Inside Out 2 follows the story of Riley who is on the cusp of puberty that does account for a sudden demolition in the headquarters of her mind. This does provide room for new emotions, some of them rogue which try and corner the binary emotions along the way. Will all emotions learn to survive and help Riley out? The story here is yet another high concept drama that taps into vital issues of adulthood. This is further accentuated from the fact that the story unfolds through the gaze of a young girl with bouts of new emotions in play. And the power tussle between the emotions is what eventually formulates a heartfelt watch. The screenplay standing at just under a 100 minutes is supremely entertaining and hilarious while making for a rather poignant watch, while you begin to equate the actions onscreen with the ones that you face with respect to your emotions in daily life. And at the center of it is anxiety which is probably the only emotion that stays common amongst all adults.

The drama begins with the reintroduction of Riley who has a flair for ice hockey, a sport that she is yet to master. The action shifts to the headquarters in her mind that is home to our beloved binary emotions featuring Joy, Fear, Anger, Disgust and Sadness. Life is trodding rather consistently until a sudden ‘demolition’ activity that transpires owing to Riley hitting puberty. During puberty, a whole lot of changes take place in our body leading to mood swings, a this very fact gives birth to four new emotions of Boredom, Envy, Embarassment and at the center of it, Anxiety. The situations created in the life of Riley coupled with the decisions that she needs to make in terms of her future, related to friendship and trying to ‘fit’ in with her idol, is suddenly taken over by anxiety while most binary emotions are sidelined.

The concept itself was captured beautifully on celluloid with all the emotions in play, that often act as a mirror. How often have we watched ourselves overthinking in matters that are so trivial while our mind begins to assume things, almost reimagining stuff that isn’t necessarily true. And this itself was beautifully woven in the drama that also acts as an adventure of sorts. The balance between negativity and positivity while trying to stay prepared for the worst, often have such complex emotions in play that often leads to indecisiveness, something that is portrayed so well. The impressionable age is often a result of an impressionable mind, mostly in our teens that do account for us trying to ‘fit’ in to a group that we aspire to blend into, fully knowing subconsciously that it may not really be your true calling. And all of it is wonderfully captured in this rather entertaining drama that had me smiling from ear to ear.

Amidst the chaos, there are genuine moments of warmth while the drama consistently remains heartfelt. The idea here was not to vilify any emotions(contrary to its setup) but to create a mindspace where all emotions can co-exist. And the slightest of change would not account for the person that you really are. And so, a combination of values and emotions that do eventually shape Riley is beautifully showcased in its third act even as all emotions try to nullify the impact of anxiety, something that is often accumulated and overpowered in adults. This, while the fun and frolic elements stay intact with a hint of ‘nostalgia'(that was so sweet to witness). And don’t forget to wait for the end credits scene which is sweet and hilarious. Overall, the screenplay is beautifully penned and makes for an entertaining and poignant watch at the same time!