Dedh Ishqiya is the much-awaited sequel to Ishqiya—the 2010 Hindi feature film which had introduced us to two of the most delightful caricatures penned down in recent times, as far as Hindi cinema is concerned, that of the criminal vagabonds, Ifthekhar alias “Khalujan” and Razzaakh Hussain alias “Babban”. What really makes the uncle-nephew duo tick is the camaraderie they share. Both Khalujan and Babban come across as shrewd and deceitful campaigners when it comes to their day-to-day shady affairs and that’s what keeps the two of them alive, but when pitted against beautiful women they are at their most vulnerable as their chivalry and quixotic mannerisms tend to get the better of them, invariably trapping them in bizarre situations and exposing them to grave danger.

In Dedh Ishqiya the scenario more or less remains the same, if only a wee bit more complex. Khalujan and Babban continue to go about their usual business while somehow managing to stay out of the clutches of their evil boss Mushtaq despite all his efforts to bury the duo alive. Khalujan and Babban are forced to part ways when a con job goes awry. Babban’s lust takes him to a brothel where he unexpectedly comes to learn about Khalujan’s whereabouts. To his dismay, Khalujan, now disguised as the Nawab of Chandpur, is all set to participate in the annual poetry competition organized by Begum Para, the beautiful widow of Nawab of Mahmudabad, in the hope of wooing her. When Babban arrives on the scene and finally confronts Khalujan, he gets infatuated with Begum Para’s sexy aide and confidant Munniya. But, the path of love has never been an easy one to tread. And, once again, Khalujan and Babban must learn it the hard way.

Set in the sumptuous backdrop of the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, the cradle of India’s Ganga-Jamuni tehzeeb, Dedh Ishqiya serves as a great tribute to the now extinct uber-luxurious lifestyles of the Nawabs of Awadh. Without actually being a period film, Dedh Ishqiya brings back great memories of the grandeur of a bygone era, an epoch underlined by the Muslim elite upper class’ deep-seated love for ghazals, qawwalis, Urdu poetry, and various classical music and dance forms. In this regard, the movie’s attention to detail to immaculate: be it costume, dialogue, or set design.

Abhishek Chaubey needs to be congratulated for his exquisite mise-en-scène that greatly adds to the movie’s verisimilitude. Dedh Ishqiya’s dialogue, rife with vernacular expletives, packs a powerful punch. Naseeruddin Shah and Arshad Warsi are brilliant as ever. Madhuri Dixit makes a strong comeback and is delightful to watch. Huma Qureshi impresses playing a rather tricky part. The big surprise, however, comes from Vijay Raaz who plays the part of an obsessed and dangerous lover with remarkable brilliance. Dedh Ishqiya is entertainment galore for a casual viewer, and, at the same time, it offers enough food for thought for an intelligent viewer.

Rating: 8/10

The review was originally published here