Jawani Phir Nahi Ani 2: A sequel far better than the original
PHOTO: PUBLICITY
KARACHI: There’s nothing better than getting to watch a good film when its trailer suggested otherwise. When the trailer for
Jawani Phir Nahi Ani 2 dropped, I thought it looked too confusing – as if the film-makers were trying to do too much. Even the jokes in the trailer were distasteful and unfunny.
So, it obviously came as a pleasant surprise when the actual film delivered on most fronts. Directed by Nadeem Baig, the nearly three-hour comedy takes place three years after the original
Jawani ended. Upon his brother-in-law Rahat’s (Fahad Mustafa) insistence, Pervez (Ahmed Ali Butt) and Sheikh (Vasay Chaudhary) travel to Turkey with their wives Lubna (Uzma Khan) and Gul (Sarwat Gillani). There, the tragi-comical circumstances reunite them with their long-lost friend Sherry (Humayun Saeed) who is hell bent on suicide. The film takes us through their journey as conflicts involving money, love and Indo-Pak politics arise.
PHOTO: FILE
The greatest strength of
JPNA 2 is its fast pace. It moves like a bullet train from point A to B, never letting the audience take a breather. A few scenes are unnecessary, even fewer drag beyond the limit.
Pakistani film-makers rely too much on cross-dressing, fat shaming and jokes about transgenders. This is a problem that needs to be addressed.
JPNA 2 doesn’t break that norm. There is a fine line between being funny and crossing the line. And as hard it is to pinpoint the ‘line’, we have seen our film-makers tip over before in
Mehrunnisa V Lub U and more recently, in
Jackpot. Vasay does cross the line at times but quickly manages to pick himself up and continue.