“Student Of The Year 2 Is An Entertaining & An Enjoyable Fare”
Banner: Dharma Production & Fox Star Studio
Producers: Karan Johar, Hiroo Yash Johar, Apporva Mehta & Fox Star Studios
Director: Punit Malhotra
Star Cast: Tiger Shroff, Ananya Panday, Tara Sutaria, Aditya Seal, Samir Soni, Gul Panag, Abhishek Bajaj, Manoj Pahwa, Ayesha Raza Mishra, Rajesh Kumar, Manasi Joshi Roy, Chetan Pandit, Samreen Kaur, Manjot Singh, Sahil Anand, Daljeet Singh, Harsh Beniwal & Rajveer Siungh & above all Alia Bhatt & Will Smith
Music: Vishal – Shekhar & Salim – Sulaiman
Some of the most popular films on OTT platforms at present are those that are set in schools or colleges. These are usually light-hearted films dealing with love & other school based aspects. Not just on streaming platforms, even in cinemas, this genre has never gone out of fashion & Hollywood regularly churns out such films. But when it comes to Bollywood, one can hardly recall a handful of such films. The only memorable movies one can recollect in the last 10 to 12 years are Jaane Tu Ya Na Jaane Na in the year2008, 3 Idiots in the year 2009 & Fukrey in the 2013. Student Of The year 2 hence is an important film in this regard. Its 1st ever part, released in the year 2012, was a runaway success & had established 3 new actors namely Varun Dhawan, Alia Bhatt & Siddharth Malhotra. Now, Karan Johar has released Student Of The Year 2 & this time he has cast 2 new girls namely Ananya Panday & Tara Sutaria, along with the popular actor Tiger Shroff. However, it’s Punit Malhotra who’s wearing the director’s cap for the sequel.
The scripted scenario of Student Of The Year 2 opens its frame with the story of triumph, love & also making a comeback. Rohan (Tiger Shroff) & Mridula (Tara Sutaria) study together in Pishori Chamanlal college. Both are in love & there comes a time when Mridula changes her college & gets an admission in the prestigious St Teresa College. Rohan too wants to get admitted in this institution but knowing that the fees there are too costly, he abandons the plan. He still tries his luck & seeks admission under the sports quota. As luck would have it, his admission is approved. Rohan reaches there & realizes that Mridula has changed. For starters, she now calls herself Mia. She also gets a bit detached with Rohan. However, in no time Rohan wins her heart & they both again become a couple.
Meanwhile, Rohan is introduced to the Teresa’s stud & star athlete, Manav Mehra (Aditya Seal). They quickly become friends but Manav Mehra’s sister Shreya (Ananya Panday) detests him. She always tries her best to put Rohan in a spot. At the time of the dance competition of the college, Rohan & Mia team up while Manav & Shreya jointly participate. For both the girls, winning the competition is very crucial. Mia wants to attain popularity & she realizes that this dance competition will be a step in that direction. Shreya, meanwhile, wants to escape the clutches of her tyrannical father Mr Randhawa (Chetan Pandit) & also her over-achiever brother Manav & get enrolled in a dance school in London. During the competition, Manav & Shreya win while Rohan & Mia get defeated as Mia loses her grip. So Mia is devastated & when Rohan goes to console her, he finds Mia & Manav cosying up to each other. An angry Rohan punches Manav. This action leads to Rohan’s expulsion from St Teresa. Manav, still cross over getting hit by Rohan, gangs up & beats up Rohan black & blue. What happens next forms the rest of the crux of the film.
Arshad Syed’s story, with additional inputs by Paulomi Dutta, is nothing new & novel. However, it’s written keeping in the mind the genre. Arshad Syed’s screenplay however is praiseworthy as it’s peppered with some entertaining, dramatic & even moving moments. The beginning however is a bit haphazard. Arshad Syed’s dialogues are witty & some one-liners raise guffaws.
Punit Malhotra’s direction is appropriate. He understands the space in which the film is set & does justice to the plot in hand. He had a tall order to reach considering that the 1st ever part was very well helmed by Karan Johar. In that regard, he comes quite close & that’s quite a feat. Despite the unreal world, Punit Malhotra puts his earnest effort in making it seem convincing. At a few places, he does falter though, story-wise. Shreya’s turn around in the 2nd half is difficult to digest. Also, a twist in the 1st ever half revolving around Mia is surely a shocker but might raise questions.
Student Of The Year 2 doesn’t have a great opening as such. The beginning portions don’t really engross viewers. It’s only when Rohan gets admission in St Teresa that the film picks up. The stark contrast between Pishori & St Teresa is well depicted. Also, the issues Rohan faces while adjusting in the new environment & the way he upgrades his wardrobe to fit in is very relatable. The scene at Jeffrey’s is funny but the scene to watch out for in the 1st ever half is when Mr Randhawa slaps Shreya. It takes the film to another level as viewers realize Shreya’s life isn’t as lovely as it seems to be. Another sequence that comes close is the intermission point is quite impactful. The 2nd half gets better as Rohan changes gear & also his life dream. A few sequences stand out here like Shreya celebrating her birthday alone, Rohan, Shreya & Mia arguing in the café & the fight in the college stadium. The climax keeps viewers on the edge & though predictable, it makes for a fine watch.
Vishal-Shekhar’s music is not that great. The 1st ever part had very memorable songs while in this part, songs are below-par. “The Jawaani Song” is the best of the lot & even most entertaining. “The Hook Up Song”,appears in the end credit, is okay. “Main Bhi Nahin Soya”is moving, more so because of the visuals. “Fakira” & “Jat Ludhiyane Da” are also alright. “Mumbai Dilli Di Kudiyaan” is not a part of the film. On the other hand Salim-Sulaiman’s background score is energetic & dramatic.
Ravi K Chandran’s cinematography is rich & gives the film a brilliant look. Choreography is visually appealing by all 3 of them namely Remo D’Souza (“The Jawaani Song”), Adil Shaikh (“Fakira” & “Jat Ludhiyane Da”) & Farah Khan (“The Hook Up Song”). Sumayya Shaikh’s production design is superior in terms of visuals & ups the film’s richness. Manish Malhotra & Nikita Jaisinghani’s costumes are also a treat to the eyes. Though they might seem a bit too over the top, especially the costumes worn by Ananya Panday & Tara Sutaria, it will be liked by the target audience & might soon even set a new trend in fashion. Sham Kaushal’s action defies logic & laws of gravity at places but in a film of this zone, it actually works well. Ritesh Soni’s editing is praiseworthy. The film is nearly 145 minutes long but doesn’t seem lengthy.
Performance wise Tiger Shroff is completely in his element & as always, does a great job. His screen presence is electrifying & though he is perceived as a killing machine, it’s still believable when he’s the one getting bashed up by the baddies & he doesn’t even fight back. However, when he does make a comeback, it’s seen to be believed! In fact, the praise should also be showered on director Punit Malhotra for using Tiger Shroff’s action potential to the fullest & also seamlessly making it a part of the film’s narrative! Ananya Panday is a complete star & she proves it. She looks very convincing as a spoilt rich brat. Her change of heart might seem unconvincing but once that happens, she impresses even more, acting-wise. Her’s is in fact the most moving character in the film & she wins everyone’s hearts! Tara Sutaria too puts her best foot forward. Her screen presence too is something to watch out for. Sadly, she gets a bit sidelined in the 2nd half but she surely gets noticed & is all set for a bright future in Bollywood! Aditya Seal is well casted & he is terrific as the baddie. Watch out for the scenes where he’s silently observing & without saying a word, he conveys a lot! Harsh Beniwal as Puggi is quite entertaining & raises laughs. Ayesha Raza Mishra as Principal Singh & Manoj Pahwa as Coach Mahipal are a bit over the top but it was as per the requirement of the character. Samir Soni as Principal Gujral tries to be funny but fails. Gul Panag as Coach Kuljeet shines in a small role. Chetan Pandit is alright. Rajesh Kumar as Rohan’s astrologer uncle is hilarious in his entry scene. Manasi Joshi Roy as Roshan’s aunt is unrecognizable & doesn’t have much to do. Samreen Kaur as Mia’s mother is there for just 1 scene which is also needless. Rajveer Singh as Security guard Lahiri Singh does gets noticed. Will Smith is seen for a few seconds while Alia Bhatt adds to the glamour quotient in the end credit song.
Tail Piece: On the whole, Student Of The Year 2 is an entertaining & an enjoyable fare which will strike a chord in the audience’s hearts.
At the box office, it has the potential to do an excellent business!
