Yaariyan 2 (2023) Review!!

Synopsis – It follows the journeys of three cousins, Shikhar, Ladli, and Bajrang, as they navigate their adventures, dreams and self-discovery in Mumbai.

My Take – Released in 2014, the Divya Khosla Kumar directed Yaariyan was an abysmally made coming of age musical comedy drama that was marred with irredeemable factors excluding the likes of Rakul Preet Singh (in her Hindi debut). Yet, with a hit soundtrack to its name, the film managed to find box office success, hereby birthing a franchise.

Serving as a standalone sequel, this new installment sees Divya Khosla Kumar hand over the directorial reins to Radhika Rao and Vinay Sapru, known for Lucky: No Time for Love (2005) and Sanam Teri Kasam (2016), and take center stage with Meezaan Jafri and debutante Pearl V Puri, and ventures into the lives of three cousins navigating the complexities of life with each other.

And though the music this time around isn’t even close to the memorable and catchy nature of its predecessor, the overall experience at least this time around is a stark improvement, resulting in an imperfect yet decent entertainer.

Inspired by the acclaimed 2014 Malayalam film ‘Bangalore Days‘ by writer-director Anjali Menon, here, directors Radhika Rao and Vinay Sapru and co-writer Muhammad Asif Ali lay a strong foundation with the captivating story line, delving into the intricacies of challenges faced in relationships and the bonds of family.

However, its potential is held back by old-school editing choices that extend the film’s duration unnecessarily. A more concise and intense approach would have served the narrative better. Sure, the film may appeal to fans of romance and drama as it’s packed with both. But a tightly-knit narrative would have made the film far more engaging.

The story follows three cousins, Laadli Chhiber (Divya Khosla Kumar), Shikhar Randhawa (Meezaan Jafri), and Bajrang, aka Bajju (Pearl V Puri). Recently recovered from thalassemia, Laadli dreams of following in love and get married, but owing to constant pressure from her mother (Lillete Dubey), she ends up in a loveless marriage to Abhay Singh Katyal (Yash Daasguptaa) after relocating with him to Mumbai.

Shikhar too is forced to shift to Mumbai and work as a delivery boy after he faces a roadblock in his biking career. But his hastily taken decision leads him to meeting the paraplegic (Anaswara Rajan), who is still mourning the loss of a loved one.

While Bajju is struggling to settle into the corporate job life in Mumbai, he seems to find some sort of happiness when he begins a relationship with Shona (Warina Hussain), despite Shikhar’s reservations about her behavior. What follows is how the three navigate through their changed lives and find means to be happy.

Without a doubt, the film has its heart at the right place. The story, its conflicts and the relationship between the cousins has been depicted well. Reminding of a simpler time and those long-length music videos that directors Radhika Rao and Vinay Sapru have made for T-Series in the past. However, the film could have benefited from a tighter screenplay and a more focused story-line.

The film has its high points and low, and some are terribly flat even, but the underlying stories of relationships that the characters share are sensitively explored. The plot that the film begins with deviates and brings in too many tracks, including loss of loved ones, break-ups, and the three lead protagonists’ relationship through it all.

Performance wise, Divya Khosla Kumar is decent in her role, a massive improvement over her last turn in Satyameva Jayate 2 (2021). Meezaan Jafri is getting better with each film and is easily the most likable of the lot. Pearl V Puri marks a decent debut and shows excellent vulnerability in heartbreak sequences. The three display great genuine camaraderie.

Marking their Hindi film debuts, Yash Das Gupta shows great restraint, while Anaswara Rajan is sweet and endearing to watch. Sadly, Warina Hussain and Priya Prakash Varrier are wasted. On the whole, ‘Yaariyan 2’ is a decent coming-of-age romantic drama backed by redeeming performances and familiar execution.