ABCD 2 – A reality dance show with stars, great dances and music, no story and the underdog formula

Rating:   (3.5/5)

When a film-maker makes a ‘MunnaBhai MBBS’ or a ‘Khosla Ka Ghosla’ or ‘A Wednesday’ as his debut film, we are pleasantly stunned because of the lack of any initial expectation from the movie or the maker. It is the next and then the next to next movie of these directors, which is watched with great expectations. On the contrary, when a director debuts with a film like ‘F.A.L.T.U.’, one stops expecting any miracles whatsoever from his second or third movie. It is on this count probably that ‘ABCD 2’ scores. Remo de Souza directs (rather choreographs) this two and a half hour dance spectacle without any story and the all so familiar twists and turns. But the energy, the dancers, the choreography, the supporting music, and the ‘yes, -we- ARE- Indian’ factor manages to make the audience’s adrenaline flow and get the underdogs in the story more than a little respect and love from audience. Long before the end, you give up being a mean and condescending critic and flow with the beats and the rhythm of the dances and start watching the film from the eyes of a dance-lover. Yes, if that is what you can make yourself to expect from this dance movie, Remo de Souza delivers it here.
Expectations -2.5 Result-3.5

Besides this,the best thing in the movie is Prabhu Deva- simple, humanely funny and a fantastic dancer (even if his steps are not much different from when you last watched him). His smile is so endearing that even when he becomes a traitor, you cannot hate him. His character is the only one which appeals, if at all. Varun Dhawan, after a powerhouse performance in ‘Badlapur’ earlier this year, has not much to show in term of histrionics. But his well-toned body, his superb dance skills and his boyish charm work well for the movie. Shraddha Kapoor is once again the sweetest girl possible and plays it sleepishly, but makes it up with great dancework. The dancers –Dharmesh Yelande, Lauren Gotlieb, Raghu Juyal and others are simply awesome. At least, one doesn’t have to bear a Boman Irani on international dance stage as we saw in ‘Happy New Year’. The music by Sachin- Jigar is a great plus-point and the dances acquire a powerful energy from it. The locales, the cinematography are more than adequate, as are the production values. The similarity in the plot and concept with ‘Happy New Year’ doesn’t take away anything from the movie, because dance-wise this is a much superior product.

 
All in all, this spectacular dance show should and would work well with its targeted audience, though the normal, unflinchingly single-minded movie-goer and the very learned critic might want to tear it apart. Remember, Siddhartha Kapur and Disney didn’t back it without reason. We would suggest that you too ‘enjoy the enjoyable’ in the movie. No need to take it too seriously! Happy shaking!