Sneha Jaiswal (Þjórsárdalur | Instagram)
“मैं तेरी हर जिद्द मान लूंगा, बस याद रखना, इस झगड़े में कोई तीसरा शामिल न हो” (Translation: I will agree to all your wishes, just don’t ever involve a third person between us)
Love triangles, betrayal, blood and tears (and crocodiles) return in the 2024 Netflix film Phir Aayi Hasseen Dillruba. Directed by Jayprad Desai and written by Kanika Dhillon, the sequel to Haseen Dillruba picks up a few months after the events of the first film. Rani (Taapsee Pannu) and her husband Rishu (Vikrant Massey) are on the run from the police, who now believe Rishu faked his own death after murdering Rani’s lover Neel, but have no evidence. The couple plan to flee the country, but their plans go awry and Rani’s decision to involve her new admirer Abhimanyu (Sunny Kaushal) complicates things even further.
The first hour of Phir Aayi Hasseen Dillruba runs for just over two hours and is thoroughly entertaining, unfolding like the Hindi pulp novels that the characters are inspired by. Rani, a widow in the eyes of the world, lives in Agra and secretly meets Rishu, who is supposed to be dead. Taapsee Pannu’s portrayal of Rani, who always wears pretty saris and low-cut blouses and has roses in her hair, is perfect in the sequel, while Vikrant Massey, as her fiercely loyal Rishu, keeps the heat of their blood-stained romance burning. Sunny Kaushal’s Abhimanyu starts off as a refreshing contrast to the couple – he is introduced as a reserved, gentle medical doctor who falls head over heels in love with Rani.
The dialogues might seem dated to some viewers; they have a deliberately old-fashioned poetic touch that may be a little awkward but suits the “die-hard romantics” of the protagonists. While there are no song and dance sequences in “Phir Aayi Hasseen Dillruba”, there are some great original songs playing in the background and the makers also revive a fantastic number that fits perfectly with Rani and Rishu’s love story – the 1980 hit “Ek Haseena This” from the thriller “Karz”.
Jimmy Shergill enters ‘Phir Aayi Hasseen Dillruba’ around 25 minutes in and has an entertaining cameo as a new cop determined to expose Rani. He has a vested interest in the case as he is Montu Chacha, Neel’s (the man Rani kills in the first film) paternal uncle. It seems quite absurd that Rishu and Rani continue to meet secretly even after Montu Chacha dispatches several cops to keep an eye on Rani’s activities. Given the ‘cinematic’ and theatrical nature of the film, the lack of logic didn’t really bother me, but the plot twists become increasingly far-fetched in the second half and aren’t even funny.
Given the dramatic twists towards the end, I wish the writers had included some gory scenes to make the film darker and more sensational. Although the main characters are morally questionable, their “mad” side is far too tame this time. With a good soundtrack and strong performances, overall, Phir Aayi Hasseen Dillruba is a decent one-off experience.”
Rating: 3 out of 5 stars. Stream the movie on Netflix.
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