It is arguably difficult for those
who talk a lot to put their money where their mouth is. Pehlaj Nihlani
included. The former moral constable has now put his currency on a feisty
heroine based part biographical story. As stated elsewhere and everywhere this
originally inspired tale has an uncanny semblance to the life of a heroine from
the South who went on to be a favourite in Bhojpuri cinema. The statutory
disclaimer is in place.
You would believe you have a ticket to a Guru Dutt meets Dirty Picture. However,
it is a tiringly meandering crime thriller of a successful actress who is
willing to go public and announce that she is an illegitimate child.
So, we have Julie (Raai Lakshmi) in the title role – she is saying no to every
indecent proposal pointing to the casting couch. The grand mahurat for a biopic
is made on the life of the late wife of political heavy weight Rani Sumitra
Devi. Soon there is an attempt made on her life under the guise of a jewellery
heist. Our smart ACP Dev Dutt (Aditya Srivatsav) smells a bandicoot. The camera
suspiciously lingers on the face of Annie Aunty (Rati) who waits to tell the
story. The story of how Julie was thrown out of her home, how she meets Mohit
(Nishikant) a film maker and how she stumbles upon multiple lecherous money
bags with sex between their ears eyeing the ambitious actress. However, she is
seriously injured fighting for life (like the script). Even as this narrative
gets slow, tedious, predictable and uninteresting – it is Coke-Corn time.
In the post interval avatar our damsel in distress has a metamorphosis. She is
the seductress with a vengeance and tech savvy to beat it!! So we have all the
vile of a woman scorned (and exploited!!). She is now willing to shed more than
just her inhibitions and gets busy signing autographs and donning gory make up
smooching cricketer Vikram (Sahil) – who is not a left-hand batsman with grace
and poise. All this Agony Aunt or aunty Annie is revealing to ACP, the smooches
and the intimate bed room details and the cleavage friendly bikini’s detailed
too. Our ACP is hearing it out with voyeuristic euphemism for investigating the
crime as the victim is gasping for breath and dying in the hospital. How a chip
helps find the killer and purpose is the hurriedly told part in the last ten
odd minutes when the film maker realises that he has had enough of the Julie
tears and body show.
The film starts with the producer’s motif showing a clock going around. It
could not get more symbolic. The preacher has this skin show bust heaving story
of a woman told in more flesh than spirit. This coming from the man who rode
the high moral horse just a few months ago!! With lyrics like Mein hoon tandoor
garam, sab kethe hain mujhe Chennai ki rasam, you know the quality of the
thought process. In case you like that kind of entertainment then Julie 2 is
for you. The obvious better alternative is to watch the old Lakshmi starrer
with some fine music from Rajesh Roshan.
L. Ravichander.