‘Second Hand Husband’ Review: Poor script, shoddy editing dilutes the film's impact

Just why on earth did Gippy Grewal, who is regarded as one of the most popular names of the Punjabi film industry, have to make his Bollywood debut with such an insipid, unimaginative and uninspiring movie? This is a question that is bound to baffle movie buffs while watching the week’s new release ‘Second Hand Husband’.

Directed by Smeep Kang and touted as a romantic-comedy, the film revolves around a young man who tries to get his ex-wife married off so that he can tie the knot with his girlfriend. Even at a very superficial level, this is one storyline that appears to be confusing and outlandish to say the very least.

The half-baked nature of this story is magnified even further because of a thoroughly rushed, poorly executed, and snail paced screenplay. The fundamental problem in this case is the lack of a well defined perspective. As a result, ‘Second Hand Husband’ ends up being nothing more than a collection of vaguely connected scenes.

That said that said and done some scenes do have some potential and manage to evoke a few chuckles. The office sequence involving Dharmendra and Deepshika Nagpal is a case in point. However, the big issue is that such scenes are few and far in between. Moreover, they have a ‘seen it before’ feel about them. This goes a long way in diluting their impact even further.

Most of the dialogues are extremely clichéd and predictable. Furthermore, the comic punches seem forced and even a bit desperate at certain points. In fact it would be fair to say that the makers of ‘Second Hand Husband’ have tried a bit too hard to make the audience laugh. Consequently, all their efforts have gone down the drain.

As far as performances are concerned, Grewal tries his level best to rise above a mediocre script. Sadly, given the dull nature of the film, he is not able to make much of an impact.

Tina Ahuja, who is veteran actor Govinda’s daughter, maintains a deadpan expression through the movie, delivering a highly forgettable and wooden performance. Geeta Basra sleepwalks through her part and looks uninterested. Just when will she learn to act?

Alok Nath is thoroughly under-utilized. The same, unfortunately holds true for Bhojpuri superstar Ravi Kishan and veteran Vijay Raaz. It is indeed heartbreaking to see such talented actors being reduced to mere afterthoughts.

Luckily, the original ‘he-man’ of Hindi cinema Dharmendra rises above the onscreen tomfoolery, proving that he is still a force to be reckoned with. His comic-timing and rapport with his co-stars are top-notch. The rest of the cast is strictly okay.

The soundtrack, which has been composed by a host of popular music directors, is reasonably good. Songs such as ‘Mitthi Meri Jaan’ and ‘Rab Jaisa’ manage to strike a chord. However, the numbers don’t really gel with the narrative and end up slowing it down even further.

The cinematography is decent. The limited use of close-ups in Ahuja’s scenes does cover her non-existent skills to a certain extent.

The background score gets a little too loud and distracting at some points. So it can’t be called ideal. Moreover, the editing is lackluster. Some of the scenes could have been done away with without affecting the flow.
To sum up, ‘Second Hand Husband’ is not a film but an ideal recipe for a splitting headache. Watch it only if you want to punish yourself for all the sins committed in your last life.