Despite its many indulgences ‘Saheb Biwi Aur Gangster Returns’ is ultimately an engaging watch. I’m going with three out of five for this fascinating tale of ambition and emotions that might have further benefited from tighter writing.

The story-telling in the first half is so seamless that you overlook the things that had been a problem the first time around.

Indeed, here’s so much plotting and planning going yawn, that you lose track of what’s going on in the cauldron of political ambitions and quickie sex.

It is this anything-goes approach that carries itself on to the opening credits — with oddly tacky graphics of tossed coins and guns, as if to rub the film’s lack of finesse in our faces — and to the characters, who are introduced with no subtlety whatsoever: the word Gangster shows up with a funny gong sound, the Biwi appears to wailing B-movie siren sounds in the background.

Saheb Biwi aur Gangster Returns doesn’t fully deliver the juicy thrill of the first film. But it should be seen for its characters and dialogue. These thoroughly nasty people are worth spending time with.

As for the film as a whole, there can be no room for any doubt. It is recommended unequivocally.

This may not be Tigmanshu’s best, but it’s a movie with more balls than most cinema can flaunt.

At home with the genre, Dhulia delivers a winner that not only entertains, but keeps you engaged with its riveting screenplay and top notch performances.

In essence, the sequel follows the basic pattern of the first film – only the twists this time are more imaginative, the story more complex and thrills smarter.

Different from movies where one can simply predict scenes, Saheb Biwi Aur Gangster Returns will surprise you more than just once.

…a twisted tale with a riveting first hour and inconsistent post-interval portions. This film may not be Tigmanshu Dhulia’s finest work, but it has moments that prove his supremacy as a storyteller. Watch it for the intriguing characters and terrific performances!

It’s an intricate plot but Dhulia never loses the thread, the structures are cohesive and it’s a pleasure to watch each layer unfold.

SBAGR focuses on the obsessions and passions of the Royal families in UP. And it does a fantastic job of capturing the essence of that vanity of that overt machismo.

Personally, I expected more from Tigmanshu. That he managed to pull all back within the last 20 minutes speaks volumes about his genius. He is one of our best filmmakers today.

All the things that made the first Saheb Biwi Aur Gangster impressive — its mood, its rawness, its rootedness, its boldness – seem much too contrived in its sequel.

Tigmanshu Dhulia’s film is a call to the masses to return to the real India of the hinterland; the place where earthy, solid stories exist. Places where the women can unabashedly say, “Hume mard hi kyu milte hai… Shayar kyun nahi milte!” (Why do we get just men… why not poets!)

True to the original, the sequel is a dangerous representation of the greedy game that is the battleground of North Indian politics. Played as much with bullets as it is with shrewdness and cunning.