll be absolutely no competition for him! Maan gaye, pandeyji!
The very beautiful Sonakshi Sinha has a supporting part, which was expected, and delivers a lovely performance. The nok-jhok and the lovey-dovey moments shared by Chulbul and Rajjo makes up for a cute watch! Nikitin Dheer is as usual. Prakash Raj does fine but is bland, as compared to the level he achieved in Wanted, Bbuddah Hoga Terra Baap and Singham. Deepak Dobiryal, in fact, overtakes Prakash and shines, albeit in a small role.
Arbaaz Khan was great but the change in his character was bewildering. Vinod Khanna does fine and raises laughs too. Mahie Gill (Nirmala) is okay in a very special appearance. Sandeepa Dhar (Anjali) does fine and shall hopefully get exposure thanks to this film. Manoj Pahwa (Inspector Sharma) does fine. The actors who play Chulbul’s colleague and Sandeepa’s father were alright. Malaika Arora Khan and Mamta Sharma generate excitement with their small item girl appearances but it’s Kareena Kapoor who takes away the cake!
There are as many as 5 songs in the film, each having its own flavor and fun. In a way, the album is a clone of Dabangg 1 album but no one’s complaining! Background score and Aseem Mishra’s cinematography work big time. Special mention should be made of the opening titles (quite appealing) and the sets (very authentic). Anal Arasu’s action is quite a watch.
Dileep Shukla’s story-script is simple and offers nothing new, although he adds some interesting ingredients at places. Arbaaz Khan does a great debut as director and if Dabangg 2 is any indication, he has all the trappings of a fine storyteller. The manner in which he has handled certain sequences, especially the ones of Chulbul with his family members, and the songs, is praiseworthy. Also, the entire ‘jungle se kaun lauta’ riddle seemed stupid initially but had a significance later on that worked well.
Some of the best scenes:
The opening credits
Chulbul Pandey’s screen
All scenes of Chulbul and Rajjo
All scenes of Chulbul with father
Bachcha Singh’s entry
Chulbul at the roadside dhaba
The intermission point
All songs of the film
Bachcha Singh meets Rajjo and Makkhi
The climax
On the whole, Dabangg 2 is a complete masala entertainer that is an absolutely rocking fare, thanks to one and only Salman Khan. The superstar shines like never before and provides clap and whistle worthy moments in abundance. If only there was a little more masala and confrontation between the good and the bad guy, the film would had been in a different league! But on second thoughts, it’s no easy feat entertaining the audiences with so limited content for full 129 minutes and hence, kudos to the director, writer and the actor for the same! At the box office, the film has taken record opening and will surely go a long way in setting many more records. Some hard-nosed critics and moviegoers seemed to have had their expectations at the wrong place and somehow expected cinematic finesse from a film like Dabangg 2! Predictably, they were dejected and are ridiculing the film and in turn, becoming big laughing stock. Hence, if Dabangg 2 type films is not your cup of tea, stay miles away from the film and if you are still going to venture and then rant about the film, feel free but it’s going to fall on deaf ears. Audiences, on the whole, love Chulbul Pandey and his antics, and despite bad reviews from critics and response from some moviegoers, Dabangg 2 will attract audiences in hordes and hence will work big big time!
My rating-* * * ½