De De Pyaar De 2 review: Ajay Devgn plays the confused outsider as R Madhavan and Rakul Preet Singh steal the show in a flawed but funny sequel

R. Madhavan shines in the hilarious first half of De De Pyaar De 2 a fun age-gap romance. Though it dips into predictable tropes later, Rakul Preet Singh drives the story.

Ajay Devgn and Rakul Preet Singh in a still from De De Pyaar De 2

De De Pyaar De 2 story:

In this new installment of the unconventional age-gap romance, 52-year-old NRI Ashish Mehra (Ajay Devgn) and his 30-year-old girlfriend Ayesha (Rakul Preet Singh) visit her family home to seek their approval. This leads to a hilarious and challenging "Pyaar vs Parivaar" clash, as Ashish faces off against Rakesh, Ayesha's father (R. Madhavan), who is barely older than Ashish. This battle of egos and expectations unfolds unexpectedly, adding an extra layer of awkward comedy.

De De Pyaar De 2 review:

Is it really so difficult for a man to put effort into a relationship, regardless of the situation? Well, you wouldn't expect that from a film written by Luv Ranjan, where the male lead consistently exudes main character energy and behaves accordingly, regardless of his efforts. However, Ajay Devgn's age-appropriate role allows him to step back and almost become a supporting character in his own story, highlighting his silences and awkward reality. Well, that's what happens when efforts are zilch, and that's quite visible.

In De De Pyaar De 2 after Ashish (Devgn) convinces his family about his relationship with Ayesha (Rakul Preet Singh), it is now her turn to introduce him to her family. The film, in no time, shows her family: her dad Rakesh (R. Madhavan), mom Anju (Gautami Kapoor), brother Rohan (Tarun Gahlot), and sister-in-law Kittu (Ishita Dutta). The modern and liberal family lives in Chandigarh, and everything is quite cool among them. Even when Ayesha talks to her parents, they don't mind indulging in PDA in front of them. Moreover, the couple is so obsessed with each other that they address each other as "Rajji." Their family is all set to welcome a new member, as Kittu is heavily pregnant and could be rushed to the labour room at any time. This serves as a deadline for Ayesha to introduce Ashish to her family, presuming that the age difference won't pose a problem at that point.

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However, all her plans fall apart, and Ashish unexpectedly joins the family, resulting in hilarious moments that will keep you laughing. The first half is packed with the funniest scenes I have seen in a long time in a Hindi film, and it's filled with not only awkward confrontations but also meta references, such as those from Shaitaan Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge, and more. The film leaves no stone unturned in making sure that you are pumped up for a hilarious ride and comebacks.

Together with Tarun Jain, Ranjan crafted a convincing plot for the first half of the film. We not only see comic scenes but also intense, serious scenes between Ayesha and her father, where the latter finds it hard to accept reality, and his anger is visibly shown. To be honest, the success of the first half relies entirely on R. Madhavan, who effectively portrays a liberal father who ultimately reverts to the traditional, backward thinking of "Log kya kahenge?" instead of prioritising his daughter's happiness.

More than Devgn vs Madhavan, the first half is entirely about the latter having a face-off with his own daughter. They both are shown as so similar in nature that they refuse to bow down or even have a civilised conversation. The frustration built up so much that Ayesha tells her father off like he is some "random" guy for disrespecting her. Throughout the entire process, Ashish remains utterly confused and awkward, not even attempting to initiate conversation or intervene to resolve the situation. Well, it's understandable that he is living in guilt for falling in love with a much younger woman, but through his behaviour, the film itself calls out the character for not taking a stand after taking a bold step.

But the whole buildup of the first half comes crashing down in no time when the second half begins. The entry of Meezaan Jafri as Aditya brings the usual trope of trying to create a love triangle, and it becomes too obvious that the setup is wholly planned by the "Rajji" couple. It's not the plot that goes haywire, but the predictable and preachy path the film takes in quick succession makes the whole second half quite distracting. The whole plot point of Ashish putting in zero effort when a new love angle is cooked up is so glaring that despite hardly having any lines in the film apart from just staring, it's the character arc that takes up all the attention.

The whole planning and plotting by Rakesh to separate his daughter Ayesha from Ashish becomes so cliché that all you can do is wait for the final reveal to know how everything is going to come together eventually. The second half does test your patience to an extent, only to make up for it in the climax. But is it worthy enough? To be honest, yes. Through the lens that I viewed the film, it does give Rakul's character an upper hand, which is usually not the case in most of the films.

Even in Ranjan's previous directorial Tu Jhoothi Main Makkaar we see that Ranbir Kapoor's character finally makes sure that he doesn't leave his family, while Shraddha Kapoor's character stays with the in-laws after marriage. The whole film takes undue advantage of the fact that the female lead has no voice whatsoever.

But here, Rakul is totally the hero of the film and does all the heavy lifting, but at what cost? We see that she is putting in the efforts to have her parents get convinced to have her marry Ashish and also have a partner who will not fight for her love with anyone. The film takes up DDLJ references so many times that Ashish refuses to go the path that Shah Rukh Khan's Raj took of making sure he doesn't elope with Kajol's Simran but wins the heart of her family.

Meanwhile, not just Rakul, but Gautami also gets amazing screen space and presence, unlike her role in The Ba***ds of Bollywood where she hardly had any moment to shine. Here, the actor is too good to miss and is definitely a treat to watch.

Of course, Madhavan gets such a meaty role that it's quite visible that the actor is enjoying it to the fullest. From being a cool father and a loving husband to even bringing out his "Shaitaan" side, the actor does it all and leaves a mark constantly.

Devgn, on the other hand, has little to offer, although he is headlining the film. This is the first time that the actor's presence is merely felt or seen throughout the film and only comes out in front in the final act.

Supporting characters played by Javed Jaaferi, Meezaan Jafri, and Ishita Dutta are quite fun, and they nail the part given to them, with solo shine moments for sure. To be honest, Suhasini Mulay, in her brief appearance, will crack you up instantly, and it's one of the most hilarious sequences in the film.

Director Anshul Sharma, who has made his directorial debut with the film, gets a taut screenplay that makes the execution easier, thanks to the interesting cast roped in.

De De Pyaar De 2 is not without flaws, and it doesn't carry so much baggage from the first film. But the film knows that lighter moments are amiss on the big screen right now, and it's definitely the most I have laughed in theatres in a very long time while watching a "new" film.

De De Pyaar De 2 verdict:

De De Pyaar De 2 delivers a good time in the hilarious first half, thanks mainly to R. Madhavan's stellar, spirited performance. While the plot gets a predictable path in the latter half, it ultimately gives Rakul Preet Singh's character a well-deserved upper hand, proving that in this age-gap romance, the heroine is truly the one doing the heavy "lifting." It's a flawed but funny family face-off.

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