Love Sex Aur Dhokha 2

wogma rating: Add to that never-watched 'To Watch' list (?)

quick review:

Experimental, it is. But not an experiment that I enjoyed. It could be a me thing, though. The film’s subject matter is stuff that I actively avoid in real life. To top it off, my mind couldn’t keep up with the chaos + frenzied presentation.

Streaming Partner: Netflix

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Director: Dibakar Banerjee
Running time: 115 minutes
Genres: Noir, Social
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I am actually tired. My brain feels worn out. No, it is not because this is the second film I watched. I quite enjoyed Love Sex Aur Dhokha. So, I was looking forward to this one along with the trepidation of walking into a sequel. But, Love Sex aur Dhokha 2 turned out to be a little too much for me. A little too edgy. A little too shaky. A little too quirky. Yeah, I never thought I’d ever say that.

I know it sounds like I am grasping at straws here. But, for a less than 2-hour run-time, Love Sex aur Dhokha 2 can be a more enjoyable experience for someone more interested and knowledgeable about the content.

The beginning and end of it could have been the choice of subject. Reality shows and gaming—the first and last ones of the three shorts. The middle one is not that new-age, which is why I might have liked the best. But, then it is more of the same and pretty much a carry forward of the first instalment in 2010. So, I cannot imagine three of such shorts holding my attention.

On the other hand, I would just have been bored. Not dizzy. And it is not just the continuously wobbly camerawork. The content itself, the language too, feels alien. And too snappy to keep track of. Especially of the Love Like and the Dhokha Download segments. In that sense, I can’t really blame the makers. They cannot be faulted for my lack of understanding of the gaming or reality show lingo.

I didn’t help that some of the storylines were missing continuity. Again, the middle one is less than the other two. Why did the mother sing that song? I also wondered what was making the popularity of the reality show contestants rise and dip. But, I assume one of the points of the story was that no one really knows. Then, where did the content of the augmented reality bit in the end come from? Was it a comment on what our future is likely to be? All boloney?

What I can say though is that I enjoyed the rawness for a total of about half an hour through the film. I absolutely appreciate the makers’ hard and whole-hearted attempt at bring to light the issues that the LGBQTIA+ community faces. That is a theme that runs through the three stories.

Kudos to the cast too, for pulling it off brilliantly, making it look only as hard as it must be in real life. And this spreads to the actors playing straight characters too. Of all the gorgeous performances, the one that stood out was the woman playing the assistant producer. Her act was so nonchalant, so normal, so much like real-life people that I have seen in those jobs. And she had a screen presence too, for that bit part.

I know it sounds like I am grasping at straws here. But, for a less than 2-hour run-time, Love Sex aur Dhokha 2 can be a more enjoyable experience for someone more interested and knowledgeable about the content. On the other hand, is alienating the regular audience what the makers were shooting for?

- meeta, a part of the audience

23 reviewers(?) - 6 yays 13 so-so 4 nays

Warning: clicking on "full review" will take you to an external website that could contain spoilers.

Thumbs up, by Shivani Pawaskar, Bollywood Life : ...Love Sex Aur Dhokha 2 showcases the ugly truth behind the OTT shows, virtual world and AI. All three segments have relatable stories that will make you think about finally drawing the line between real and reel worlds. It makes a good one-time watch.... full review

Thumbs up, by Murtuza Iqbal, Filmi Beat : ...Overall, LSD 2 starts with a bang, but dips a bit in between, and then goes for a very entertaining finale. So, this one is an entertaining and relatable film, especially for youth.... full review

Thumbs up, by खुशबू डोगरा, FirstPost : ...Talking about the performances, Paritosh Tiwari, Bonita Rajpurohit and Abhinav Santosh Singh portray their characters to the T. However, a versatile star like Swastika Mukherjee was seemingly wasted as her character had no meat. Cameos from Mouni Roy and Uorfi Javed are simply outstanding.... full review

Thumbs up, by Shubhra Gupta, indian express : ...This ‘LSD’ redux is not as original, but is as sharp, and as impactful. When Banerjee cuts us, we bleed.... full review

Thumbs up, Movie Talkies : ...Banerjee’s experiments with the form and the content are quite revolutionary and he ensures that his audiences will get shocked, provoked and entertained, in turn, with his movie. And he couldn’t have found a more apt title for the movie than ‘Love Sex aur Dhokha’. This is a movie of the times, told in a manner that today’s generation can clearly relate to. Bravo Banerjee!... full review

Thumbs up, by Saibal Chatterjee, NDTV : ...The great thing about a Dibakar Banerjee film is that it never fails to spring surprises. LSD 2 has more than its share of fearless flights of fancy. Some land, some don't. But that takes little away. Even when it tends to be baffling, the film makes you think.... full review

So-So, by Aniruddha Guha, DNA : ...LSD is the ‘cool’ film youngsters would enjoy, and its realness will strike a chord with a few. The more discerning audience may be left disappointed. But it is film you can’t ignore.... full review

So-So, by Rahul Desai, Film Companion : ...Firstly, it’s people who are now extensions of technology, not vice versa. It’s hard to tell a lens from a gaze, or light from the limelight. And secondly, living itself is an endless live-streaming session. Everyone is a character and everything is an act.... full review

So-So, by Prannay Pathak, Hindustan Times : ...Banerjee gives it all a whirl and by way of the act of you watching this film, snips the connection of subjectivity between the screen and its audience. The formal chaos and the self-reflexivity of the plot and its treatment might suggest it is more suited to the self-guided OTT experience, but perhaps that’s not the point of LSD 2.... full review

So-So, by Sana Farzeen, india today : ...Given its 'A' certification and the noise around the election, LSD 2 may see a lukewarm response at cinema halls. However, it would certainly get its own share of the audience once it arrives on Netflix.... full review

So-So, by Uday Bhatia, Live Mint : ...The muting of cusses through the film is a reminder of the censors LSD2 had to negotiate to reach theatres. That the film is no more provocative than the 2010 one (some might argue it’s less so) is an indication of how difficult it is to make Hindi films that agitate today... full review

So-So, by Dishya Sharma, News18.com : ...Bottom line: In a world where there are several projects around the impact of social media on human behaviour, Love Sex Aur Dhokha 2 falls short in giving a true picture on the subject. I would only recommend you to watch Love Sex Aur Dhokha 2 if you have nothing else to do this weekend.... full review

So-So, by Isha Sharma, NewsBytes : ...Several parts of LSD2 brim with potential and Malik is particularly funny, but, its merits seem to be clouded by its overwhelming issues. Too much content, not as much breathing space, lack of gravity, and a chaotic sense of urgency ultimately mean that the movie isn't able to tie its loose ends properly. Skip it in theaters, but watch on Netflix later.... full review

So-So, by Sukanya Verma, Rediff : ...Love Sex Aur Dhokha 2's gawdy demeanour and unflattering camera plays its part in calling out the rot deciding an individual's self-worth.... full review

So-So, by Nandini Ramnath, Scroll.in : ...Love Sex Aur Dhokha was edgy, insightful and urgent – the episode about an honour killing still hasn’t lost its raw power. But the sequel, while following the same format of three loosely interconnected stories and pursuing similar concerns, feels redundant, laboured and barely challenging.... full review

So-So, by "Aashna Nadkarni ", Spotboye : ...Love Sex Aur Dhokha 2, despite its good plot line, stories, songs, and amazing camerawork suffers from impersonal character portrayals and rushed storytelling.... full review

So-So, by Sonal Pandya, Times Now : ...The second story on Lavina and Kulu which slowed down its pace from the others was where the film found time to breathe and connect. That can't be said about... full review

So-So, by Dhaval Roy, Times of India : ...Love Sex Aur Dhokha 2's gawdy demeanour and unflattering camera plays its part in calling out the rot deciding an individual's self-worth.... full review

Thumbs down, by Rohit Bhatnagar, Free Press Journal : ...GBTQIA+ community is well established and respected at least in our films, if not society yet, but what makes Dibakar to come out of his cocoon and make a film on their hanging issues? LSD2 is a bad trip. Avoid the hangover!... full review

Thumbs down, by Rajiv Vijayakar, koimoi : ...This is excruciatingly impoverished cinematic material in the name of daring, evolved cinema. If this is what “evolution” in movie making is, give me the worst of potboilers any day!... full review

Thumbs down, by Rashil Jogani, Pinkvilla : ...LSD 2 may be a unique attempt but on the face of it, it is just an extremely tiring and exhausting watch that doesn't offer much in the name of stories based in the age of social media and digitalisation. You can watch LSD 2 now in theatres.... full review

Thumbs down, by SUPARNA SHARMA, The Week : ...But curiosity can’t make up for the lack of compelling storytelling. And that’s where LSD2 falters. It has visual bits and bubbles, but it lacks purpose. It doesn’t seem to know why it is telling us these stories.... full review

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This page has additional observations, other than the ones noted in the main review.

Parental Guidance:

  • Violence: Not direct. But rape, bullying is alluded to. People being beat up have been shown.
  • Language: Muted out curse words
  • Nudity & Sexual content: Blurred out
  • Concept: A commentary on social media and its effects in three short stories
  • General Look and Feel: Extremely quirky and shaky

Detailed Ratings (out of 5):

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Love Sex Aur Dhokha 2 - Cast, crew, links

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115 minutes
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Comments (2)

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Raj

Haven't watched it yet, but would like to witness a peek into the doctrine of virtual reality shows (I abhor) enacted out on big screen.. Showing the society the mirror of degradation and numbness we've resiliently (sarcasm) accepted to be in

wow! Those are powerful couple lines!

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