Optimism has returned to Bollywood. The industry has given three recent hits: Anil Sharma’s period drama Gadar 2, Karan Johar’s romantic drama Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahani, and Amit Rai’s satirical comedy OMG 2. Gadar 2, the leader by some distance, is an all-time blockbuster. RARKPK, a brilliant performer in the overseas market, has also become a big hit. Passed by the Censor Board with an ‘A’ certification, the critically acclaimed OMG 2 has found its share of viewers. The industry, in short, is on a roll.
Ayushmann Khurrana, a star of mid-size cinema, has returned to the big screen with Raaj Shandilyaa’s Dream Girl 2, the spiritual sequel to 2019’s comedy Dream Girl helmed by the same director. Dream Girl’s story revolves around the experiences of a young man who finds a job in a call centre because of his ability to impersonate the female voice. Packed with punchlines, oddballs and comical situations, the film achieved its intended target of entertaining the average viewer. Will Dream Girl 2 match its prequel’s great show at the box office? It certainly can.
Dream Girl 2, which has been co-written by Shandilyaa and Naresh Kathooria, offers more of the same in a different package. Khurrana is the gender-switching protagonist for whom life turns into a roller-coaster ride, leading to bizarre experiences. Predictably, the film attempts to entertain with its one-liners, jokes, unexpected situations and assortment of eccentric characters — and often succeeds. Ananya Panday as Khurrana’s love interest does not have much of a role, and the supporting cast consisting of Annu Kapoor, Paresh Rawal, Vijay Raaz, Rajpal Yadav, Asrani, Manoj Joshi, Seema Pahwa, Abhishek Banerjee and Manjot Singh often enliven the proceedings even when the screenplay falters. Ultimately, however, Dream Girl 2 belongs to Ayushmann Khurrana. No matter how the film fares at the box office, the talented actor deserves a good score for taking up a challenging role — once again.
Seen in the context of a mid-size film, Dream Girl 2 has taken a good start with an estimated Indian net collection of Rs 24 crore in the first two days of release. Its main competitor in the coming days will be Gadar 2, an all-time blockbuster that is performing brilliantly in mass circuits. Atlee’s crime thriller Jawan will hit the marquee on September 7. A big-budget spectacle headlined by Shah Rukh Khan, the industry’s biggest megastar, Jawan promises to be another all-time blockbuster that will hijack the attention of filmgoers. That gives Dream Girl 2 two weeks to become a significant success, which is a long time considering its reported budget of Rs 35 crore.
Dream Girl 2 is a critical film for Khurrana, an undeniably versatile actor with a well-known preference for offbeat subjects. The actor has huge off-screen appeal, particularly among the youth in urban centres, but his recent films haven’t fared well. Anubhuti Kashyap’s comedy drama Doctor G, a well-intentioned film revolving around a reluctant gynaecologist with rigid ideas about what a male doctor should and should not do, was an ordinary performer.
Other films did not do good business either. A romantic drama about a bodybuilder and gym owner who falls for an attractive trans woman, Abhishek Kapoor’s romantic drama Chandigarh Kare Aashiqui was a box-office disappointment. Anubhav Sinha’s action thriller Anek, which shows him as an undercover agent on a mission in the Northeast, failed to attract audiences. Anirudh Iyer’s An Action Hero, a brilliantly scripted film about a film star (Khurrana) who must do what he can to escape the consequences of an accidental murder, capsized. Khurrana, the actor, did not disappoint in any of these films. They simply did not work, just like many other Bollywood failures.
Dream Girl 2 has hit the big screen eight months after An Action Hero (date of release: December 2, 2022), Khurrana’s last film. If the Shandilyaa-helmed masala entertainer does become a significant success, the industry will have a new reason for celebration. And, so will Ayushmann Khurrana fans.
The author, a journalist for three decades, writes on literature and pop culture. Among his books are ‘MSD: The Man, The Leader’, the bestselling biography of former Indian captain MS Dhoni, and the ‘Hall of Fame’ series of film star biographies. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely that of the author. They do not necessarily reflect News18’s views.
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