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Happy Bhag Jayegi Review: This desi runaway bride steals your heart but doesn't sweep you off your feet
So does your heart still flutter when Richard Gere is left at the altar alone and he has to run after a FedEx truck looking at his bride hopefully. 17 years have gone by but you can't help go 'awww' when Julia Roberts gives Richard her running shoes and makes the big speech - I guarantee that we'll have tough times. I guarantee that sooner or later one, or both of us will want to get out. But I also guarantee that if I .don't ask you to be mine, I'll regret it for the rest of my life.. because I know in my heart you're the only one for me... Still works like a charm? Happy Bhag Jayegi just doesn't have this classic quality to it. It certainly had the potential to but of course, it misses the mark because of the drudgery of the second half. Nevertheless, it is a pretty damn good film. Heartwarming, laughs galore, largely well acted. Abhay Deol and Jimmy Sheirgill are near phenomenal. But the story isn't about them. It is about Happy and Diana Penty cannot do full justice to the character of the fiesty Punjabi Kudi. For starters, her petite, coy image from Cocktail is still fresh in our minds. Maybe because she fit that part like a glove. In this film, Diana is a miscast and though she puts in her best, she never becomes the lovable character she must. Her childhood friend played by Ali Fazal is another character that feels half-baked. He is an aspiring musician and the bloke attempts to be an underdog you get cheering for. It is a balanced cast and the director Mudassar Ali knows the flaws and faults of his cast better. Hence, he uses the better actors emphatically. Abhay is winsome as the Pakistani politician who is reminded of the position he must hold. The actor being the ace performer that he is, gives a nuanced performance. He is pretty much the film's anchor. And Jimmy helps him with his fine comic timing. The one liners, jibes adds to the film's jestful vibes. Yes, he could seem right out of the Raja Awasthi space but Jimmy plays it with a difference.
The one thing the director gets right is the humorous tone of the film. It is pleasant, in parts laugh-out-loud but never low-brow or slapstick. Now, isn't that refreshing? It is subtle humour which stays more or less consistent all through the movie. It is some matured direction on his part to make a cross-border romance, without any jingoistic undertones. There isn't an inkling of political commentary and yet the film beautifully puts its theme - human beings from both sides of the border are just same,all heart.
Though in the second half, the screenplay's logic takes a toss. The tempo dips as the drama shifts back to India. As a Pakistani politician's son, Bilal (Abhay), roams sans security to find a worthless boy who is neither worth his time or attention, you wonder what's happening with the movie. The love story between Diana and Ali is poorly fleshed out. It lacks conviction. Diana has a strong Geet-from-Jab We Met hangover. She does her best but misses the charm in her goofiness. It is hard to believe that three men are swooning over this one lady. But then again, it is proven that love is blind. Instead, it was pleasantly surprising to see Momal Sheikh deliver an understated performance.
The only reason we recommend you watch this film is because it is a breezy romantic comedy that keeps melodrama at bay. It is a rare movie that only wants you to leave the theatre with a smile and does a sincere job at it. Are we happy? Well, yes almost.
We rate the film a 60% on the Pinkvilla movie meter.
