Movie review – Happy Bhag Jayegi – A light hearted entertainer where Jimmy Sheirgill and Abhay Deol rock
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By Joginder Tuteja

Rating: 3.5 stars

When a character features in the title of a film, it is pretty much presumed that she would be the mainstay of the story as well. Guess what, this isn’t quite the case in Happy Bhag Jayegi which actually turns out to be a film which is not as much about her (Diana Penty) or her lover (Ali Fazal) but instead has its best moments reserved for two men who end up falling in love with her – Abhay Deol and Jimmy Sheirgill. Thankfully, the best written characters in the film also provide the best entertainment, something that also turns out to be the mainstay of this Mudassar Aziz film.

Frankly, the promos had given an impression that perhaps Happy Bhag Jayegi is on the same lines as that of Dolly Ki Doli. After all, the Sonam Kapoor starrer too was about a runaway bride. However, in case of this film which is backed by Aanand L. Rai, there is a bride on the run for sure but not due to this being a habit or a mode of entertainment for her. Instead, there is a genuine reason at play here which makes Diana run away from her father (Kanwaljit Singh) and fiancé (Jimmy Sheirgill). That said, the sequence of events take place way too swift right at the beginning and not in the kind of entertaining space that one would have imagined. As a matter of fact, the first 15 minutes just about manage to hold your attention but don’t quite wow you.

The wow factor comes though once Abhay steps into India along with his cop partner (Piyush Mishra – fantastic) and meets Jimmy and Ali in a hilarious sequence. There is no looking back from this point on and the fun continues right till the interval point where Jimmy realises that he has been conned. The film picks up in a major way and wins a major battle of inspiring audience to exclaim – ‘What would happen next?’ With the stage being set for a rollicking second half, you rush back to your seats and are not let down with what Mudassar brings on screen.

This is also that portion of the film where Diana almost disappears from screen and the focus almost shifts towards Momal Sheikh. As Abhay’s steady girlfriend and would-be-wife, she acts well and has a good screen presence. However, instead of being a supporting character, she is pretty much elevated to being the second leading lady. This also means that there is a lot of attention given to her part with a series of close up shots when instead one would have liked to see more of Diana in action. More so since Diana in any case had gone really overboard during the first 15 minutes in an endeavor to establish her character as Ms. Bindaas and just when there was some opportunity to settle down, it is Momal instead who takes center-stage.

Nonetheless, the men who keep the film going are Abhay and Jimmy. Both of them are generally so likeable on screen that you enjoy the act that they bring on screen. Abhay has a very meaty role to play and he is simply immaculate in a part that requires him to speak in Hindi, Urdu as well as English with great class and ease. He is just perfect in the film and makes one wish that he is seen more often. As for Jimmy, he seems to have a part set for himself in an Aanand L. Rai film and when audience start to gain certain set expectations from your character, it is a reason good enough to be really happy. Jimmy is not just reliable but also very entertaining which makes him justify his worth from the very first to the last scene of the film.

As for the entertainment quotient, that too stays almost consistent right from the film’s beginning till the end, which makes one feel thoroughly engaged and ‘happy’ right through its quickfire two hour duration. Go for it, you would come back smiling, and of course happy!!