Student of the Year 2 Movie Review: Did not meet expectations

Student of the Year 2 is all in all a light-hearted rom-com mingled with retro mixes, making the film a one-time watch.

Student of the Year 2
U/A: Romance
Director: Punit Malhotra
Cast: Tiger Shroff, Ananya Panday, Tara Sutaria, Harsh Beniwal
Rating: 

Seven years after a memorable outing with Varun Dhawan, Sidharth Malhotra, and Alia Bhatt, we are back in the world of St Teresa, cheering for three new students -- Rohan (Tiger Shroff), Mridula (Tara Sutaria) and Shreya (Ananya Panday). The first edition of the Student Of The Year (SOTY) franchise not only launched phenomenal actors but also gave songs that make us dance our heart out. Naturally then, SOTY 2 arrived amid soaring expectations.

Also Read: Student of The Year 2: Here's first review from the audience; watch videos

The story revolves around an inter-college kabaddi-cum-dance competition as the kids vie for the prestigious Student Of the year trophy. The competition marks the class difference as the glamorous and rich St Teresa students compete with the middle-class Pishori High School kids. Couple that with infatuation, betrayal, new friendships -- and a typical love triangle playing out between Tiger, Tara, and Ananya -- and you've got the story laid out.

Check out the trailer here:

SOTY has been my all-time favourite movie and the second part had me excited ever since it was announced. The dances and action sequences were spectacular. Tiger continues to charm the audience with his backflips, flexing biceps and stunts. When it comes to the girls, the costume designers definitely deserve a round of applause. Their wardrobe is every chic teenage girl's dream. Never mind that it is nowhere close to the kind of clothes that Indian colleges expect students to wear. A special mention to our antagonist Manav Randhava (Aditya Seal) whose rich, arrogant kid act is on point. 

Also Read: Student of The Year co-actors have cute synonyms for Ananya Panday's personality

That said, the film did not match the expectations of an ardent fan like me. The plot was limited to merely song-and-dance routines, and kabaddi and track competitions. While it had some hilarious one-liners mouthed by Tiger's friends from Pishori Lal college, the writing otherwise was weak with no mem(e)rable dialogues. Gul Panag seen as a lesbian coach, hitting on a female colleague, is wasted. Adorned with some surprise appearances, SOTY 2 is, at best, a light-hearted rom-com adorned that deserves a one-time watch.

How does Class of 2019 fare?
For a film that is aimed at millennials, Tiger Shroff's Student Of The Year 2 (SOTY 2) offers a clear message — 'Focus on your dreams first'. Staying true to a Dharma production, this message comes laced with several elements, including romance, humour and action. The star of the campus caper is, undoubtedly, Tiger. The actor has you rooting for him as he takes on St Teresa's blue-eyed boy Manav Randhava (Aditya Seal) in his bid for the Dignity Trophy. While his previous films have only depicted him as an action star, SOTY 2 proves that Tiger is as much at home in a romance comedy. All eyes are on Tara Sutaria and Ananya Panday since this film marks their Bollywood debut. Even though their roles offer them little scope to show their acting chops, the girls shine in portions. Director Punit Malhotra deserves a special mention for taking forward the SOTY legacy with deft storytelling. A fun campus drama, this film will surely strike a chord with college-going students.

The reviewer is a class 12 student at St Xavier's College.

Also Read: Five things to watch out for in Student Of The Year 2

*Disclaimer: The reviewer is an eleventh-grade student from Bombay Scottish 

Catch up on all the latest entertainment news and gossip here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates

"Exciting news! Mid-day is now on WhatsApp Channels Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here!