Fukrey Returns

Sequels of movies as a audience are harder to watch. Now many actors, directors, complain that making a sequel is a difficult because of the expectations burden. However as an audience member, I can testify that, if you go by the history of sequels in Hindi cinema, the expectation bar is very low!, I know that a sequel by default will disappoint, and the main reason is that the sequel goes into what is over-elaboration.
If you look at the Munnabhai franchise, the key is the relationship between Munnabhai and Circuit, the gullible nature of the characters and the fun they have with it. The rest of the story revolves around this. However most sequels do away with the essence, in trying to bring something new to the table, maybe feeling that the current combination needs an addition, as it is a sequel. And most of the times, it is this new “addition” or “angle” that makes the sequel loose its sheen

Angle treatment

And in Fukrey returns it is the character of Richa which gets this “angle” treatment. In the effort to convert the character to a ‘positive’ shade, it gets over elaborated. Her presence is now required in many scenes whereas in the first movie it would be left to the devices of the four central characters.

Fukrey’s charm was these central characters and their relationship, and Fukrey returns suffers as the essence gets tilted towards Bholi Punjaban!

Choo-Choo

However it is not a totally bland movie, if you are going with low expectations, what you are interested in is the comic hilarity of Choo-Choo, and he provides ample material in that sense. The scene where he explains his origins story is a laugh riot. That, and a few of his dream sequences, especially where he spreads his arms aka Shahrukh are worth a watch. The other ladies have nothing much to do, and are probably to maintain continuity. The CGI tiger is well done, thankfully, however they could have had more fun with it, and the tiger is left literally in the lurch!.
The villain is well played, and probably the most consistent character after Choo-Choo, the tune Fuk Fuk Fukrey, and the starting montage of scenes from the first movie are a treat. No song is catchy like Ambarsariya this time, even though the Mehbooba remix is really well done.
Overall the movie is a good watch, especially because we as an audience are not spoilt for choices, not much to choose from!

Caramel

Digressing here, I watched the movie at PVR in the JW Marriott complex Pune, and the experience was awesome. The pop corn is the best in Pune right now, if you like caramel, then its really crunchy, consistent. Way back, around 10 years back E-Square introduced such high quality caramel pop corn, however they lost their way now,, the popcorn here reminded me of that. Seating is the best, though I can’t understand the trend of splitting the rows in the centre. It may not matter for a Hindi movie, but for a 3D movies, the seats in the centre are absolutely the best!, and the seating arrangement at these new theaters is doing away with those best seats. Yes it is a bit convenient and we don’t have to bump too many knees to make to our seats, but watching a 3D movie at such a theater, I will definitely think twice.