‘Happy Bhag Jayegi’ movie review: You would not want to run away from this run-com

Directed by: Mudassar Aziz
Produced by: Aanand L Rai, Krishika Lulla
Cast: Diana Penty, Abhay Deol, Jimmy Sheirgill, Ali Fazal, Momal Sheikh
Duration: 2 hours 30 minute
Bollywood Bubble Rating: 3/5

Will she, won’t she? Why did Happy run away? How did she land up in Pakistan, and what roles do Bagga, Guddu, and Bilal play in this hilarious romantic comedy which claims to be Bollywood’s first run-com? Well, we certainly wanted the answers to these questions ever since the trailers and promos of ‘Happy Bhag Jayegi’ started teasing us. Did the movie fare well on all the anxiety counts? Let’s find out.

After a huge gap of six years, filmmaker Mudassar Aziz is back with his latest run-com, ‘Happy Bhag Jayegi’. Yes, it’s indeed a run-com from the word ‘go’ as you see the leading lady on the run. All eyes are indeed on the leading lady Diana Penty as she makes a comeback after her last stint in ‘Cocktail’, but unfortunately, Diana as Happy is just about average. Sad, we really had our hopes pinned on the lady, who fails to deliver a power-packed performance.

Well, if you thought this movie is all about Happy as the title suggests, you are mistaken. Actor Abhay Deol as Bilal Ahmed, Ali Fazal as Guddu and Jimmy Sheirgill as Bagga have equally crucial roles in the story.

The plot is based in Amritsar where on the night of her wedding, Happy runs away in the most dramatic way possible, only to land up in Lahore, Pakistan, unintentionally. This is the city where Bilal Ahmed, son of Governor Javed Ahmed, resides in a huge bungalow with his family, and is engaged to a very beautiful Zoya, played by Pakistani actress Momal Sheikh, who marks her debut with the movie.

‘Happy Bhag Jayegi’ is a comedy of errors with lots of running around as all the characters seem to be on the chase. The concept of the story is the same old love triangle wherein all men are vying for the same lady. A similar situation ensues as the three male leads are in love with Happy’s character. The crisp one-liners in the movie add lots of zest to the script. Kudos to the dialogue writer for his sleek and amusing writing that always keeps you entertained. The supporting cast comprising of actors like Kanwaljeet Singh and Piyush Mishra are a natural. Piyush Mishra is undoubtedly hilarious and his perfect sense of comedy is indeed beneficial to the story line.

The cinematography is good, and the background score is quite soothing. Music is pretty good too, and songs like ‘Zara Si Dosti ‘, ‘Aashique Tera’ set the right mood for this romantic comedy.

Talking about performances in the movie, then we believe that actor Abhay Deol as the saviour has tried his level best and was decent,  if not excellent. Touted as his comeback vehicle, this movie surely saw him in a very strong role. Ali Fazal as Guddu gave an innocent performance whereas Jimmy Sheirgill as the revengeful Bagga who is on the hunt to get his eloped lover back looks repetitive, if you remember his role in ‘Tanu Weds Manu’ and its sequel. Pakistani debutante Momal Sheikh looked pretty but we expected more from her, even though her role in the movie wasn’t as strong as the other lead actors.

Overall, this movie could easily pass off as a one-time watch with your family. You would definitely not want to run away from this run-com but neither would you want to watch it on repeat.

Check out the trailer here: