'LSD2' review: Audacious attempt, but doesn't tie its loose ends
As a long-time admirer of Dibakar Banerjee's ahead of its time LSD (2010), I was excited to see its spiritual sequel, LSD 2. Exactly like its predecessor, it has been divided into three chapters, each covering a specific theme of the title. While the film is riveting, funny in parts, and the acting is chillingly real, the movie, overall, is sadly far from perfect.
Story 1: Focuses on a reality show 'Truth Ya Naach'
The first short—the strongest of the lot—is the most riveting and has ample meat that Banerjee harnesses to present a palatable satire. It underlies the story of Noor, a popular contestant of reality show Truth Ya Naach, judged by Sophie Choudry, Anu Malik, and Tusshar Kapoor. Deftly and humorously, it satirizes the rampant glorification of reality shows such as Bigg Boss and Indian Idol.
Its references to real-world shows are executed well
It's eerily like watching BB on the big screen. Such shows thrive on voyeurism and the makers are just as responsible for their proliferation as is the hypocritical audience that lives vicariously through these programs. At multiple junctures, it talks about contestants being "on-cam" for numerous hours, and I immediately thought about how, since the last few years, BB streams 24*7!
Story 2: Sexual assault of a transgender
Story 2 has already made a lot of noise due to its inclusion of Bonita Rajpurohit, who essays Kullu, a transgender woman who is sexually assaulted. However, the police refuse to file a case; their rationale being that there is no section in the IPC for such a crime. It starts well and has a solid foundation, but then derails quite quickly.
Solid start, but then everything goes haywire
The short feels jarring, haphazard, and oddly placed, and it feels as if too much has been crammed together in too little space. The narrative seems confounded and confused, almost as if the movie knows a lot more about the characters than it chooses to share with us. Credit where it's due though, some parts make you deeply uncomfortable (they are meant to).
Story 3: Game Paapi and his adventures gone wrong
The third story is not so much a well-defined story as it's a series of scenes stitched together; some of them really wear you down with their neon lighting and intentional edginess. It focuses on a YouTuber Game Paapi (Shubham), who, after a series of unfortunate incidents in his professional-personal life, finds himself in the Meta Verse—becoming the first Indian to achieve this feat.
Satire aimed at YT and Instagram's overnight stars
What I liked about this vignette is Abhinav Singh's acting, who looked and acted exactly like the multitude of "content creators" who have hijacked the social media space today, leaving an online print of their mundane, nondescript lives. It also casts a light on "influencers" and how they live in their own collabs-videos-shares bubble, with the lines between real and reel blurred completely thin.
Banerjee's intention and choice of technology as a tool
At a time when digital life is our first and real-life an afterthought, it's no wonder Banerjee chose this theme. Technology has come a long way since LSD; earlier it was in the nascent stage, and now, it has come of age. The film, thus, tries to be a well-intentioned satire on how being in the real world amounts to being "offline." Dystopian!
Tries too hard, but doesn't get too far
Unlike the first part, in LSD 2, nuance and subtlety take a backseat, which is an odd choice considering how well it worked for the predecessor. Here, you can't shake off the feeling that the movie is trying too hard at all times, and when projects do that, it can either land spectacularly well or be a complete misfire. LSD2 hangs somewhere in between.
It isn't able to voice itself strongly
In several places, due to the narrative choices LSD2 makes, it is highly unclear what the film is trying to say. Things are always in your face, and unlike the last time, the messaging seems to have been left clogged somewhere in the makers' aspirations to curate the movie in a way that appeals to the youth. Wild, feral, unbridled energy courses through it.
You can wait for its OTT release
Several parts of LSD2 brim with potential and Malik is particularly funny, but, its merits seem to be clouded by its overwhelming issues. Too much content, not as much breathing space, lack of gravity, and a chaotic sense of urgency ultimately mean that the movie isn't able to tie its loose ends properly. Skip it in theaters, but watch on Netflix later. 2/5 stars.
