Movie review 'Honey Bee 2': A not so sweet Honey

Cast: Asif Ali, Bhavana, Lal, Sreenivasan, lena, Baburaj, Sreenath Bhasi, Balu Varghese
Director: Jean Paul Lal
Rating: 2 stars

The sequel takes off from where the original one ends; so we have glimpse of two lovers dressed as bride and groom praying at the bride’s father’s grave. They have had to elope and even attempt to end their lives from the fear that the girl’s brothers who are known goondas of Fort Kochi may catch up with them.

Though the plot was familiar and clichéd, Honey Bee (2013) was able to capture the imagination of a young audience with its ‘cool’ dialogues and characters that youngsters could relate with. What happens as Angel (Bhavana) and Sebastian (Asif Ali) get married forms the crux of Honey Bee 2, which was clearly prompted by the success of its predecessor.

After the Punnyalans (Angel’s brothers) grant their consent to Angel and Seban’s relationship, audiences come to know that Seban is the son of an advocate couple living in Bangalore. He had left home after falling out with his father but doesn’t want to hurt their sentiments by telling them about his relation with Angel. Kavitha Nair— Michel’s (Lal) wife gives them an idea of approaching Seban’s parents with a marriage proposal.

When the Punnyalans reach Advocate Thampy (Sreenivasan) and Ruby (Lena)  Antony’s house, the first twist of the film pops up. Michel realises he was their classmate in Law College and a close buddy of Thampy. Thus the wedding is fixed with ease and Seban has no problem agreeing to the match even without seeing the bride’s photograph. Seban, as in the first part of the movie is throughout supported by his buddies Ferno (Baburaj), Ambro (Balu Varghese) and Abu (Sreenath Bhasi). Though the trio has tried hard to impress the audience with their comedy, they come a cropper. The double entendre also falls flat most of the time.

Lack of a good storyline is pretty evident. Some of the characters even seem mere fillers. Sreenivasan and Lena have done a decent job. Asif Ali is just average while Bhavana has done her part well.  The costumes also seemed a bit overdone. Overall, Honey Bee 2 is far from riveting and unlikely to create the kind of buzz its predecessor did.