Starring Akshay Kumar, Imran Khan and Sonakshi Sinha and directed by Milan Luthria, Once Upon a Time in Mumbai Dobaara (OUATIMD) is a clever balance of the gangster world with a powerful love story. Milan Luthria has churned out some wonderful films in the past like Kachche Dhaage (1999) Deewaar (2004) Once Upon a Time in Mumbai (2010) and Dirty Picture (2011).
The prequel, released in 2010, was a huge hit. But while that was more about the gangster world, this new film focuses more on the personal issues between the heroes as they try to win over their common love interest - Sonakshi, who plays a budding actress in the film.
Writer Rajat Arora continues the story from where we left off in the first film. Shohaib (played by Akshay Kumar), who killed his mentor in the past (OUATIM) has returned to gain power and status and is now the head of the ruling mafia. His influence and power has spread all the way to the Middle East.
Shoaib is now a flamboyant and suave man, feared and revered. Despite his vast reach, Shohaib's only friends are Javed, who takes care of his empire for him, and his ex-lover Mumtaz (played by Sonali Bendre). Shoaib often visits the poor areas where he grew up and it is here that he meets Aslam (played by Imran Khan). He takes Aslam under his wings and gradually he becomes one of his favorites.
Shohaib then comes across a young actress, Yasmin (played by Sonakshi Sinha). Both he and Aslam are instantly enamored by her beauty and candor. Slowly his attraction to Yasmin becomes an obsession. The ensuing love triangle, results in the final showdown between the two friends.
But this time with Once Upon a Time in Mumbai Dobara, he and his writer Rajat Arora seem to have mistakenly gone into this Balaji Motion Pictures-backed project with only their own confidence in their own brilliance. But let's call him more confident, both of them allow the fluffy love triangle to take center stage in this sequel.
Akshay Kumar shines as Shohaib. He is simply stunning. Sonakshi Sinha is beautiful and charming (no doubt), but given a poor film, she gets little chance to perform and disappoints.
Imran Khan is a perfect miscast in OUATIMD. Why? Because Imran Khan is a face that looks good when he plays classy and elegant roles. Imran Khan doesn't look like a gangster at all. I heard audiences whispering in theaters, "Did gangsters in the 80s look like Sissy?"
Milan Luthria, as I said before, tries to take you on a great ride and offers nothing more than a movie you've seen several times. You wonder why he had to make such a bad sequel to the original that isn't 20% of what you saw in the original.
The music in the film is fine and doesn't live in your brain for a long time. The camerawork and production value of the film are outstanding.
But we go to movie theaters to watch Entertainment, entertainment and entertainment (as repeated in one of Milan Luthria's early films, The Dirty Picture ). We don't go into a movie theater to look at paintings, photographs, slick edits etc.
Balaji Telefilms and Milan Luthria do nothing but successfully fool you by showing you this movie and cashing in on their brand.
