The other day, a video appeared on the screen featuring a creator thrashing Bollywood for making crass comedies. And Bollywood has long been criticised for churning out vulgar, silly comedies that mistake vulgarity for wit. Yet, every once in a while, a film arrives that reminds us why the genre still matters: because unpretentious laughter is oxygen. De De Pyaar De 2 gives us that invigorating breath; it has a narrative that understands humour is not escapism but excavation, digging gleefully into the age anxieties we all quietly nurse and the unspoken truth that in India, romance is seldom a private duet; it is a raucous community project policed by parents, relatives, and society’s invisible jury.
The movie’s genius lies in its brutal, ironically revealing the middle-aged male ego as it realises it is no longer needed. The moment R. Madhavan’s seemingly modern father learns that his daughter’s fiancé is his own age, the mask of liberal thinking slips away. Madhavan’s performance is full of both warmth and vanity at the same time; he makes every “I’m cool with it” a tasty lie that explodes just a second after.
Ajay Devgn remains subtle as Ashish Mehra with no machismo. He showed the lover caught in the crossfire with such an innocent lack of self-confidence; the once-boastful, unique persona of the past is now replaced by a character gently caught in the ageing complexities.
Rakul Preet Singh isn’t just adding beauty; she is the one who holds the narrative together. With her, Ayesha, Rakul Preet keeps her generosity but stands by her rights. She is the emotion around which the men revolve. Rakul Preet ensures the love story stays real, not just a trick of the show.
Humour leads the dance here, but it is humour with a scalpel: The narrative satirises “modern parenting,” with an ironical eye-roll at performative liberalism, the constant “log kya kahenge” slices straight to the insecurities we drape in usher. The writing is sparkling, self-aware, and generous; it mocks without malice and celebrates without holier-than-thou attitudes.
Six years later, De De Pyaar De 2 does something sequels rarely do: it deepens the premise rather than repeating it. It is funnier, sharper, warmer, and far more honest than its predecessor. In a world often allergic to maturity, this is a romantic comedy that grows up without ever growing old, proof that when laughter is this intelligent, it doesn’t just entertain; it liberates.
Helmed by Anshul Sharma, produced by T-Series Films and Luv Films, the film is a must-watch for those who find refuge in humour. De De Pyaar De 2 is now in cinemas.
IWMBuzz rates it 4/5 stars.
