Yamla Pagla Deewana: Phir Se
- Director
- Navaniat Singh
- Studio
- Pen Studios
- Release Date
- 30 August 2018
- Running Time
- 148 min
- Language
- Hindi
- Country
- India
- Budget
- ₹36.00 Cr
- Box Office
- ₹15.00 Cr
Review
Yamla Pagla Deewana: Phir Se attempts to resurrect a franchise that was already gasping for air, pairing tired family comedy beats with a half-baked corporate conspiracy plot that never generates genuine tension or stakes. Director Sangeeth Srivastav seems content to coast on the chemistry between Dharmendra, Sunny Deol, and Bobby Deol—a chemistry that admittedly carries some nostalgic warmth—but the screenplay undermines every actor involved by lurching between unfocused subplots: the pharmaceutical villain feels toothless, the love story between Kala and the surgeon lacks conviction, and the tenant character's mystical visions are treated as comic relief in a film that can't decide whether it's a caper, a romance, or a family drama. The central conflict around Vajrakavach never achieves the weight it desperately needs, making the theft and revenge arc feel as consequential as a forgotten subplot.
What's most frustrating is that the film wastes genuine talent on material that doesn't deserve them. The performances are earnest—Sunny Deol has moments of gruff sincerity—but even seasoned actors can't elevate dialogue that sounds like it was workshopped in a 2010 writers' room. Compared to the more sharply executed comedies within this space (even middling family entertainers like the original *Yamla Pagla Deewana* managed better pacing), this sequel feels bloated and aimless, populated by characters who exist to fill runtime rather than serve the narrative. At its core, it's a
Storyline
So basically, there are these two brothers living in Amritsar who run this ancient herbal medicine shop, but they've got totally different vibes. The older one, Puran, is all about keeping traditional Ayurvedic medicine affordable and accessible to everyone, while his younger brother Kala is just trying to hustle and make some serious cash. This big pharmaceutical company guy comes knocking with a massive offer to buy the secret formula for this miracle cure called Vajrakavach, but Puran's not having it and literally punches the guy in the face. Now this pharma dude is out for revenge and plotting something sneaky.
Living with them is this hilarious old lawyer tenant who's been paying basically nothing in rent for decades and it drives Kala absolutely crazy. The weird thing about this old guy is that he constantly sees these divine beings that nobody else can perceive, which makes him pretty entertaining to watch. Meanwhile, a fun-loving female surgeon from Gujarat shows up wanting to learn traditional medicine from Puran, seeming like she's just looking for some knowledge and a fresh start.
Turns out things aren't what they seem though, because this girl isn't who she says she is. She actually ends up stealing some really important old documents related to the Vajrakavach formula, which is exactly what the pharma company wanted all along. She takes off back to Gujarat with the goods, and Kala's pretty broken up about it since he'd developed feelings for her. Now Puran's facing some serious legal trouble because apparently the formula got patented by someone else, and everything's about to get way more complicated.
