“ABCD” was the dark horse of 2013 — an unexpected dance-music bonanza with Indian emotions at center stage and the usual narration of victory by the underdogs. An aspiration-based film both for the dance guru Vishnu (Prabhu Deva), as well as the random team of dancers from the slums, it sent several messages that connected with all: that friendships and relationships are to be valued, that competition should be healthy, that defeats are a part of life and that unity always means strength.
Despite having no stars or popular names in the cast, the film went on to become a commercial winner, and it also boasted of very good music. It is an open secret that UTV never expected much from the film and barely marketed it vis-à-vis the overrated “Kai Po Che” but got a richer harvest.
And so it is a bigger sequel, shot for a good part in Las Vegas and made in 3D with two hot young stars: Varun Dhawan and Shraddha Kapoor. A repeat actress from the earlier film in a different role is Lauren Gottlieb (charmingly efficient and a stunning dancer), while Prabhu Deva was again cast as dance guru Vishnu. However, more on Vishnu and his friend from the earlier film (Ganesh Acharya) later.
First, let us look at the assets — Varun is the star, dances as if there is no tomorrow and does not steal footage, as he is not meant to be a regular leading man but just one of a team. He is a leader in concept but is just prominent, not predominant in the film! Efficiently competent, he shows his range as a true-blue star among GenY toppers. Shraddha Kapoor, too, has little to do, while the supporting characters do not have any standout characterizations. The only exception is Prabhu Deva, who gets the timing perfect in his funny, inebriated scenes, and his emotions are sincere during the reunion with his son.
The choreography is by itself mesmerizing, but we must realize that such movies and the audiences they lure in signify a sad day for Indian culture: are our new generations going to excel in Western music and dance, rather than our classical arts, which are a rage overseas? Finally, Mayur Puri writes some wonderfully natural lines as the dialogue writer, and the lyrics he penned also stand out.
Director-co-writer Remo D’Souza gets the emotional voltage more or less right, though too much is in common with “ABCD,” and the villainous foreign group and their conflict reminds us of “Happy New Year,” rather than serving any dramatic purpose.
For a musical, the songs are a big, big letdown, even if there is thematic aptness. The lyrics are overwhelmed by the orchestration and mixing, and no composition remains in memory after we leave the hall. For Sachin-Jigar, who did the brilliant first part, this is a huge debit in their creative account. The romantic duet between Dhawan and the two heroines is thrust in for no reason whatsoever. In short, the music has every note calculated and none of it from the heart.
The 3D sucks as a gimmick and was eminently not needed — it emerges as a distraction and also makes the entire movie look ‘noir’ (shudder!), reminding us of how “ABCD” was paradoxically so bright — all youthful musicals and dance-based films must be vibrant and colorful. This is also the reason why the camerawork is not appealing at all and was overly oriented with lights and gimmicks due to the plethora of dances shown.
The storyline, said to be part-inspired by real life (wherein a group from Mumbai’s down-market distant suburb of Nallasopara went to compete in Las Vegas), is not really inspiring: the hero’s group, the Mumbai Stunners, loses a competition because they have lifted a Filipino dance group’s moves like a Xerox machine. They are thus damned as “cheaters” by all.
Their leader, Suresh or Suru, played by Dhawan, is the son of a legendary dancer who, we are told, “died with her ghunghroos on” (sic). Hell-bent on redemption, he dreams of entering a global hip-hop competition in Las Vegas. As his loyal girlfriend (Kapoor) and some of his friends stop dancing after the incident, he has no team left, but he is inspired again when he watches Vishnu perform at the hotel where Suru earns his livelihood as a waiter.
Now, here is the grouse: the idealistic, humble Vishnu of the earlier film is shown here as a drunk, jobless man who has his own vested agenda. He also has an estranged girlfriend, whom he has fathered a son with and is now happily married in the U.S., while his old friend (Ganesh Acharya) has moved from a Mumbai slum to the same continent! Also, we wonder why this family angle was brought in at all, and ditto the reason why Vishnu had to steal cash!
Also the actor (whose death was shown in “ABCD”) is shown ill here as well, and how a deaf mute can voice words similar to what we speak is beyond logic. However, his illness is never explained even in the end, while the secret he knows about Vishnu (how he understands Vishnu when he cannot hear is not explained!) also does not make sense!
In short, this is a film to be seen, enjoyed and forgotten. The youth and kids will take to it, and the stars will give it an opening. But whether it will have an enduring future, do well after the opening weekend or even recover its budget is something quite doubtful. The 2015 audience has not been strong on logic (“Tanu Weds Manu Returns,” “Dil Dhadakne Do”) and may well endorse this film too.
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