New Delhi, Nov. 15 -- Ajay Devgn used to throw himself into comedies. I never thought he was a great comic (compare his effortful style to the ease of Akshay Kumar), but he more or less got the job done. But now, as with every other facet of his acting, Devgn's comedy has lost its edge. In De De Pyaar De 2, he's a beat behind everyone else, draining the energy in scenes when he should be cranking it up.

If you haven't seen the 2019 film (I never did), the opening of Anshul Sharma's sequel boils it down to a handy montage. Ashish (Devgn), a 50-year-old, falls for a 26-year-old in London, Ayesha (Rakul Preet Singh); he brings her to India to meet his wife and kids; complications ensue and are sorted out. The new film does the expected reve...