HB 2: Non-stop blues

<div class="section1"><div class="Normal"><span style="" font-weight:="" bold=""><script language="javascript">doweshowbellyad=0; </script></span><br /><span style="" font-weight:="" bold="">Film:</span> <span style="" font-style:="" italic="">Hyderabad Blues 2: Rearranged Marriage</span><br /><br /><span style="" font-weight:="" bold="">Director:</span> Nagesh Kukunoor<br /><br /><span style="" font-weight:="" bold="">Cast:</span> Nagesh Kukunoor, Jyoti Dogra<br /><br /><span style="" font-weight:="" bold="">Rating:</span> <img src="/photo/762066.cms" alt="/photo/762066.cms" border="0" /><img src="/photo/762066.cms" alt="/photo/762066.cms" border="0" /><br /></div> <div align="center" style="position:relative; left: -3"><table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="2" align="center" border="1" width="71.7%"> <colgroup> <col width="100.0%" /> </colgroup> <tr valign="top"> <td width="100.0%" colspan="1" rowspan="1" style="" valign:="" top="" background-color:="" f3f3f3=""> <div class="Normal"><img src="/photo/762086.cms" alt="/photo/762086.cms" border="0" /></div> </td> </tr> </table></div> <div class="Normal">After giving us some insipid fare (<span style="" font-style:="" italic="">Rockford</span>, <span style="" font-style:="" italic="">Bollywood Calling</span>) and some good stuff (<span style="" font-style:="" italic="">Teen Deewarein</span>) that didn''t work, Nagesh Kukunoor is back on familiar territory with a sequel to his first film, the trend-setting <span style="" font-style:="" italic="">Hyderabad Blues</span>.<br /><br />Watching <span style="" font-style:="" italic="">Rearranged Marriage</span>, one gets a feeling the director either wanted to play it safe by sticking to the tried-and-tested or wanted to employ the few funny one-liners he knew.<br /><br />For, the sequel just doesn’t wash, with jokes that not only figured in the prelude, but are repeated too often in the sequel too.<br /><br /><span style="" font-weight:="" bold="">Next page: </span><a href="http://www.thetimesofindia.online/articleshow/msid-762063,curpg-2.cmsrs" style="" font-face:arialfont-size:10ptcolor:0066cc="">Kukunoor breaks the formula</a><br /><br /></div> </div><div class="section2"><div class="Normal"><br />In <span style="" font-style:="" italic="">HB2</span>, lead character Varun (Kukunoor) has been happily married to Ashwini (Dogra) for six years, when the differences begin.He runs a call centre, while she’s set up her own medical centre. She wants a child, he doesn’t. She’s egged on by good friends Seema (Elahe Hiptoola) and Sanjeev (Vikram Inamdar).<br /><br />Between work and marriage, Varun also finds time for his buddies over card games and drinks.<br /><br />The stark style – little makeup, real locations, home video feel, no over-the-top acting – of the earlier film is religiously followed in the sequel.<br /><br />But, with little conflict among characters, the plot stretches endlessly. First, they fight without a conclusion over having a child. Wife seeks help from Shashi Aunty, whose lessons in <span style="" font-style:="" italic="">pallu</span>-dropping make you want to drop the film. The married-for-six-years coy wife seems in great need of sex education rather than lessons on the art of seducing hubby dear.<br /><br />The coy wife then divorces the husband when he nearly gave in to the seduction tactics of his employee Menaka, who has a fascination for her bosses. Almost a third of the film is wasted on the husband trying to woo the wife back, only to end Bollywood style; he catches a plane, she realises her folly; he hadn’t left in the first place.<br /><br />Dogra is particularly bad in bringing out her character.<br /><br />The only redeeming factor: a few funny scenes in the beginning.<br /><br /><span style="" font-style:="" italic="">Hyderabad Blues </span>had worked largely because of its timing. Kukunoor was then the pioneer of what’s now called the ‘multiplex’ film and it came as a refreshing change. Sadly, after breaking the formula, the talented filmmaker now seems to be following it.</div> </div>