Cast: Supriya Pathak, Anang Desai, Jamnadas Majethia, Rajeev Mehta, Kirti Kulhari, Vandana Pathak, Paresh Ganatra, Flora Saini, Pratik Gandhi, Anant Vidhaat, Farah Khan Kunder, Kiku Sharda
Director: Aatish Kapadia
Rating: 1 Moon

Why did Aatish Kapadia make a half-baked, bland sequel to his 2010 attempted comedy Khichdi that itself was a crazy spin-off on a popular TV show that was notorious for taking seasonal breaks? That’s like asking why an Udupi restaurant has American Chopsuey on its menu of South Indian snacks and savouries. Now if a foodie wanted Chopsuey, he would go to a Chinese restaurant, right? But not if you are a glutton for punishment like what Kapadia has turned out to be! And so, the sequel Khichdi 2 that has Hansa Ben (Supriya Pathak) & Associates returning to try and raise a laugh is so utterly senseless and far off the comedy grid, that you wonder what he mixed and tried to stir in this hotchpotch that should not be on any right thinking person’s menu for dinner. It’s simply not worth building up the appetite for.

Khichdi 2: Mission Paanthukistan has absolutely no wit at all. Which any chef or director will tell you is the main ingredient for a so-called ‘comedy’. Maybe those starved for entertainment knew what was coming because even with limited shows, there was no audience at the theatres to welcome back the Parekh family. Yes, bechari Supriya Pathak tried. And to be kind and generous, her expressions and performance work for a while. As does the colourful cinematography of the film. But not enough to save it from being outright rejected like stale Diwali mithai brought out at Christmas. Is there a story to this cinematic idiocy? Apparently, Kapadia thought there was in introducing Rajeev Mehta as an outlandish emperor with a beard, moustache and royal attire. And a scientist who has invented a robot with blue eyes which can shoot bullets! It is the Parekh family’s responsibility to rescue Paanthukistan from the clutches of this cruel emperor and in this mission they force the audience to suffer what they glibly pass off for regular comic behaviour which is so mindless, it’s not funny.

The landscape shifts from serene beaches to hustling-bustling cities and from snow-clad mountains to the scorching desert. But rather tackily put together. The dialogues are crappy and make you cringe. Good actors like Pratik Gandhi and Kirti Kulhari are wasted like an insipid Dahi Kadhi that fails to save a terrible khichdi. Pratik really has a guest role. He’s there as a chopper pilot who vanishes right at the start. While Kirti is used for doing funny dances and frivolous expressions. This khichdi has been too long in the making and viewers’ tastes have changed. They simply have no appetite for this kind of outrageous fare that is passed off as comedy without wit or humour. Supriya Pathak is good. But you don’t want to see Khichdi 2 just for her though she is the only fun part of the film. And, oh yes, Farah Khan comes and goes in a walk-on part. It just doesn’t make sense.