Director John Madden offers another affectionate portrait of ageing and second chances in this sentimental but always charming comedy that deserves a watch if only for its terrific A-list cast. It’s the kind of film you’ll want to take your mum to.

As per the film, the question is not about how many new lives we can have. Rather, it is whether ‘do we possess the courage to cross the boundaries?’

The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel is not as tight the previous version, but it’s certainly a good film to watch this weekend.

…strikes as overly verbose and preachy.

This is a fun story with as many layers as a Jaipuri pagdi. The acting is such fun – the film features much of the cream from the high tea of British drama – that you appreciate characters, even if you didn’t check into the first Hotel.

Unlike most, this sequel is not totally superfluous. Parker’s screenplay gives almost all the central characters something to occupy themselves with, though only a few have well-detailed journeys. The film, however, is best when it focuses on key issues of old age with subtlety and dignity, never making it mawkish. That Madden and Parker have Smith taking on that responsibility on her firm shoulders makes the film worth a watch.

When it comes to an enjoyable time at the cinemas, The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel is second to none.

Most of the film is crowd pleasing to the core, and when the talent on display is so effortless in entertaining you, it’s hard to walk away from the film with any negative emotion. It’s the first feel-good movie of the year, and that’s always a good thing.

The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel is just what the doctor ordered if you want a simple, feelgood film. That’s remarkable when you keep in mind that most of the characters are basically just waiting to die in this story. Yet, there’s no sadness here. At its gloomiest, a tinge of wistfulness dulls the Technicolor, Indian fantasy that Madden and his team have created. But those moments are brief and what The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel remind us is that so long as you’re alive, there’s a life to be lived and enjoyed.

Overall, while ‘The Exotic Marigold Hotels’ is packaged as a cultural ambassador of Jaipur, “The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel” remains after all, only the second best!

The film lacks the essence that was present in the first film. Head down to The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel if you’ve got some time to kill.