A convoluted second half makes the movie a not so Hasseen sequel
- Starcast: Taapsee Pannu, Vikrant Massey, Sunny Kaushal, Jimmy Shergill and others
- Director: Jayprad Desai
- Writer: Kanika Dhillon
- Producers: Anand L Rai, Himanshu Sharma and others
- Production Companies: Color Yellow Productions and T- Series Films
- Music: Sachet- Parampara and Anurag Saikia
- Cinematography: Vishal Sinha
- Running time: 2 hours and 12 minutes
- Streaming site: Netflix
The first part of Haseen Dilruba was a well-made exploration of love and marriage under the guise of a thriller. Director Vinil Mathews did an excellent job in showcasing the various stages of Rishabh Saxena (Vikrant Massey) and Rani Kashyap (Tapsee Pannu’s) marriage. The way the relationship swings between intense dislike and intense love kept the viewers hooked. Haseen Dilruba also worked as an investigative thriller with the viewers constantly guessing about a supposed murder along with the disappearance of Rishabh’s cousin Neel (Harshvardhan Rane). The sequel naturally comes with a certain baggage. Director Jayprad Desai does a good job in carrying forward the craziness of Risabh and Rani. This time around Sunny Kaushal plays the third wheel, and his character is also equally twisted. However, after a promising start the movie starts stagnating for two reasons. One is the unnecessary subplots and two overdose of twists in the second half.
In Phir Aayi Hasseen Dillruba Rani and Rishi have relocated to Agra. However, they live separately. Sometimes they do meet but give the impression of being strangers. Rishi pays a big amount to a travel agent who promises to make fake passports so that the couple can leave India. On the other hand, there is the compounder (Abhimanyu) who falls in deep love with Rani. Monty (Jimmy Shergill) is the uncle of Neel; he wants to see Rani behind the bars for a certain crime, he is also absolutely certain about Rishi being alive. He keeps track of everything Rani does, in the process the travel agent is also arrested. Rani decides to marry Abhimanyu to convince the cops about Rishi’s death. The plan is to escape with Rishi at the right time leaving Abhimanyu stranded but things go awry. This is the story in brief.
The story of Phir Aayi Hasseen Dillruba dwells into the familiar territory of love, obsession and betrayal. But to the credit of Jayprad desai he does keep the viewers tensed about what will happen next more so in the first half. The scenes of Rani and Rishi meeting as strangers is fun to watch. The conversations are filled with some quirky dialogues.
Initially the viewers feel that Abhimanyu is too meek, and things would be very easy for Rani and Rishi however the twist regarding Abhimanyu’s character takes the viewers by complete surprise.
The actions of Jimmy Shergill and his desperation in catching Rani keeps the viewers guessing about her eventual fate. Special must also be made of Dinesh Pandit’s pulp fiction novels. Both Rani and Rishabh quote lines from his works and this adds to the drama on numerous occasions. Here it has to be mentioned that Dinesh Pandit is not based on any real-life author. Writer Kanika Dhillon has just used a fictional name to pay homage to all the pulp fiction writers.
Coming back to the movie the plot becomes very messy in the second half. A major stumbling block is how Monty and his men are not able to catch Rani and Rishi when it is very clear on how they are taking help from these pulp fiction books. There is no denying that some of the second half developments are thoroughly unexpected but at the same time it makes the viewers scratch their heads. The changing dynamics also leaves the viewers bewildered because of the rushed storytelling.
The trio of Taapsee Pannu, Vikrant Massey and Sunny Kaushal leave a strong impact with their performances. As Rani Taapsee looks like a million bucks. The way she seduces Abhimanyu into marriage and sexual undertones have been wonderfully portrayed. She particularly stands out in the movie’s climax while showcasing the emotional turmoil.
Vikrant Massey is also a treat to watch with his striking portrayal of a man torn between love and madness. Sunny Kaushal proves to be a valuable addition in how he handles the different shades of Abhimanyu. He goes from meek to aggressive without any hitch.
As Monty Jimmy Shergill has a commanding presence delivering an impressive act. The character starts off with promise but after a point he becomes a mere pawn. Aditya Srivastava gets even less prominence
Sachet- Parampara and Anurag Saikia’s music goes well with the mood of the movie. Haaste Haaste in particular makes for a good number. This takes place during the marriage of Rani and Abhimanyu. Vishal Sinha’s cinematography is also of a fine standard.
