Bunty Aur Babli 2 REVIEW: Rani Mukerji, Saif, Siddhant, Sharvari starrer is the laziest but entertaining scam of the year

Director: Varun V. Sharma

Cast: Rani Mukerji, Saif Ali Khan, Siddhant Chaturvedi, Sharvari Wagh

Bollywood Bubble rating: 3.5 stars

There are two kinds of people in the world. First, those who enter the theatres with a lot of expectations and second who watch it irrespective of knowing their expectations might not be reached. Well, what kind am I? You shall know. Bunty Aur Babli 2 is a sequel to the hit 2005 Bunty Aur Babli which starred Rani Mukerji and Abhishek Bachchan in the lead role along with Amitabh Bachchan in a pivotal role. The sequel Bunty Aur Babli 2 starts with the new age and more tech-savvy, modern Bunty Aur Babli pulling off a scam in a rather underwhelming way. While Rani reprises her role as Babli, Saif steps into the shoes of Abhishek as Bunty for the 2.0 version. Pankaj Tripathi steps in for Amitabh Bachchan as Jatayu Singh.

The new addition to the franchise Siddhant Chaturvedi and Sharvari Wagh play Kunal Singh and Ahana, two young unemployed youth who decide to con the corrupts and fulfil their dreams. To pull off their amateur cons, they decide to carry forward the brand name of BB who as per records were never caught or seen. We are then introduced to the now-con Jodi-turned family Jodi, the OG Bunty Aur Babli, settled with a son in Uttar Pradesh, India. Once known for being the biggest con Jodi, the two now live a rather simple life which revolves around their home, office, and fulfilling small desires. Things were going fine till they were forced to return to the older version to catch the once using their brand name, disrupting their mundane life.

The moment Rani enters pulling off an outlandish outfit with huge sunglasses and heavy makeup, you know Babli is back. She says the wittiest dialogues and is all gun blazing and is a total riot. It wouldn’t be wrong to say that she totally kills it, owning each and every scene she is a part of. It was so refreshing to see Rani return as this notorious con-woman and be this OTT onscreen, especially after her last couple of films. There is this one scene in particular where you can’t help but hoot at her performance where she blasts and vents her frustration as Hawala Queen and boy, that scene alone proves why she truly is the queen.

 

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A post shared by Siddhant Chaturvedi (@siddhantchaturvedi)

Opposite her is Saif, who equally compliments her. Although, I must add there are scenes where you sorely miss Abhishek as Bunty. On a positive note though, as Rani and Saif say in one of the scenes, there is definitely as lot of ’potash’ left in their Jodi. The duo returned together onscreen after almost a decade.

Siddhant Chaturvedi and Sharvari add a modern tadka to the franchise. They hold their own in each scene and keep you hooked as the new age BB. Siddhant and Sharavari’s fresh pairing also works wonders on screen. They are the perfect 2.0 to the OG BB. The performances elevate a rather underwhelming script. If there was anyone who could have possibly taken Amitabh Bachchan’s space in the film, it is Pankaj Tripathi. Despite his limited presence, he manages to make you laugh with his straight face humour. There are very few actors who can possibly pull such a distinct character off with such finesse.

The first half of the movie seemed rather slow with the initial 30-35 minutes, a complete yawn fest for me. However, the film picks up pace almost immediately, after that and there is not a single dull moment thereafter. Not to forget, the film’s second half is much better and paced well than the first half.

 

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The dialogue writing is smart and witty, with seldom attempt at old-school humour. The music is not rememberable which disappointed me the most, given that the first part gave us some epic blockbuster music. The background score is a subtle reminder of the OG BB but other than that, the background score doesn’t really work so much for me.

The screenplay is smooth but the story had the potential to be a lot better. You had the original Bunty and Babli and then new-age BB but the story somehow couldn’t utilise their talents to the fullest. The way the OG Bunty and Babli had pulled off several scams in the first part was so interestingly sketched, however, in new times, it seemed like a cakewalk with no major hurdles which does not pique the interest at all.

Overall, though, the movie ends with a hint of another part, a 4.0 version, and honestly, we are totally waiting for it.

Bunty Aur Babli 2 is entertaining and fun, but original, original hota hai! Also, by now you know I am the second kind of person!

Also Read: EXCLUSIVE: Rani Mukerji reveals she was embarrassed to tell people she was an actor for THIS reason

Bhavna Agarwal

Assistant Editor at Bollywood Bubble. An ambivert who is currently high on K-dramas and K-Pop. A forever Bollywood fan, who continues to gush over solid stories and characters. Hit me up for a fine conversation over chai.

You can also reach me on – https://twitter.com/filmybugB