The trailer shows that elements of mystery and erotic tension of this pulpy universe are very much in place, making this an interesting cocktail of romance and thrills, observes Mayur Sanap.

When I first heard about Phir Aayi Hasseen Dillruba, I was excited and apprehensive at the same time.

Starring Taapsee Pannu and Vikrant Massey, it is a sequel to the 2021 Netflix film Hasseen Dillruba, which operated as part soapy melodrama, part suspense thriller about marital infidelity gone sideways.

The exciting bit about the prequel was Writer Kanika Dhillon’s (who serves as co-producer here) pulpy touch to the material.

However, the overall result was wholly unconvincing film with a ridiculous twist ending that didn’t really need a sequel.

But here we are.

The action has moved from Haridwar’s Jwalapur to Agra as Aditya Srivastava’s Inspector Rawat continues with the murder investigation.

Taapsee’s Rani reunites after Vikrant’s Rishu after he loses his hand and pretends to die in front of the world.

The trailer begins with Rani and Rishu’s happily ever after, until her fatal attraction with a new lover triggers Rishu’s toxic tendencies as seen in the previous film.

Sunny Kaushal plays this doe-eyed lover named Abhimanyu, who falls for Taapsee’s attractive manipulator.

Taking the baton from Vinil Mathew for the sequel is Jayprad Desai who previously directed the Shreyas Talpade starrer Kaun Pravin Tambe?

It’s good that this sequel is an actual continuation of the last film which is kind of rare nowadays.

The trailer shows that elements of mystery and erotic tension of this pulpy universe are very much in place, making this an interesting cocktail of romance and thrills.

There is no more of those oddly placed comic set-pieces (Yamini Das dominated these over-the-top scenes in the prequel) and this serious tone is a welcoming change.

The trailer then ends with a surprise entry of Jimmy Shergill, who looks like a worthy addition to this franchise.

Phir Aayi Hasseen Dillruba drops on Netflix on August 9.