Anupama Chopra

 Chulbul Pandey is arguably the most sparkling character Bollywood has created since the good-hearted Mumbai goon Munna Bhai. This crooked, small-town cop, who combines irreverence with superhuman strength, is essentially a superhero without ... read more

 Chulbul Pandey is arguably the most sparkling character Bollywood has created since the good-hearted Mumbai goon Munna Bhai. This crooked, small-town cop, who combines irreverence with superhuman strength, is essentially a superhero without a cape.

 

He woos the girl, beats the bad guys to pulp without breaking a sweat and still finds the time to make a deliciously cheap joke about shooting so many holes into an opponent that he won't be able to figure out which end to breathe from and which end to fart from.

In short, Pandey, played gleefully by a wickedly charming Salman Khan, is pretty much irresistible. Debutant director Arbaaz Khan and writer Dilip Shukla know that. Dabangg 2 coasts on the formidable shoulders of Chulbul Pandey and our affection for the original installment.

The opening titles of Dabangg 2 play out over highlights from Dabangg, and that sets the tone for the film. Arbaaz and Shukla judiciously stick to the template created by director Abhinav Kashyap and Shukla in the first film.

For Salman Khan fans, it's manna from heaven. He cracks a joke, kills a few goons, dances with original item girl Munni (Malaika Arora Khan) and a new item girl (Kareena Kapoor), takes his shirt off to display his age-defying, perfectly chiselled body, and then cracks another joke. Those who like a coherent narrative and dramatic arc, though, won't enjoy the ride so much.

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