If there is one thing that Bollywood feel-good films succeed in achieving, then it is that they induce a calming effect on our otherwise stressful lives. While producer Anand Rai has been creating formulaic romance dramas with a blanket cover of feel-good-ness, the feature seems to have terribly dwindled this time around.
Happy (Penty) is an oversmart and fearless bride-to-be who participates in her boyfriend Guddu's (Fazal) elopement plan on the eve of her wedding day and, although logistically unworkable, ends up in Pakistan at a former governor's mansion located in Lahore, where also lives the babu's son, Bilal (Deol). Awfully played by Penty, Happy sports a single expression throughout the film and is unaffected by the fact that she is an another country without even her passport or that she is currently locked up for threatening an all-forgiving cop. While the comic theme may allow these sequences to be perceived as humorous, none of them ignite any kind of authenticity. From the beginning, the plot weaves together impractical elements all in an attempt to create humor, which is not even funny. Happy could have just called one of her friends, or even better, asked her new friend Bilal, an influential politician, to send her back to her country and we would not have to sit through these 2 hours of unfunny charade where Jimmy Shergill has to portray a character who suffers from bridelessness for the umpteenth time.
It is evident even before the second half that Mudassar Aziz has run out of ideas. He uses story arcs and character development sequences to make up for the plot's hollow structure, but fails terribly as the film successfully slides into the black abyss of ridiculousness and mindlessness. Even if you adore Abhay Deol for his past performances, this film will affect it because clearly it sought the help of a thespian like Kanwaljit Singh and forced him to portray a character whose only task is to fool around and fire bullets in the air. Towards the end, moreover, the film just gets annoying. Being unfunny is one thing, but being ridiculous and ire-generating - well, that's not what you expect from a film, even of low standards. Fazal and Piyush Mishra are fine, but Penty definitely needs to brush up on acting. Newcomer Momal Sheikh knows how to make a scornful face.
Other than some hazy references to India-Pakistan's decades-long rivalry and the brilliant poster designs, this romantic comedy has neither enough romance nor comedy to help it from dissolving in its own puke.
BOTTOM LINE: Mudassar Aziz's Happy Bhag Jayegi is a reminder of how bad his previous films are which will soon be forgotten just like his previous ones have been. Wait for TV premiere.
Can be watched with a typical Indian family? YES
Happy (Penty) is an oversmart and fearless bride-to-be who participates in her boyfriend Guddu's (Fazal) elopement plan on the eve of her wedding day and, although logistically unworkable, ends up in Pakistan at a former governor's mansion located in Lahore, where also lives the babu's son, Bilal (Deol). Awfully played by Penty, Happy sports a single expression throughout the film and is unaffected by the fact that she is an another country without even her passport or that she is currently locked up for threatening an all-forgiving cop. While the comic theme may allow these sequences to be perceived as humorous, none of them ignite any kind of authenticity. From the beginning, the plot weaves together impractical elements all in an attempt to create humor, which is not even funny. Happy could have just called one of her friends, or even better, asked her new friend Bilal, an influential politician, to send her back to her country and we would not have to sit through these 2 hours of unfunny charade where Jimmy Shergill has to portray a character who suffers from bridelessness for the umpteenth time.
It is evident even before the second half that Mudassar Aziz has run out of ideas. He uses story arcs and character development sequences to make up for the plot's hollow structure, but fails terribly as the film successfully slides into the black abyss of ridiculousness and mindlessness. Even if you adore Abhay Deol for his past performances, this film will affect it because clearly it sought the help of a thespian like Kanwaljit Singh and forced him to portray a character whose only task is to fool around and fire bullets in the air. Towards the end, moreover, the film just gets annoying. Being unfunny is one thing, but being ridiculous and ire-generating - well, that's not what you expect from a film, even of low standards. Fazal and Piyush Mishra are fine, but Penty definitely needs to brush up on acting. Newcomer Momal Sheikh knows how to make a scornful face.
Other than some hazy references to India-Pakistan's decades-long rivalry and the brilliant poster designs, this romantic comedy has neither enough romance nor comedy to help it from dissolving in its own puke.
BOTTOM LINE: Mudassar Aziz's Happy Bhag Jayegi is a reminder of how bad his previous films are which will soon be forgotten just like his previous ones have been. Wait for TV premiere.
Can be watched with a typical Indian family? YES