Critics’ Verdict: Subtly Sexist ‘VIP 2: Lalkar’ Is Disappointing

Critics react to Dhanush and Kajol’s new film ‘VIP 2: Lalkar’.

Dhanush and Kajol in VIP 2: Lalkar.

Film: VIP 2 : Lalkar
Director: Soundarya Rajinikanth
Cast: Dhanush, Kajol

Excerpts from VIP 2: Lalkar reviews:

It is probable that crucial bits of <i>VIP 2: Lalkar</i>, the Hindi-language avatar of the follow-up to the 2014 Tamil hit <i>Vellaiilla Pattadhari</i>, have been lost in translation. Even if that weren’t the case, there wouldn’t be much to ferret out, in terms of substance, from the Soundarya Rajinikanth-directed comedy-drama about a young, upright engineer who takes on a ruthless real estate czarina. Nothing wrong per se with that plot outline. It’s just the breathless, slapdash manner in which the potboiler pans out that renders large swathes of the film utterly disorienting. For the most part, VIP 2 is like a rudderless ship caught in a raging storm. The ear-splitting background score, a veritable gale force by itself, has the impact of howling winds.

Saibal Chatterjee (NDTV Movies)

VIP 2 Lalkar is 99 percent tosh, created for the express purpose of getting Dhanush to sing and dance and ‘do comedy’ and fight, all the things a Hero is meant to do. She’s (Kajol) written with no variation, and you watch in despair: Kajol has much more in her; she certainly doesn’t need this. Given that there is a female director at the helm, it has surprisingly regressive lines, poking fun at wives and other women. These jokes have gone old, and more so in a film helmed by the next gen.

Shubhra Gupta (Indian Express)

<em>VIP 2: Lalkar, </em>the Hindi dubbed version of Dhanush’s Tamil movie <em>Velai Illa Pattadhaari 2, </em>badly wants to put women in their place – and it succeeds in a fashion. The movie is too timid to give full expression to its latent sexism and make Vasundhara the arch-villain at a time when the portrayal of women on the screen is under scrutiny. Raghuvaran does manage to show Vasundhara where he thinks she belongs – he calls her “Amul Baby” at one point, and blows her a kiss. A pantomime villain who rarely displays the business smarts that have supposedly made her rich and powerful, Vasundhara is the movie’s most wasted character. Dhanush made his Hindi debut in Aanand L Rai’s surprise hit <em>Raanjhanaa&nbsp;</em>(2013). In terms of setting up a foundation for a parallel career in Hindi films, <em>VIP 2: Lalkaar</em> is decidedly poorly constructed.

Nandini Ramnath (Scroll.in)