The film primarily explores the pros and cons of being called a ‘gifted child,’ but in terms of perspective, it only has a few pithy one-liners to offer. While Bhepu is a child prodigy, Chinu often feels ignored by his parents who leave no stone unturned to highlight Bhepu’s talents, including signing him up for a reality show. Shiboprosad and Gargee play Laltu and Mitali who have two sons, named Chinu and Bhepu. Haami 2, however, plays its cards close to the vest and reiterates certain things we already know, like the dangers of pursuing reality TV fame as children, or how parents can fail to recognise their children’s strengths. Haami had brought in several topical commentaries inspired by recent news cycles and earned praise for venturing into sensitive areas, that massy films don’t usually delve into. So, Haami 2, despite not being a sequel, could still beat that record, though this Nandita Roy-Shiboprosad Mukherjee film plays it safer than the last instalment. But it’s important to remember the first Haami was one of the top-grossing Bengali films of 2018 and had a dreamy 60-day run at the theatres. But BO clash is one of the many pitfalls of being a holiday season release, especially for family entertainers. On a dry Friday with no major releases to compete with, Haami 2 could have drummed up quite the business.
