De De Pyaar De 2: Ajay Devgn's Pan Masala Ad, Drishyam References Leave Viewers In Splits

De De Pyaar De 2: Ajay Devgn, R Madhavan and Rakul Preet Singh starrer rom-com released on November 14 to mixed reviews. While some watchers have dubbed it a family entertainer, others have called it a cliched story filled with "WhatsApp jokes". The initial response to the movie at the box office has been lukewarm, but the collections can pick up over the weekend. How director Anshul Sharma has stitched references to Ajay's movies and his controversial pan masala ad in De De Pyaar De 2 has left the internet in splits.

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In one of the scenes, Ajay's character Ashish and Meezaan Jafri's Adi, who is Ayesha's (Rakul Preet Singh) childhood friend, exchange looks with each other. Here, they do the gesture that fans will best associate with what Ajay does in the pan masala ad. As theatre videos of this scene leaked online, one can see how the audience erupted in laughter.

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In another scene, Ashish is given a brief of how a wedding he missed out on unfolded. The dialogues here refer to Drishyam movies and how Ajay's Vijay Salgaonkar is interrogated by the police. 

Another reference in the movie is to Ajay's iconic entry scene in Phool Aur Kaante, which is recreated in De De Pyaar De 2 by Meezaan as he performs a full split on two cars while making an impressive entry.

How is De De Pyaar De 2 performing at the box office?

Despite some good reviews, De De Pyaar De 2 has opened slow at the box office, collecting ₹8.50 crore on day 1 in India. 

The movie will make its way to digital platforms following a 8-week gap from its theatrical release date. Its streaming rights have been acquired by Netflix, and the digital release is expected sometime in January 2026.