Just for laughs

The madcap ‘Saunkan Saunkanay’, that became a hit in 2022, gets a sequel. Only this time, our man’s troubles have increased threefold! The plot picks up from where the first film left off. Sardar Nirmal Singh (Ammy Virk), with two wives — both sisters — has gone crazy due to the ‘kalesh’ at home. Now a father of four, Nirmal is sent to an ashram to heal himself in the hills. In comes Italian Monika Baluchi (Sargun Mehta), who restores his mental balance with her love and care. As the freshly-in-love duo returns to their pind in Punjab after six months, all hell breaks loose. Whether to keep the man or his land, the two sisters, the saunkanay, decide to get him married a third time to the firangi babe. But then, when has Seebo stuck to her promise? As the ‘mayka’ gets involved, the members call a panchayat meeting and the mother-son duo are left to fend for themselves. The mindless comedy makes one laugh once again. Set in the Chitrahaar era, it evokes the pind feel where everyone is there for you in your good times, and even not-so-good if it involves an Italian mem. Even though the film invokes polygamy, domestic violence and mental ailments, it makes the audience laugh out loud. The sequel has been penned by Amberdeep Singh, writer of the original hit. Even though Amarjit Singh Saron, director of the first outing, has been replaced by the equally respected Smeep Kang, the film wins on maintaining the continuity. Nirmal Rishi as the bebe of this eccentric household is endearing, and her comic timing apt. The cast is repeated and one misses Kaka Kautki (who is no more) in the brother’s role. Ammy Virk impresses in both his avatars. He is charming as the sincere ‘member’ of the village, and hugely fun as the crazy man tormented by his even crazier wives. Nimrat Khaira as Kirna gives another impressive performance. Sargun Mehta gets a double role in the second outing. While one loves the simple-hearted but equally ‘kaleshi’ Seebo, not so much the blonde babe. Music is in sync with the film’s storyline. Yes, there is a track on ‘dieting’, which is shot pretty crazily. Due credit to Kang for maintaining the tone and tenor of the sequel. However, since the plotline is similar, this familiarity becomes annoyingly repetitive. Punjabi cinema can also do some work on appearances. The padding on actresses to make them look plump doesn’t really work. Nor do the looks of Sargun Mehta as the firangi babe. The film briefly brings in the four kids and packs them off to hostel; keeping them in the story could have been a valuable addition. The sequel draws laughs and is entertaining. However, the first outing set the bar rather high, and ‘Saunkan Saunkanay 2’, even though funny, lacks the emotional heft of its wildly entertaining predecessor.

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