Unsurprisingly, this struggle to fit a modern-day romance in a dated template prompts a patchy, wobbly, bizarre, humourless drama proving an uphill task for two rank newcomers to tackle.

Even the one-to-one scuffle is much too monotonous and mundane; you see far better action on television nowadays. Unless a 95-minute long excuse to advertise Audi, Omega or Apple is your idea of a mindless action movie, steer clear of this mechanical junk.

Manjhi is watchable purely because of this actor’s grasp of a willful, persevering personality recognised by his passion not poverty. It’s a distinction Nawaz duly delivers, if not the film.

What you get is an earnest Khiladi sporting his graceful greys in a movie that’s too cosmetic, loud and exhausting to take notice.

Despite the complexity of the given situation and the dangers it runs into, Bajrangi Bhaijaan’s simplistic politics avoids darkness like a plague.

But then wishful thinking never hurt any sentiments.

Nor does this film.

The first part of the epic leaves behind dollops of rip-roaring entertainment to relish till it’s back to finish what it started in perhaps even more jaw-dropping manner. Rajamouli incites such confidence.

Papanasam doesn’t deviate from the original structure but there is a conscious effort to explain the strategy of Drishyam’s understated intelligence. The ploy more or less works because the events look convincingly premeditated in context of the alibi and as a result the characters better fleshed out.

Even if reduced to a ‘relic of a deleted timeline,’ Schwarzenegger is easily the only attraction of this wishy-washy sequel, prequel, reboot, offshoot, whatever. But that’s no reason to overstay one’s welcome even if it’s an iconic character. Rather especially if it’s an iconic character.

Like an old colleague of his said to him in another movie, ‘You’ve been back enough.’

Reliably, ABCD 2 livens up when the action shifts to stage, thanks to some splendid choreography by the inspiration behind its source — Suresh Mukund and Vernon Monteiro (featured in the closing credits). Even if you’re not a fan of this sort of dancing, the upshot of the troupe’s sheer coordination and dedication is tailor-made for applause, a sentiment you increasingly experience in the concluding half of the movie.

Tanu Weds Manu Returns is not merely superior to its predecessor but the flamboyance and fun it provides is an implication we’re not quite done with this mad duo and their quirky universe yet.