Jannat 2 review

Cast: Emraan Hashmi, Isha Gupta, Manish Choudhary,  Arif Zakaria

Directed by Kunal Deshmukh

Rating: *

One thing that will puzzle you endlessly at several points during this film is why the filmmaker would’ve considered the title. Is it a metaphysical metaphor to the life of the downtrodden? Does it delve into the afterlife where our lead cast will be ushered into a ‘Jannat’ where the Bhatts aren’t in the business of making films? Neither. The true essence of the title needs much less brain picking. It refers to the twin dumplings served in a skewer in the form of the film’s leading lady. As crude as that sounds, it is infact the only logical reference one can deduce.

The film is about a jack of all trades related to guns and master of fun, Sonu Dilli KKC (Emraan Hashmi). KKC is short for ‘Kutti, Kameeni Cheez’. See, you were better off not knowing that, right? Anyway, Sonu falls under the radar of forever-brooding inspector ACP Pratap (Randeep Hooda) who wants to bust the big bazaar-ing of guns to avenge his wife’s death (she was killed by a person who owned an illegal gun). But wait a minute. When your wife has been shot dead, is the weapon being illegal the crux of the calamity? How about trying to explore why she was gunned down to begin with? Hopefully, these questions can be answered in Jannat 3.

Sonu Dilli in ‘Jannat 2′

So Pratap hammers Sonu into submission and he becomes a police informer and a mole working for the largest local producer of guns in Delhi. Suddenly, for no logical reason, Sonu swiftly climbs the ranks in this despicable outfit. This is while Pratap is close at his heels, occasionally busting a deal or two but mostly drinking himself silly and hurling abusives at anyone who’s willing to be his booze buddy. His signature response to any question says a lot about him but little about the question being asked: “Main jeene aur jaagne ki koshish kar raha hoon.” Our sentiments exactly.If the Bhatts are known for something, it is the music in their films. But how can you have songs unless someone is in love or out of love or hopeful for love or longing for it? Enter Jhanvi Singh Tomar (Esha Gupta), a doctor with a chiseled body who is employed with a charity hospital and looks like a lifetime regular at Twinkle beauty parlour. If you’ve seen the promos or the poster of the film, you don’t need to be told who will fall truly, madly and deeply for her. So, soon her blossoming love story with Sonu is celebrated with several unreasonably scattered songs where our Gladrags doctor allows us to examine her more closely than we would feel comfortable doing. Many of these occasions also remind you of those sari ads on billboards featuring firangs with inanimate expressions. This is also because words rattle out of her mouth like she was reading out of a cue card without pauses, emphasis or care.

While you want to read no more, please bear a few more scenes that make for memorable cinema. The first time Sonu meets Jhanvi, he’s at the hospital to get his slashed palm dressed. The next time he goes to meet her, she asks, “Aaj kya kar aaye ho?” Before he could reply, her eyes sprint down his waist. No damage to child-bearing gear – check. Next, when Sonu is about to succumb to bullets fired at him, Pratap is seen running down the hospital hall, frantically crying, “It’s an emergency! It’s an emergency!” But where is Sonu? He’s stepped out for some popcorn perhaps? The film also features a predictable twist where Sonu has to make a life-altering decision but the larger concern for us is that we have lost over 2 hours of our life in suffering this cinematic dump.