Phir Aayi Hasseen Dillruba Movie Review: The much-anticipated sequel to 2021’s ‘Haseen Dillruba‘ has finally hit the screens, but does it live up to the expectations? Unfortunately, ‘Phir Aayi Hasseen Dillruba’ fails to capture the intrigue and excitement of its predecessor, leaving viewers with a sense of disappointment and confusion.
‘Haseen Dillruba’ Recap
Before we dive into the sequel, let’s refresh our memories about the original film. ‘Haseen Dillruba’ introduced us to Rani Kashyap (Taapsee Pannu) and Rishabh “Rishu” Saxena (Vikrant Massey), a couple brought together through an arranged marriage. Their seemingly happy union takes a dark turn when Rishu’s cousin Neel (Harshvardhan Rane) enters the picture, sparking an affair with Rani.
The first film took us on a rollercoaster ride of emotions, with Rishu transforming into a toxic husband upon discovering his wife’s infidelity. After enduring Rishu’s violent outbursts, Rani realizes her love for him, leading to a twisted plot where they conspire to kill Neel. The couple stages Rishu’s death, with Rani drawing inspiration from her favorite author Dinesh Pandit’s book “Kasauli Ka Kahar.” The movie concluded with their love story left unfinished, leaving audiences eager for more.
‘Phir Aayi Hasseen Dillruba’ Movie Plot
The sequel picks up where the original left off, with Rani Kashyap now living in Agra after her husband Rishu’s staged “death.” She’s cut ties with her family and runs a beauty parlor while residing in a rented house. Enter Abhimanyu (Sunny Kaushal), the local compounder who’s head over heels for Rani, though she couldn’t care less about his affections.
Behind the scenes, Rani secretly meets with Rishu in an undisclosed location. The couple hatches a plan to earn enough money to flee abroad and start a new life together. However, their scheme hits a roadblock when they unexpectedly encounter Inspector Kishore Rawat (Aditya Srivastava) in the market. To complicate matters further, Montu Chacha (Jimmy Shergill) makes his entry into their lives.
As their dream of escape begins to crumble, Rishu and Rani scramble to salvage their plans. While Rishu approaches the situation with logic and reason, Rani reverts to her impulsive nature, kicking off another round of her “snakes and ladders” game. The film revolves around whether Rani and Rishu’s love will triumph and what roles Abhimanyu and Montu Chacha will play in this twisted tale.
‘Phir Aayi Hasseen Dillruba’ Movie Review
After watching ‘Phir Aayi Hasseen Dillruba,’ one can’t help but question the necessity of its creation. While audiences may have been curious about Rani and Rishu’s fate, the story crafted by director Jayprad Desai and writer Kanika Dhillon falls short of expectations, delivering a narrative that can only be described as senseless.
The film starts with a dramatic flair, but as it progresses, viewers might find themselves holding their heads in frustration. If you happen to watch this movie while under the weather, may God have mercy on your soul. The experience of watching this film while sick only amplifies its flaws, as your tolerance for nonsensical plot points diminishes rapidly.
Characters That Fail to Impress
Inspector Kishore emerges as one of the few relatable characters in the film. He appears just as exasperated with Rani’s antics as the audience. The so-called “love” between Rani and Rishu comes across as childish and immature rather than a deep, meaningful connection.
The constant references to Dinesh Pandit’s fictional books become tiresome quickly. Half the film seems to consist of characters saying, “Pandit ji says…” ad nauseam. It reaches a point where you might find yourself wishing for Dinesh Pandit’s entire literary collection to go up in flames.
One particularly satisfying moment occurs when Rani gets slapped by the police during yet another “Pandit ji says…” scene. This incident perfectly encapsulates the randomness of the film’s events. The storyteller seems to manipulate Rani and Rishu’s actions at will, while Abhimanyu’s character remains woefully underdeveloped.
Performances That Fall Short
Taapsee Pannu reprises her role as Rani Kashyap with the same energy as in the first film. However, many of her dialogues and scenes come across as irritating rather than engaging. Vikrant Massey’s portrayal of Rishu undergoes some changes, but the attempt to transform him into a Joe Goldberg-esque character (from the series “You”) by simply adding a hat feels laughable at best.
Sunny Kaushal delivers a decent performance as Abhimanyu, with his eyes conveying a sense of untrustworthiness. Jimmy Shergill, Aditya Srivastava, and the supporting cast put in satisfactory performances, but they can’t salvage the film’s weak script and direction.
One of the film’s songs features the lyrics “Sach hi tujhe azaad karega” (Only the truth will set you free). In the spirit of this sentiment, here’s the truth: there was absolutely no need for this sequel to be made. The filmmakers would have been better off leaving the story where it ended in the first installment.
Final Verdict
In conclusion, ‘Phir Aayi Hasseen Dillruba‘ is a disappointing sequel that fails to live up to the potential of its predecessor. With its nonsensical plot, underdeveloped characters, and overreliance on tired gimmicks, the film serves as a prime example of why not every successful movie needs a follow-up.
For fans of the original ‘Haseen Dillruba,’ it might be best to pretend this sequel doesn’t exist and instead revisit the first film if you’re in the mood for Rani and Rishu’s twisted love story. As for the filmmakers, let’s hope they take this experience as a learning opportunity and approach future projects with more thought and care.
In the end, ‘Phir Aayi Hasseen Dillruba’ reminds us that sometimes, it’s better to let sleeping dogs lie and allow audiences to imagine their own continuations of beloved stories rather than disappointing them with subpar sequels.
