Rating: 2.5/5Fukrey Returns is the sequel to 2013 coming-of-age comedy film Fukrey. The original cast reprise their roles in this one. This includes the four friends Hunny (Pulkit Samrat), Choocha (Varun Sharma), Lali (Manjot Singh) and Zafar (Ali Fazal). The villain is still Bholi Punjaban (Richa Chadda). The word Fukrey loosely translates to "youngsters with no worries".Fukrey Returns begins with Hunny setting Choocha up on a date with a girl he likes from college. The venue is at a zoo, right outside a tiger's cage. What they don't know at the time is how important that spot is going to become later in the movie.Bholi Punjaban is released from jail and she is bloodthirsty for revenge on the Fukrey gang. She tells them they need to plot a lottery scheme so she can recover the losses she incurred courtesy of an investment she made on them in the first movie.Choocha who used to dream of lottery numbers now has changed and can see flashes of premonitions. Based on this, Hunny comes up with a lottery plan but a greedy minister Babulal Bhatia wants to ruin it. Things quickly get out of hand. The innocent public are cheated of their funds by the Fukrey gang. Because they have to get out of the fix, Choocha promises the corrupt minister Babulal and the ex-con Bholi that they will find a hidden treasure trove that is whispered about. Thus, begins the treasure hunt.Director Mrighdeep Singh Lamba who also helmed the original film pretty much follows a set template for Fukrey Returns - only dropping the element of suspense. The film is a little predictable, although the solid screenplay and natural dialogue are a saving grace. The soundtrack Ambarsariya still lingers on throughout. That's a tune that will forever remain a hit with fans.The biggest change in character between the two movies is seen in Richa Chadda's Bholi Punjaban. Bholi was more fearless in the first movie, but there's a good reason for her new-found apprehension which the movie does well to address. The four Fukrey are at their vintage best while another star performance comes from actor Pankaj Tripathi as Pandit, he brings a kind of "consciousness" to the Fukrey gang.Fukrey Returns is a good enough movie with a clever plot at its heart, but it will draw few people to the cinemas. The minimal attention it will get will probably be because Padmavati, the mega budget film everyone was looking forward to in December didn't make the cinemas after getting embroiled in religious controversies.BOOK A TICKET

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Harleen Jabbal is a Bollywood film writer and critic for her blog FilmiVeryFilmi.