00:00Hi, this is Manjusha Radhakrishnan from Gulf News Tabloid
00:03and I've just been to watch director Puneet Malhotra's Student of the Year 2.
00:14It's the second installment of Karan Johar's franchise which released in 2012
00:20and introduced Alia Bhatt and Varun Dhawan and Siddharth Malhotra into the cinematic world.
00:26In this case, he brings along two discoveries of his own called Tara Sutaria and Ananya Pandey
00:32along with Tiger Shroff.
00:34It's filled with overprivileged teenagers who are all divas in training.
00:38They study in this fictional college which is very swanky, the campus is beautiful,
00:43there's rarely any books around or exams to worry about.
00:46What students care about is dressing in designer clothes
00:50and of course competing for the Dignity Intercollegiate Cup.
00:55This entire movie is terrifically trite but pleasantly enjoyable.
01:00I mean it's like one of those guilty pleasures that you feel while watching a series like The O.C.
01:05or say Beverly Hills or any of those teenage dramas that fuel the imaginations of very young,
01:12you know, tween population.
01:15So if you are one of those people who like to see young people who are young and restless,
01:20who are, you know, who take risks, then perhaps this movie is for you.
01:25However, if you're planning to graduate with honors or if you're looking for a social commentary
01:30on class divides or on how bullying works in swanky campuses,
01:35then this is not the place for you.
01:37It's a movie about the super rich with their problems, the rich girl problems.
01:42I suppose it's posh people problems but your heart goes out to some of it at least.
01:47The first half is quite engaging while the second half is painfully predictable.
01:51It delves into the life of Tiger Shroff, Tara Sutaria, Ananya Pandey and Aditya Seel.
01:57They study in this posh college called Sentry Zaz and Tiger Shroff is the quintessential underdog.
02:03He's not as rich as the rest of the students and he's fighting to belong.
02:08He wants to fit in badly but these problems of wanting to fit in
02:13or how does this inherent class divide between the have and the have-nots have not been fully explored.
02:19Director Puneet Malhotra puts all his energy and attention into this contest which is very, very trite.
02:27I mean, if you look at it, it's called the Dignity Cup.
02:29How do you take a contest called the Dignity Cup really very seriously?
02:33Although it talks about gaining dignity back, etc.
02:37There's very little backstory to support why Tiger Shroff goes on this mission to claim the cup.
02:43The students in this college are more worried about heartbreaks or finding the right date
02:48or the love of their life or what they should do to be in a perfect relationship
02:53rather than concentrate on academics.
02:55It's a very surreal world and you may have to suspend belief.
02:59But then you all know that Karan Johar is known for such larger-than-life superficial world.
03:06They dance like a dream, they fight like a karate kid.
03:09So it's quite impressive to see Tiger Shroff would dance with the grace of a ballet dancer
03:15and a gymnast along with fight villains with his bare hands.
03:20I mean, when I went to college, I did not have men who looked like Tiger Shroff
03:24or who fought like him or who professed love like him.
03:28None of the characters seem overly believable.
03:30I mean, there are times when Ananya Pandey and Tara Sutaria
03:34they seem to be having certain flaws but it's not fully explored.
03:37In terms of acting, if you look at it, Ananya Pandey and Tara Sutaria
03:41who are the new faces in Bollywood, they have done a commendable job.
03:44You don't feel as if it's their first movie.
03:46They have a certain kind of gravitas and a certain kind of grace as well.
03:50Even though it's their first movie, they have something called a collective confidence
03:55which I guess comes with wearing great clothes as well and being perfectly turned out.
04:01They all carry designer handbags. They all look salon perfect in a classroom.
04:05It seems like they have burned the midnight oil when it comes to looking their best in colleges.
04:10You don't feel for any of the characters. There's no emotional connect.
04:14In fact, if you remember, there was this movie called Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikandar.
04:18It revolved around a cycling contest between two colleges.
04:21One a very wealthy, one filled with privileged kids who have access to the best
04:25and one which Aamir Khan attended which did not have great facilities
04:31or they were from poor sections of the society.
04:33But you felt so much for the characters of Jo Jeeta.
04:36But in this case, although director Puneet Malhotra seems to have been inspired slightly by the iconic film,
04:43you somehow don't feel as if there's a lot of heart in it.
04:47When it comes to dancing and action sequences, it's Tiger Shroff who has our full marks.
04:53However, if you're looking for a very engaging drama, you will be disappointed.
04:57I've gone with 2.5 out of 5.
05:00For my full review, go to gulfnews.com slash tabloid.
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