Sequels have arrived in Bollywood. This year we had Ram Gopal Verma’s Darna Zaroori Hai, sequel to Darna Mana Hai (2003), Rakesh Roshan’s Krrish, sequel to Koi Mil Gaya (2003). Soon to follow are Raju Hirani’s Munnabhai Lage Raho, sequel to Munnabhai MBBS (2003); Yash Raj Films’ Dhoom 2, sequel to Dhoom (2004); and several more in the pipeline. Phir Hera Pheri is the sequel to Priyadarshan’s Hera Pheri (2000), considered a classic in the Bollywood comedy genre. For the sequel, the mantle of director has been taken over by Neeraj Vora, who had written the dialogues and screenplay for Hera Pheri. To make a sequel to such an enormously popular film is like walking on a tight rope. Though it guarantees instant publicity and a good opening, expectations are sky-high, comparisons are inevitable, and the possibility of falling flat in the face of all the hype is huge. However, Vora manages to do a good job of making a rollicking comedy that takes on from the point Hera Pheri left off, but can also stand on its own as a good entertainer for anyone looking for three hours of mindless fun.

So, we start off Phir Hera Pheri with Raju, Shyam and Baburao enjoying the spoils of their last adventure. They now live in a palatial bungalow and can afford a lavish lifestyle. However, overtaken by greed for more wealth, they get enticed into a scam that leads them into a roller coaster of misadventures involving local gangsters, a stuttering don, drug peddlers, bar dancers, kidnappers, loan sharks, smugglers, nautanki actors, circus artists, gorillas, etc. Theirs is an endless quest of money, drugs, diamonds, antique guns, in numerous plots and subplots too convoluted to keep track of. Comic capers abound as the penniless trio try to save their skin and acquire wealth, moving from palatial bungalows to shabby chawls to crowded streets to narrow alleys, ending in a chaotic climax in a circus tent with everyone chasing each other, reminiscent of the classic Mahabharata sequence from Jaane Bhi Do Yaaron (1983). Of course, at the end, all the ends are neatly tied up. The quest, however, is left open, as the prize our heroes have been looking for is left hanging mid-air, just a phone-call away – awaiting the next sequel!

Phir Hera Pheri has no pretensions to be a great film, all it aims to do is provide a laugh riot. The cast seems to enjoy the banality of the situations their characters fall into and revel in completely over the top performances. Paresh Rawal as the honest and kindly buffoon, Baburao Ganpatrao Apte, is brilliant and steals every scene he is in. He has an able partner in Akshay Kumar, who reprises the street smart rascal Raju, a role he has perfected in several films, with great comic flair. Suneil Shetty compliments his co-actors with laid back ease as the simple-minded and conscientious, Shyam. The three take care to ensure their characters look and behave exactly as they did in Hera Pheri. Bipasha Basu and Rimi Sen don’t have much to do but look pretty and provide a (largely redundant) romantic angle to the men, the few times they appear. Johnny Lever, Manoj Joshi, Rajpal Yadav, Sharat Saxena and Milind Gunaji are effective in roles that require a lack of self conscious hamming from each and everyone. 

Neeraj Vora's writing and direction are obviously aimed at the galleries. He tries his best to keep the gags coming, though the narrative stretches on for a bit too long and gets somewhat repetitive to be as effective as it was in the first film. Himesh Reshammiya's music is adequate, directly aimed at mass appeal, and some of the song-dance sequences are superfluous, but likely to become popular for a few weeks. The main strength of the film is the love-hate relationship between the trio. The rapport the three actors share translates to a spontaneity on the screen that appeals to you even though they are repeating jokes and incidents done to death in films like Garam Masala (2005), Deewane Hue Paagal (2005) or Mujhse Shaadi Karogi (2004). The other good thing of the movie is that it is good clean humor, with none of the double entendres and sexual innuendos that we have been inundated with in films like Masti (2004), Kya Kool Hai Hum (2005). Of course, for those who like a touch of the lewd, there are enough song-dance sequences with scantily clad females strewn around. 

The die-hard fans of Hera Pheri will probably be disappointed as the film produces fewer laughs than the original, thanks to a script that tends to drag at times, goes on for at least an hour longer than it should, and fails to maintain the fast tempo that is required by comedies of this genre. However, if you are in the mood for totally nonsensical entertainment and can afford to spend three hours laughing yourself silly at buffoonery and slapstick humor, Phir Hera Pheri is the film for you. Relax, enjoy, and wait for Hera Pheri 3!