'Dream Girl 2': This Ayushmann Khurrana-starrer is an absolute entertainer

The excitement for Dream Girl 2 was built right from the time the trailer was launched earlier this month. Ayushmann Khurrana had brought along his A-game and stole hearts with his raunchy and refreshing charisma in the role of 'Pooja', the female phone sex operator in Dream Girl (2019). The sequel, which was released this Friday, stays true to the thrill and anticipation it built up in the trailer, its eventual preachy tone notwithstanding.

Khurrana is the reason why one would want to watch the film as he effortlessly pulls us into his quirky cinematic universe. What is different in this follow-up film is that the serenading voice now has a face—Pooja is now a svelte woman with bangs, dressed in backless blouses and flowing sarees. In Raj Shaandilyaa's deft hands, Dream Girl 2 keeps you with it at all times. It is engrossing and entertaining; at times it does get loud but not loud enough to drive you out of the theatre. It serves the right masalas that go on to make an absolute and thorough entertainer.

However, anyone who tries to look for logic here will end up disappointed because Dream Girl 2 appeals to the heart and the senses, not so much to the mind. Khurrana, as Pooja, is convincingly flawless and everything from his walk to his voice to his fluttering eyelids, is impeccable. He is equally convincing as Karam (his male avatar) in the film.

Karam and his girlfriend (Ananya Panday) want to get married but her father, in typical desi style, wants his daughter's suitor to prove his financial worth. As a solution to the problem, Karam decides to moonlight as Pooja and marry the son of a wealthy businessman (Paresh Rawal). And thereon follows a multi-layered narrative that keeps the viewer hooked to this immersive storyline with several subplots and characters that keep unravelling themselves as time passes. Part two turns into a bit of a stretch with bland jokes and annoying one-liners, but the lead pair soon regains the lost momentum. The climax is a bit of a dampener; as if the writers didn't really give it much thought and were in a hurry to somehow end the film. Several distinguished actors apart from the lead pair, including Seema Pahwa, Paresh Rawal, and Annu Kapoor, have added immensely to the narrative and the flow. At times when the story moves at a snail's pace, they come to the rescue and awaken us from our slumber. Overall, Dream girl 2 is an out-and-out entertainment that is both punchy and powerful.

Cast: Ayushmann Khurrana, Seema Pahwa, Annu Kapoor, Paresh Rawal, Ananya Panday

Direction: Raaj Shaandilyaa

Rating 3/5