A sequel that turns a damp squib

Mungaru Male 2Kannada (U)Cast: Ganesh, Neha Shetty, Shilpa Manjunath, Ravichandran, Aindrita Ray, Ravi Shankar, Sadhu Kokila, Shraddha SrinathDirector: Shashank

Courting young girls for excitement is sport for this playboy. Dropping them like bricks, when bored with them, his pastime. This is the wanton world of Preetham, rich spoilt brat of billionaire Suryakanth, director Shashank weaves in his sequel to 2006 film by Yogaraj Bhat. 

Director Shashank does woeful dis-service to Bhat foisting a distasteful film on unsuspecting audiences. Those expecting encore of Bhat’s Mungaru forget it. 

From giving short shrift to Shreya in distant Slovenia to dumping Aishu on rail trip to Rajasthan, a bored, impulsive Preetham, in search of excitement, meets his match in Nandini Ponappa. 

Projecting her as today’s independent thinking, smart, sassy girl, who gives it back to boys, director Shashank, who believes heroines are pretty playthings for Golden Star to gallivant with, thinks he is weaving a modern day romance. 

Egged by dad Suryakanth, who pampers his son’s every whim and fancy, has Preetham stalking Nandini, after a whirlwind tourist trip across colourful, sandy deserts and sights, of Rajasthan, to her rainy hometown Madikeri. Nandini, meantime is busy preparing for her wedding with beau Siddharth, pursuing medicine in US. 

Can casanova Preetham strike it lucky with Ms Headstrong Nandini with tyrant for a father?  Mungaru Male 2 is vacuous and insufferable as can be. Even Shekar Chandra’s fluid camerawork fails to salvage Male 2. It is best to revisit Bhat’s 2006 original to relive the musical romance of yesteryear.