Makes for a happy outing

Nonika Singh 

Like its prequel, Happy Phirr Bhaag Jayegi is in a happy space with its prime time mission to bring a smile on your face. Only as it unfolds, it manages to make you smile, laugh and grimace too, not necessarily in that order. Indeed, the story runs on thin ice. How the new Happy (Sonakshi Sinha) lands in China, is mistaken for the original Happy (Diana Penty) and how other key players are literally hijacked to the land of dragon, the plot is fraught with contrivances for sure. 

While the previous Harpreet Kaur (Diana Penty), a bride on the run, had greater credible reason to land in Lahore, here as the drama shifts to China, the writer-director Mudassar Aziz was likely thinking overtime and over the top too.

But once you ignore the ludicrousness of the plot that goes in many directions, often without much logic to support its varying forays, it’s a fun ride for sure, all thanks to the jodi from the previous outing. Both Jimmy Shergill and Piyush Mishra reprising their parts as Daman Singh Bagga and Pakistani Usman Afridi not only bring the house down but also anchor the film for the most part. Mishra, as always, is in brilliant form, once again reminding us how humour needn’t always be unintelligible. In the hands of a consummate actor even a simple one-liner can be rib-tickling. Shergill as the councilor, whose marriage dream stands nullified once more, is spot on. His banter/bonhomie with Mishra is delectable. Together they get to mouth many a wisecrack. And with main male lead Jassi Gill who makes a fine debut, the competition between potential suitors vying for Happy’s attention is mirthful too. While humour is the mainstay of the film, rationale is certainly not one its virtues. The Chinese gangster angle and why they want Happy is too much of a stretch. Jason Tham as Chang and Denzil Smith as half- Pakistani half-Chinese Adnan Chou are consummate though. 

Sonakshi brings energy and gusto to this new Happy and otherwise too the pace here is much faster. Indeed, the film is a madcap, especially the scenes where the foursome decides to break into a jail to meet Happy’s fiancé (Aparshakti Khurana) on the run. Khurana gets enough screen time to make a mark. Diana Penty and Ali Fazal, however, are reduced to the margins. They are there in a special appearance only for connecting the dots to the earlier film and have nothing much to add to the madness. But of course, there is method to this madness. Jimmy’s character might say akalmandi ki baatien hamein samajh nahi aati, this is no shot in the darkness. Punjabi tadka, what with the film marking the Bollywood entry of Punjabi star singer actor Jassi Gill, is just right and not overdone. There is honesty to Gill’s part of a simple good at heart Sardar ji living in China. Only he gets to shake a leg and sing in the final credits.

Among the many amusing moments in the film is the play on the Urdu word naagavaar, the film is certainly not naagavaar (offensive) Except perhaps the portrayal of the Chinese, who are not quite covered in glory. Aziz is tempted to mention Dangal, the Aamir Khan film that did roaring business in China. Doubtful if this Chinese connection will get the same reception there. Unlike the prequel which built a cross-border bridge (between India and Pakistan) this one won’t endear us to Chinese or them to us. Nevertheless, frothy writing and fine performances make it a breezy watch.