Yamla Pagla Deewana 2 Review

Story: Pious Paramvir's crooked father and brother, Dharam and Gajodhar, try scamming a British businessman - and his daughters. Will Param let the duo do it?

Movie Review: Rather like one of the many people Paramvir Singh ( Sunny Deol) pummels, Yamla Pagla Deewana 2 (YPD 2) totters between GJs (good jokes) and PJs (poor jokes). The GJs are sometimes very good - as scamster Gajodhar-turned-gentleman Prem, trying to impress Reet (Akheeva) with his knowledge of art, Bobby Deol hilariously confuses Zakir Hussain ("Woh 'Wah Taj' wala - woh toh tabla bajata hai, na?") with MF Hussain. Bobby then reappears as his artist-twin 'Q' - accompanied by "Hussain sahib ki ghori, Gaja Gamini". And there's the British lady overwhelmed by a painting, calling Mark and Spencer to come see it too.

But the GJs get flattened by the PJs, which include an over-smart orangutan called Einstein, a blond Anupam Kher as astronaut-villain Joginder Armstrong, Johnny Lever and Sucheta Khanna in un-funny 'villain' suits (including an objectionable Hiroshima-Nagasaki one), Chinese warriors, Sumo wrestlers, Annu Kapoor's accent flying from London to LA via Ludhiana (he introduces Reet as "daughter of late Lady Alizabeth Waltar Khanna") and so many more.

Minus 30 minutes, YPD 2 could have been much funnier - and much shorter. It does have its moments - Sunny in the shower sweetly sparkles while Suit Mera Laal Rang Da will rock shaadi-season. But despite two pretty heroines, three Deols and an assortment of nutty buddies, YPD 2 frequently stumbles into blunder-land. Paramvir works for the world's most soft-hearted bank (its manager drawls, "Cheques are better late than never,"), Suman (Sharma) walks through Banaras in skimpier shorts and tighter push-up tops than what she wears in London, Reet stresses, "Thaynk you sooo much!" to everyone, while Einstein enjoys an awful 'item number'.

On the upside, a very attractive Sunny stays this movie's brave heart - but even his dhai kilo ka haath can't fully lift YPD 2. Pity, considering how cool its 3-D(eol) could be.