Remarkably combining xenophobic humour with feel good rom com with a smile that leaves a crazy sly effect, Mudassar Aziz, Eros and Aanand L. Rai tickle your funny bones constantly in the second installment of the 2016 enjoyably breezy laughter HAPPY BHAG JAYEGI.
A quirky tribute to the magnificent William Shakespeare’s famous quote “What’s in a name” and humorous play ‘Comedy of Errors’, HAPPY PHIRR BHAG JAYEGI sees Sonakshi Sinha and singer Jassie Gill occupying the frame considerably more than Diana Penty and Ali Fazal in this follow up which takes digs at both Pakistan and China with volley of jabs and turns better.
Harpreet Kaur aka Happy from the original (Diana Penty) is now married to Guddu (Ali Fazal). Guddu receives an invite to perform a show in Shanghai. At the same time, another ‘Happy’ (Sonakshi Sinha) a professor of Horticulture lands in Shanghai. The new happy is on the hunt for her fiancée Aman Singh Wadhwa (Aparshakti Khurana) who ditched her on the wedding day. The Chinese gangsters are on an assignment to kidnap Happy and Guddu but they kidnap the Horticulture professor. This leads to further trouble and Daman Singh Bagga (Jimmy Sheirgill) from India and inspector Usman Afridi (Piyush Mishra) from Pakistan are kidnapped so that the original ‘Happy’ (Diana Penty) can be caught. Meanwhile a new character Khushwant Singh Gill aka Khushi (Jassie Gill) makes an entry into this madness in this fun filled tandoori manchurian ( Chinese, Punjabi) remix.
Mudassar Aziz does a commendable job in infusing humour at will, the clash (intolerance) between the nations is so brilliantly portrayed that even after the humour having racist tones, it’s hilarious to the core. Yes there is Pakistan bashing, China bashing, Urdu bashing but it’s harmless and gleeful fun.
Mudassar Aziz betters himself and maintains a winning tempo, fun and enthusiasm in a rather thin plot which after the confusion is understood makes the audience wait for solution. The movie has some terrific mad cap moments that are sheer joy and worth every penny like the banter between Jimmy Sheirgill, and Piyush Mishra, that Chinese name that hits the gallery, The DANGAL reference by a Chinese, etc. the gags keeps on coming with witty dialogues.
Jimmy Sheirgill is first rate and yes ‘yaara o yaara’ is done by him ‘dobaara’ and it brings down the house in the same fashion it did last time, but this time, he does by wearing that trade mark superman suit and its howlarious, plus that English. Pure entertainment!.
Piyush Mishra is delight right from the word go, exceptional with impeccable comic timings.
After delivering that swashbuckling knock in her action avatar in AKIRA, Sonakshi Sinha in this film is a knock out as the new Happy, this is her comeback for sure.
Jassi Gill is a revelation and his flair for comedy is remarkable. Check out when he is very disturbed and turns mad. Scene stealer.
Diana Penty is at her best in the given slot. Ali Fazal adds his charm. Jason Tham is fabulous. Denzil Smith as Adnan Chow is a surprise and his introduction scene is a standout. Aparshakti Khurana is fantastic and does a remarkable job in mixing innocence with quirky humour. Raja Bundela as Sonakshi Sinha’s father is fantastic.
Technicalities are fine. Production values are rich. Sunil Patel’s cinematography is apt. Aparna Raina and Sheena Saini’s production design is as per demand. Divya – Nidhhi and Ipshita Bhatnagar’s costumes are colorful and elegant. Ninad Khanolkar’s editing is crisp. Sohail Sen gives a good background score but fails to give the movie its required melody in songs.
HAPPY PHIRR BHAG JAYEGI loses its spine somewhere in between as after bashing, it fails to give a comment and make a statement. But the target audience who loved the first part will be happy in fact more happy.
HAPPY PHIRR BHAG JAYEGI is a mad cracker of a fun, powered by brilliant performance, good humour and friendly (healthy) digs on our ‘dushman’ nations. A ‘pucca’ laughter dose this weekend.
