‘Jawani Phir Nahi Ani 2’ has surely knocked it out of the park! With a stellar cast, the romantic comedy is a testament to the hard work of filmmakers. However, the stars of the show were, wait for it! Ahmed Ali Butt, Sarwat Gillani and Fahad Mustafa. The trio put their hearts and souls in their performances. I was most impressed with Ahmed Ali Butt’s versatility as an actor. For that reason alone he deserves an award.
‘JPNA 2’ revolves around Fahad Mustafa’s character Rahat, a pretentious socialite residing in Turkey while Sherry, played by Humayun Saeed, attempts to kill himself but is saved (well, sort of!) by Selina (Kubra Khan). She plays an Indian in the film who Sherry falls head over heels in love with but unbeknownst to the trio and Sherry himself, Selina’s father is an Indian Ambassador who hates Pakistan. Now, the pros of the film; it was certainly entertaining than the original ‘Jawani Phir Ani.’ The music score and songs were brilliant; however, the background music slightly overpowered the vocals. Second, the opening scene of the film resembled a Hollywood film scene and I am not even kidding! It was a well-directed and cinematographed sequel.
The cons? It was unnecessary to pull in a group of goons in the mix. I would have happily forwarded their scenes if it were in my hands. We do it all the time in most typical rom-com Pakistani films but the idea is a cliché and needs to find a place elsewhere. The movie lost its charm in the first hour because of this factor but it picked up shortly after. The visual aesthetics and effects were impressive! I liked how the film was shot beautifully in Turkey and not in Pakistan. It gave a fresh vibe and a change of scenery.
To end on a positive note, I will say, go watch the film! It is one of Pakistan’s best. I say ‘one of’ because ‘Teefa in Trouble’ is by far the best Pakistani film I have seen but ‘Jawani Phir Nai Ani 2’ is a close second! Maybe ‘Parwaaz Hai Junoon’ would be the crowned winner next, you never know! I would have to watch it first but JPNA 2 will not disappoint you for sure! I won’t be surprised if another sequel to the film is announced anytime soon. With this movie and Ali Zafar’s debut, I am happy to see how far we have come as a progressive film industry. We have evolved with time and the amount of effort we are putting into animated movies is unbelievable. I normally do not go with mainstream films or television shows as only a handful get my attention but I will commend Six Sigma Plus, the writers, editors and producers for their hard work and zeal.
Published in Daily Times, September 2nd 2018.