2 Harihar Nagar

Director duo Siddique-Lal’s In Harihar Nagar (1990), one of the best youth films of the nineties, is part of the golden age of Malayalam comedy and among the most hilarious Indian movies. This out-and-out comedy film, starring Mukesh, Siddique, Jagadeesh and Asokan in full-fledged comedy roles, was remade in many Indian languages (including Hindi as Dhol by Priyadarshan). Thanks to director Lal for making a sequel to In Harihar Nagar after a gap of long 18 years! The sequel 2 Harihar Nagar offers the same feeling of the original and takes you back to the wonderful days of In Harihar Nagar.

2 Harihar Nagar revolves around the same four guys in In Harihar Nagar; Mahadevan (Mukesh), Govindan Kutty (Siddique), Appukuttan (Jagadeesh), and Thomas Kutty (Asokan). Bangalore-based Govindan Kutty and Gulf-based Mahadevan reach Kerala and meet their friend Appukuttan, now a dentist. They are back to attend Thomas Kutty’s betrothal ceremony. They reside in Govindan Kutty’s villa in Harihar Nagar, where they had stayed as tenants years back. They all have grown older but their basic natures remain just the same. They decide on pulling some pranks to make the most of their stay together.

At this juncture, a young girl Maya (Lakshmi Rai) comes to stay in Harihar Nagar. She leaves a bouquet of flowers at the doorstep of our ‘boys’, with a card stating that she had come to see them. Reminded of the Maya who had come into their lives years back, they go seeking her. But when they meet her, they realize it’s a different girl. From there, the story takes off with several twists and turns along the way.

The best thing about 2 Harihar Nagar is its engaging script by the director himself, which takes the viewer along with the pace of the narrative. With a fast-paced narration supported by good editing, cinematography, the right notes and not to forget some earnest performances, 2 Harihar Nagar gets the viewer absorbed into its style straightaway. However, the film is not devoid of minuses. The mood and the tempo of the film in the first half are lost somewhere in the midst of the proceedings. In the post-interval section. Lal should have included an equal amount of humour to balance the pace of the first half. Alex Paul’s remix songs ‘Unnam narannu, thenni paranna’ and ‘Ekantha chandrike’ have come out well and are other major attractions.

Mukesh, Siddique, Jagadeesh and Ashokan impress you with their performances, but it is Jagadeesh who steals the show. Lakshmi Rai as Maya is good. The same can be said of the rest of the cast. Technical aspects sync perfectly with the film as a whole. All in all, 2 Harihar Nagar is a film that everyone should go and watch with their whole families.

Banner      Lal Creations
Producers     PNV Associates and Lal Creations
Director     Lal
Cast     Mukesh, Siddique, Asokan, Jagdeesh, Lakshmi Rai, Salim Kumar & others
Music     Alex Paul
Camera     Venu
Lyrics     Bichu Thirumala

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