Three years since Vinil Mathew’s original romantic thriller, ‘Haseen Dillruba,’ offered a brief respite during the arduous days of the COVID-19 pandemic, its much-anticipated sequel, ‘Phir Aayi Hasseen Dillruba,’ makes its debut. Starring the talented Taapsee Pannu, it aims to captivate the audience once more with the allure of Rani Kashyap. However, for all its promise of an exhilarating watch to brighten the monsoon season, the film regrettably sinks into mediocrity.
Aiming to recreate the success of its predecessor, ‘Phir Aayi Hasseen Dillruba’ attempts to revive the essence of an exhilarating romantic noir, but falls short, delivering instead a half-baked pulp fantasy that lacks substance. The narrative missteps begin with a storyline that offers little new to the scandalous saga of a small-town beautician caught in a love triangle with her mild-mannered husband and his boisterous cousin.
Directed by Jayprad Desai, the sequel struggles from the outset. The plot’s set-up feels contrived, and writer Kanika Dhillon’s once-engaging prose now feels tiresome, translating into bloated, unengaging dialogues that struggle to lead to any meaningful action. Though set in the historically rich city of Agra, the film’s romance feels devoid of emotional depth, while the suspense elements come off as superficial.
In ‘Phir Aayi Hasseen Dillruba,’ we find Rani Kashyap (Taapsee Pannu) and Rishu Saxena (Vikrant Massey) plotting to escape abroad following their earlier escapades. However, their plans are thwarted by Jimmy Sheirgill’s character, Mrityunjay Prasad, a police officer with a personal stake in the case and a desire to unravel the mystery surrounding Neel Tripathi’s (Harshvardhan Rane) disappearance.
The plot thickens as Abhimanyu (Sunny Kaushal), a new admirer, enters Rani’s life. Meanwhile, Rishu, now impaired with only one hand, has garnered the attention of another ailment-afflicted admirer. This potentially intriguing set-up, teeming with plot twists and character dynamics, sadly remains underdeveloped. The narrative spends too much time in a simmering state, never reaching a full boil, and fails to deliver the thrill and excitement expected from a genuine suspense thriller.
The core of the first film was Rani’s internal conflict and the ensuing chaos.
. Her attraction to her husband’s cousin in the original film added layers of complexity and chaotic fun. However, in the sequel, the narrative feels monochromatic and the plot twists uninspiring. The overemphasized self-awareness, featuring a fictional pulp fiction writer whose works influence the characters, quickly grows stale.
A particularly telling moment is the nostalgic invocation of the 1980 song “Ek Hasina Thi, Ek Deewana Tha” from Subhash Ghai’s ‘Karz,’ used here in a bid to evoke nostalgia and excitement. The need to rely on past cinematic music to incite emotion points to a lack of originality in the current storytelling. Moreover, the creative team fails to align the song’s moral ambiguity with the film’s storyline, choosing instead to play it safe.
The chemistry between Taapsee and Harshvardhan Rane that was palpable in the first film is missing in the sequel. Rani’s new relationship with Abhimanyu lacks the magnetic pull viewers were hoping for. Despite Sunny Kaushal’s commendable performance, his character does not possess the charisma needed to electrify the screen. Jimmy Sheirgill’s portrayal as Mrityunjay Prasad also falls flat, making him seem disinterested and out of place within the narrative.
Vikrant Massey, who played a significant role in the first film, finds himself side-lined with a role that offers little scope. Meanwhile, Taapsee Pannu’s performance, although competent, does not shine with the same brilliance as before, making her character’s arc feel more mundane than mesmerizing.
In conclusion, ‘Phir Aayi Hasseen Dillruba’ attempts to pick up where its predecessor left off but struggles to infuse the same vigor and novelty. While it is available for streaming on Netflix, it falls short of being an edge-of-the-seat thriller, becoming instead a rather tepid follow-up to ‘Haseen Dillruba.’ The film’s inability to recreate the enigmatic and thrilling atmosphere of its original leaves it adrift in the vast ocean of Bollywood sequels that fail to make a meaningful impact.
