Tum Bin 2 (2016) Review!!!

Synopsis – Centering around the life of Taran (Neha Sharma), who loses her fiance Amar in a skiing accident. Her life changes when she meets Shekhar, who has seen the best and worst of times. The story explores old friendship, newfound love and a difficult decision.

My Take – As I had evidently made it clear in my reviews of Rock On 2 & Force 2, I am not the kind of guy who would root for a Bollywood sequel. One of the biggest challenges for a sequel is to get out of the shadow of its prequel especially when the memory of the predecessor still resides in the mind of the audience, making the challenge only tougher. The trouble is, sequels are double-edged weapons. Along with the success quotient, there is that lethal angle that if a sequel isn’t better, it is unlikely to work. And every now and then (sparring a few), Bollywood sequels have come out to cash in on the supposed brand value of the earlier film, harming the potential of the better film. Most filmmakers mistakenly make the sequels bigger (in canvas, mounting and finally budget) when the consumer actually wants them better, not necessarily bigger! And yes this film does exactly that. Director Anubhav Sinha’s debut film was a sleeper hit back in 2001, applauded by the critics and audience for its fresh take and emotional execution. Despite being preteenager at the time, I still remember musician duo Nikhil-Vinay’s lilting soundtrack (who can forget Jagjit Singh’s Koi Fariyaad?), combined with Canada’s snow-clad locales, debutant Priyanshu’s immensely likable charm and debutant Sandali Sinha’s exquisitely designed tears. Despite watching director Anubhav Sinha’s films (Aapko Pehle Bhi Kahin Dekha Hai, Cash, Dus, Tathasthu, Ra. One) plunge to B-grade depths, I was hopeful that turning back to his first and most watchable film would bring back some hopes for this once promising director. I know turning a franchise out of an old-fashioned love story about selfless love, friendship, forgiveness and sacrifice seems like a bad idea, but don’t we all miss the good old times of films where falling in love was everything life was all about? And honestly the film is not as atrocious as the trailers made it out to be, as it practically the same film – there’s an accident, there’s betrayal, there’s falling in love and there’s oodles mush. But sadly this one is an overkill. Stirring mixed feelings of love just like the first part, the director formulates a confusing cocktail and gave it shape into a love-triangle.

The story follows London-based Indian Taran (Neha Sharma) whose world comes crashing down when her fiancée Amar (Aashim Gulati), goes missing while skiing in the Alps during their holiday and is presumed dead. Nine months later Taran and her family is introduced to Shekhar (Aditya Seal) by Amar’s father (Kanwaljit Singh). Still mourning the loss of Amar, Shekhar wins over Taran’s sisters and friends by with his positive approach to life & charm. By helping Taran fullfil her dreams of opening a patisserie with help of his contacts, Shekhar eventually finds a place in Taran’s grieving heart as the two fall in love. However, its seems Amar had survived his accident & after being in coma for the last couple of months, has miraculously recovered and returns home. Crushed with guilt about having moved on, Taran finds herself in a position where she has to make a choice to move on with Shekhar or go back to how things were with Amar. The first half of the movie is quite engaging. While the first half of the film keeps you engaged, the latter half single-handedly pulls down the whole setting. Sadly, burdened with the self-imposed obligation of ensuring the plot line closely mirrors his first film, director Sinha drags the movie endlessly. The plot becomes increasingly complicated and the dialogue convoluted. The ending is messy and unintentionally funny, thanks to weepy characters who won’t stop talking. Also what’s with the misplaced commentary on neighborly love as the youngest of the three sisters wants to marry a Pakistani (and a Fawad Khan lookalike no less), followed by many monologues and wise words from Shekhar. Despite a different cast & a different setting, this film feels like the second script Sinha had in mind while directing the first one. The situations are more or less the same and have remained same in the first film if Rakesh Bapat would’ve returned in Sandali‘s life with Priyanshu Chatterjee redeeming his guilt and falling in love with her. While it’s unfair to actually draw comparisons between the two, the makers themselves keep stressing on it through the music, treatment and even the names of the two male characters. While the emotional quotient of the film’s theme is high, the pace drags and somewhere, it fails to involve you as the momentum is lost. You do not empathize with the characters, well maybe a little with Shekhar in the second half. The film recourses to several clichéd dialogues and situations and is predictable from word go, with no element of surprise. The outcome of the love triangle too seems a tad outdated given the sensibilities of the youth today.

There are some light-hearted moments, some real situations, one can relate to, but these are few and far between. Just when you think the film is going to tread the path well travelled it surprises you — but not for long, because that would have meant less tears, less drama, a 30-minute shorter film (if only) and a bolder resolution. While Shekhar and Amar stand tall, it is Taran’s character — an impressionable girl who is a victim of circumstance — who should have earned our sympathy, or at any rate our support. That quality pops up briefly and gets suppressed just as quickly under the weight of the more assured men who make decisions that will shape her future. Unlike the musical success of its predecessor, Ankit Tiwari’s soundtrack manage to deliver just one memorable song (Ishq Mubarak). Yet, I would still say this film isn’t an out-and-out monstrosity one expected it to be. Its best moments are those that offer light-hearted banter and scenes with little or no melodrama. Taran’s family fights and makes up like a normal family, where everyone pulls each other’s leg but also helps each other in times of distress. Also Scotland’s beautiful sceneries are delight to watch. There is no denying that complications of a love triangle have been touched upon well and there are parts of the film that make you emotional. The chemistry between Taran and Shekhar has all the spark and makes you ‘ship’ them till the end. The 1^st film never actually thrived on its actors’ capabilities, neither does this one, maybe it should have. The performances of the lead cast are praiseworthy as of the other supporting characters. Aditya Seal (Ek Chhoti se Love story) as Shekhar shines with his subtle histrionics and charms you immediately. His acting style is strongly reminiscent of an earlier Shahrukh Khan. Neha Sharma as Taran is natural, emotes reasonably well and is endearing, while debutant Aashim Gulati appears confident and is great in emotional sequences, but just seems to lack spontaneity. Kanwaljit Singh as Amar’s father renders a sincere and heart-warming portrayal. Sonia Balani as the youngest sister Gurpreet, is competent and lights up the screen with her effervescence. The actress playing Manpreet, the older sister, is equally a treat to watch and makes good use of her limited screen time. Mouni Roy adds to the glamour quotient in the dance number. On the whole, ‘Tum Bin 2’ fails to impress despite its hefty performances and strong potential of being heartwarming love story. Go for it if you are love typical Bollywood romance and cheesy love lessons, otherwise, catch its when it has its television premiere in a few months.