De De Pyaar De 2 movie review: Ajay Devgn, R Madhavan, Rakul make the familiar feel fun in this enjoyable sequel

De De Pyaar De 2 movie review: The film works because it stays honest about what it is: a breezy, mildly chaotic take on modern relationships.

De De Pyaar De 2 movie review

Director: Anshul Sharma

Cast: Ajay Devgn, Rakul Preet Singh, Gautami Kapoor, R Madhavan and Meezaan Jafri

Rating: ★★★

Right off the bat, R Madhavan still looks too suave to play a father on screen to a 29-year-old in De De Pyaar De 2. The man, at 55, still has the Rehna Hai Terre Dil Mein charm intact!

De De Pyaar De 2 movie review: The film is directed by Anshul Sharma.

The plot

With that out of the way, the film itself takes off with surprising confidence and, in many ways, outdoes the first part. Directed by Anshul Sharma, the story picks up where the previous installment ended. After Ashish (Ajay Devgn) manages to convince his own family about his relationship with the much younger Ayesha (Rakul Preet Singh), the tougher chapter begins: winning over her parents. Rakesh (R Madhavan) and Anju (Gautami Kapoor) proudly call themselves "educated, progressive" people who never miss a chance to declare: "hum modern log hain"! But accepting a man nearly double their daughter’s age is a test of just how modern they truly are. The expected fireworks follow, and that fuels the rest of the plot.

Move over Raj and Simran; the real jodi in town is Ajay and Madhavan. Their face-off that began in Shaitaan extends here too, and they remain the film’s most engaging bit. The first half builds enough drama, occasionally brushing the been-there-seen-that zone, but the humour rescues it. The in-jokes work nicely, like when Ronak (Javed Jafferi) looks at someone he's met for the first time in the film, Sameer (Meezaan Jafferi), and quips "main isko apna beta bana leta!"

There’s also a fun nod to the infamous pan masala advert Ajay has fronted. In a setup like DDPD 2, this kind of self-awareness clicks.

The verdict

The second half follows a predictable rhythm, but the cast keeps the energy up. This one borrows generously from the first film, especially the bit where Ashish and Manju (Tabu) ended up sleeping together despite years of separation, and Ayesha was expected to understand. The constant age-related jabs are also an echo of the long-running debate about older male stars romancing much younger heroines. Here, the debate becomes the plot itself, and the makers don’t miss an opportunity to spell out exactly what the world thinks of relationships with big age gaps.

Performance wise, we have already stated: Madhavan takes the cake and eats it too. He nails the nuances of a man who is equal parts egoistic and deeply family oriented, and his chemistry with Gautami Kapoor translates on screen. Ajay Devgn does what he does best, and this time he smartly steps back to let the rest of the cast take over. Meezaan is immensely watchable, armed with comic timing, and one hopes he gets more roles that tap into this side.

Rakul Preet Singh gets a solid part and, if one may say, a better written one than Ajay’s. And she delivers.

In the music department, White Brown Black by Avvy Sra, Jaani and Karan Aujla, along with Aditya Rikhari’s Main Raat Bhar, are the clear standouts.

Overall, De De Pyaar De 2 works not because it surprises you, but because it stays honest about what it is: a breezy, mildly chaotic take on modern relationships. With Madhavan and Ajay at the centre and a cast that never slacks, it makes for an easy watch.