‘Phir Aayi Hasseen Dillruba’ Review: Taapsee Pannu Headlines A Middling Sequel

Director: Jayprad Desai

Cast: Taapsee Pannu, Sunny Kaushal, Vikrant Massey, Jimmy Sheirgill

Platform: Netflix

Rating: 2.5/5

‘Haseen Dillruba’, which premiered on Netflix in 2021, became popular among a section of the audience as it featured Taapsee Pannu in a bold new avatar and had an intriguing premise. The romantic thriller, however, was not a flawless attempt at storytelling as the character development wasn’t up to the mark. Moreover,  the big twist felt too convoluted.

‘Phir Aayi Hasseen Dillruba’, which hit screens on August 9, is a marked improvement over ‘Haseen Dillruba’ despite its glaring flaws. The sequel retains the essence of the first installment but the characters have more depth this time even though there is still tremendous scope for improvement.

What’s ‘Phir Aayi Hasseen Dillruba’ About?

‘Phir Aayi Hasseen Dillruba’ centres on Rani (Taapsee) as she tries to move on after the events of the first film. She aspires to elope with Rishabh (Vikrant Massey) and be his forever. This, however, is easier said than done as he had faked his death to escape the cops. Moreover, a compounder named Abhimanyu (Sunny Kaushal) falls for her and dreams of marrying her. To make matters worse, police officer Mrithyunjay Paswan (Jimmy Sheirgill) takes a keen interest in Rani’s past.

Weak Execution Dilutes Impact Of Intriguing Premise

On paper, ‘Phir Aayi Hasseen Dillruba has everything’–right from romance to twists– that one expects from a good old-fashioned Bollywood thriller. The problem, however, once again lies in the screenplay.

Well fleshed-out characters and genuinely shocking twists are the hallmarks of a good thriller. Take ‘Drishyam’ for instance. The makers established the protagonist as a family man through a series of touching sequences in which he bonds with his loved ones. Similarly, the twist towards the end felt believable. This helped it pack a punch. ‘Phir Aayi Hasseen Dillruba’, much like the first part, fails on both fronts.

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The screenplay is as lazy as it gets as Kanika Dhillon fails to explore the backstories of new entrants such as Mrithyunjay and Abhimanyu. As a result, these characters feel one-dimensional. She doesn’t fare too well with the returning characters as well. Ideally, the writer should have tried to add new layers to these familiar characters but that doesn’t happen.

The subplot involving Rishabh’s relationship with Poonam, his landlady, had the potential to add a new dimension to ‘Phir Aayi Hasseen Dillruba’ but it isn’t explored properly. Similarly, the writer fails to “show” the audience Abhimanyu’s dark side even though it is mentioned.

This is a missed opportunity as going down that route could have made the film dark and unnerving.

There is a major twist towards the end but it’s quite predictable Moreover, the film ends up being a rehash of ‘Haseen Dillruba’ when all is said and done.

That said, ‘Phir Aayi Hasseen Dillruba’ has its moment. The opening scene, which features Rani running for her life, has been executed quite well and manages to pique the curiosity of fans. Similarly, Jimmy’s intro sequence manages to build an aura around the character. The scene where Mirthyunjay interrogates Rani also hits the right notes with intensity. Moreover, some of the romantic sequences between Rani and Abhimanyu have come out relatively well.

Jimmy Sheirgill, Vikrant Massey Shine Bright

Coming to the performances, Taapsee Pannu tries to carry ‘Phir Aayi Hasseen Dillruba’ on her shoulders. The makers, unfortunately, don’t give her ample scope to explore his complex character in depth. Sunny Kaushal is adequate in what would have been one of the most complex roles of his career had the writing been up to the mark. Vikrant plays the passionate brooding lover with effortless ease once again. It is, however, Jimmy who proves to be the scene stealer here despite the limited screen time.

The songs gel with the narrative. However, the middling background score doesn’t add much to the narrative. The other technical aspects, including the cinematography and lighting, are up to the mark.

The Verdict

To conclude, ‘Phir Aayi Hasseen Dillruba’ had the potential to be a compelling and twisted tale about love and deceit. It, however, ends up being a mere one-time watch. Go for it only if you liked the prequel.

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