Name: Khichdi 2
Director: Aatish Kapadia
Cast: Supriya Pathak,Kirti Kulhari,JD Majethia,Anang Desai,Vandana Pathak,Rajeev Mehta
Rating: 2 / 5
Thirteen years after unveiling the first Khichdi movie in 2010, Aatish Kapadia, Jamnadas Majethia (JD), Supriya Pathak, Rajeev Mehta, Anang Desai and Vandana Pathak have returned with Khichdi 2. But maybe some things should be left as is. Read the review to find out why I say that…
Plot
The Parekh family embarks on an adventurous journey to Paanthukistan to free their strangely named residents from the tyranny of Kimam Khake Thu, and his close aides Maharani Gulkanda and 120 Navratan. The family poses as documentary filmmakers to enter Paanthukistan, and win the confidence of the leader. However, the group is soon met with multiple twists and turns, which makes their task even more challenging. Will Hansa, Praful, Tulsidas, Jayshree and Himanshu be able to help the locals at this fictional place, or make the situation even more messier. You’ll have to watch the film to find that out!
What’s Hot?
The biggest asset for brand Khichdi is the nostalgia attached with its lead parts, their quirks, and writer-director Aatish Kapadia has retained that for Khichdi 2. Right from the first scene, fans would be able to relate with the idiosyncrasies of the characters, thus setting the excitement for the film. The actors too have maintained consistency in their performance despite such long gaps between the franchise projects. The film also gives subtle messages which get highlighted through the narrative.
Furthermore, cinematographer Vijay Soni’s camera lens along with production designer Jayant Deshmukh’s designs bring alive the world of Khichdi on the big screen. Ganesh Acharya’s choreography is average, and the aforementioned points are more or less what works for the benefit of the movie.
What’s Not?
The screenplay of Khichdi 2 is a mix of multiple situational comedic scenes, from which some sequences manage to tickle your funny bone, but many fail to do so, making the whole viewing experience a dragged affair. The narrative is inconsistent and often confusing, which makes the viewers perplexed, and more often not in a good way. The two hour long film seems even longer while watching it, and that is mostly because of the elongated screenplay, forced comedic sequences especially involving the Parminder family, and songs which were absolutely not required. Aatish Kapadia along with additional screenplay writer Sourav Ghosh could have focused more on this aspect.
Music by Chirantan Bhatt does nothing for the film, nor does Raju Singh’s background score, which usually is an important element for a comedy, as it helps lift up dull sequences. Editor Aajay K could have sharpened the film a little more on the editing table.
Performances
The cast of Khichdi are all seasoned actors, and each one of them have aced their parts. Supriya Pathak is impeccable as Hansa and so is Vandana Pathak as Jayshree. Rajeev Mehta is in a double role and plays both parts well. Anang Desai as Tulsidas Parekh and Jamnadas Majethia as Himanshu justify their roles. The supporting cast has done a decent job as well.
Final Verdict
I believe the madness of Khichdi doesn’t fit so well in the movie format, as the character quirks sometimes get overwhelming on the narrative thus failing to strike a perfect balance for two straight hours. So yes, Khichdi 2 is a nostalgic ride but doesn’t entertain.
