TheReviewMonk
Happy Bhag Jayegi backdrop
19 August 2016Hindi126 min

Happy Bhag Jayegi

5.433 reviews
CriticsMixed

Bayesian avg · 33 critic reviews

7.5+ Exceptional · 6.5 Recommended · 5.0 Mixed

7.06 ratings
UsersRecommended

User Score · avg of 6 ratings

8.0+ Exceptional · 7.0 Recommended · 5.5 Mixed

A runaway bride accidentally finds herself in Pakistan and tries to find her way back to India.

Critic Consensus

Critical reception for Happy Bhag Jayegi skews mildly positive, with most reviewers characterizing it as a light, inoffensive family entertainer that delivers modest laughs without overstaying its welcome. The film's Indo-Pakistan comic premise and its ensemble performances — particularly from Jimmy Shergill and Piyush Mishra — drew repeated praise, with several critics noting that the humor is grounded in character and situation rather than forced gags. The most consistent criticism across reviews is a weak, contrived second half that prevents the film from fully capitalizing on its premise, with multiple critics pointing to plot holes, predictability, and underdeveloped writing. A number of lower-scoring critics felt the film fell well short of its comedic potential.

33 reviews · 16 positive · 8 mixed · 2 negative

Praised: performances carrying the comedyCriticised: weak, contrived second half

AI-generated summary of 33 critic reviews · may contain errors

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Critic Reviews (33)

Rajeev MasandTop Critic· IBNLive
6.0
"Clocking in at a little over two hours, Happy Bhag Jayegi is mostly fun despite its shortcomings, because the humor is earned. The jokes are mined from the characters and the scenarios they find themselves in; they're never merely slapped onto the narrative like in so many films. It's far from perfect, but it's unlikely you'll be bored."
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Shubhra GuptaTop Critic· Indian Express
4.0
"This Diana Penty, Abhay Deol film is good for a few laughs but then falls victim to weak writing and never realises its full potential."
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IndiaGlitz· India Glitz
7.0
"'Happy Bhag Jayegi' will be happily acceptable by the people who love feel-good types of films, despite of its flaws and weakness. The fun elements associated with this movie will keep you engaged and smiling throughout the film."
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Murtaza Ali Khan· APotpourriOfVestiges
7.0
"...is a non-stop entertainer, an absolute laugh riot, from start to finish, but, in order to fully enjoy the film, one needs to be credulous enough to believe anything and everything that's on offer. In other words, the viewer must be willing to suspend the disbelief concerning the implausibility of the narrative. Once the viewer makes this compromise, Happy Bhag Jayegi will prove to be a rollercoaster of a ride. Aanand L Rai and team have done it again. Here is a family entertainer that just cannot to be missed!"
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Renuka Vyavahare· Times Of India
7.0
"The family comedy manages to pull the right strings and change the present (if not the history) of Indo-Pak relations for the two hours that it lasts. Buckle up and enjoy the ride, Janaab!"
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Manisha Lakhe· NowRunning
7.0
"An India-Pakistan encounter that does not involve terrorists or silly politicians or bad-mouthing 'them'? Never thought it was possible. But writer-director Mudassar Aziz manages that and offers us a funny story on a runaway bride, harried cops, silly cops, ambitious fathers, arranged marriages, and so much more... Mostly predictable, but delightful nonetheless."
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IANS· Sify
7.0
"Happy Bhag Jayegi is a feel-good, light-hearted drama that does not need to be taken seriously."
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Rohit Bhatnagar· Deccan Chronicle
7.0
"Director Mudassar Aziz has handled a complex issue with so much conviction, given considering a cross border run-com theme."
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Devarsi Ghosh· India Today
6.0
"Happy Bhag Jayegi is an inoffensive family entertainer. If you don't like your history with flying crocodiles or with patriotism forced down the throat, this inconspicuous film might appeal to you."
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Bollywood Hungama News Network· Bollywood Hungama
6.0
"...comes across as a feel good film that will make you happy. At the Box-Office, its prospects will be rewarding for its makers."
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Bollywood Life· Bollywood Life
6.0
"Happy Bhag Jayegi suffers from an average writing in the second half. However, thanks to several light moments and fantastic performances, it turns out to be a decent watch that has the potential to surprise you."
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Pinkvilla Team· PinkVilla
6.0
"The only reason we recommend you watch this film is because it is a breezy romantic comedy that keeps melodrama at bay. It is a rare movie that only wants you to leave the theatre with a smile and does a sincere job at it. Are we happy? Well, yes almost."
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Rohit Vats· Hindustan Times
6.0
"Director Mudassar Aziz's film is a good watch. The supply of situational comedy won't end till you leave the theatre."
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Vishal Verma· Glamsham
6.0
"HBJ has glaring flaws like Ali we are told is a musician but we never see him sing, is predictable and is a missed opportunity to turn itself into a laugh riot going by its premise and settings in Lahore with a couple of good punches on 'urdu' but still in totality it's an harmless feel good fun that successfully puts a smile on your face when you come out. Go for it."
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Devesh Sharma· Filmfare
6.0
"All-in-all, the film is a genuine attempt at a family entertainer and would surely make you smile throughout."
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Kunal Guha· Mumbai Mirror
6.0
"It would be a stretch to say this one redefines romcoms or is like none other in recent times. In fact, the climax sequence has the entire cast in a loony fit, much like an average Priyadarshan film. Director Mudassar Aziz's last, Dulha Mil Gaya (2010), wasn't exactly path-breaking and only helped us walk into this one with zero expectations, which were exceeded by this breezy watch. So, if you're in for a mild entertainer which won't make or ruin your mood, bhaag to a multiplex near you."
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R.M. Vijayakar· IndiaWest
6.0
"The flaws and loose ends are quite minor and can be completely overlooked in this super enjoyable fun fest. For me, producer Aanand L. Rai and Eros have scored a distinguished hat-trick after "Tanu Weds Manu Returns" and "Nil Battey Sannata.""
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"Happy Bhag Jayegi isn't the kind of film that will have audiences rolling in the aisles. But it might occasionally induce faint smiles on some faces."
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5.0
"Happy Bhag Jayegi is a breezy entertainer that has its moments. This the kind of film one enjoys as a Tv-watch at best."
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FridayMoviez Reviewer· FridayMoviez
4.0
"A few dialogue do make us laugh and make us hopeful that the film might pick up but it completely tanks off in the second half. Technically, as produced b Aanand L Rai and Krishika Lulla, it is sound. But plot is where is gives off."
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"Happy Bhag Jayegi is worth a watch for Jimmy Shergill and Abhay Deol. Consider this Diana Penty film this weekend only if you have already watched last week's releases, Rustom and Mohenjo Daro, and are not keen on Hollywood films such as Ben Hur or Pete's Dragon."
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Sukanya Verma· Rediff
4.0
"If Happy Bhag Jayegi succeeds in delivering a few laughs, it's entirely to the credit of the actors...It's silly but this is the most humour you can expect."
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Vinod D'souza· FilmiBeat
4.0
"If you want to lighten your day and have a good laugh then Happy Bhag Jayegi is the movie for you! It has all the elements of love, romance and comedy peppered into it which will make you forget all your worries and provide full on masala entertainment."
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Mayank Shekhar· Mid-Day
4.0
"This is the sort of desperate comedy that basically takes the Keystone Cops' style of 'everybody is running around each other' kinda humour a bit too far. To be fair, one can still see how this must have read well on paper. Some lines are absolutely first-rate. A few funny scenes really hold your attention."
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Tamanna Naseer· TheStatesman
3.0
"Happy Bhag Jayegi does make the funny bones tickle as Bilal's father constantly reminds that his son is good enough to "change the history of Pakistan".  Unfortunately, the film will not change the fate of its actors, rather change the history of its makers for worse."
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FullyHyd Team· Fully Hyderabad
3.0
"The movie is well-edited as well (Ninad Khanolkar), and that partially lifts it out of its drab writing. Nevertheless, HBJ is still a small-town saga lacking in novelty, romance and adventure, and less than a riveting watch. You can safely skip this one."
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Anna MM Vetticad· Firstpost
"Aziz obviously has a flair for comedy but he needs to work on it. What he desperately needed here was either more time and thought, or a co-writer to help him build on the starting blocks he set up. Happy Bhag Jayegi is fun and funny in large parts, but the second half is also bogged down by how insubstantial and consequently forgettable it is."
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Nandini Ramnath· Scroll.in
"Mutual tensions, politics and conflict are shoved out of view for a rom-com utopia in which, if only for 126 minutes, Indians and Pakistanis are on the same side. All they want is a barreful of laughs, and at least on that score, the movie doesn't let them down."
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"India-Pakistan unity and other tropes aside, "Happy Bhag Jayegi" is a mildly funny comedy that doesn't try too hard to push the boundaries, but does enough to entertain you."
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Uday Bhatia· LiveMint
"Shergill is fast turning into one of Hindi cinema's great sad sacks, and Mishra into one of its finest mutterers. Their collective enthusiasm renders the film's lack of subtlety endearing and its gaps in narrative logic inconsequential. I'm having a hard time remembering the last time I watched a Hindi film this silly but still found myself laughing."
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Komal Nahta· Komal Nahta's Blog
"Happy Bhag Jayegi is good in parts only, but the contrived screenplay will do the film in. In the final tally, it will not be able to do much at the box-office."
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BookMyShow Team· BookMyShow
"It entertains abundantly in the first half, but sadly the second half doesn't quite manage to maintain the same pace and seems to fizzle out. The film has some great laugh-out-loud scenes that have been intelligently written, devoid of any slapstick humor."
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Namrata Joshi· The Hindu
"Of course, there are gaping plot-holes and slapdash contrivances galore but some genuine fun and many smart lines to balance things in favour of this Indo-Pak interaction of a different kind. If you come laughing out of this one you know there's "padosi mulk ka haath" in it. A good handshake all the way."
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Cast & Crew

Cast

Details

Release Date
19 August 2016
Runtime
126 min
Language
Hindi

User Ratings & Reviews

Users7.06 ratings

6 ratings from the community

Community Reviews (3)

TEAug 2016

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.<br /> <br /> 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.<br /> <br /> 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.<br /> <br /> 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.<br /> <br /> 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.<br /> <br /> Can be watched with a typical Indian family? YES

HAAug 2016

Movie is funny & diana acting awsome I like diana

The Olympic flame has been doused after a fortnight of exciting competitions with Japan's PM Abe dressed up as Super Mario being handed the baton at the end of it. Unfortunately we haven't been able to achieve as much as expected but thanks to the brilliant Sindhu & Sakshi the ignominy of returning empty handed was averted. Since there was hardly anything else to do this weekend, I decided to watch "Happy Bhag Jayegi" & hopefully the movie will be able to make me happier as opposed to India's medals' tally. The film unfolds in Amritsar where arrangements are in full swing for the wedding of Happy (Diana Penty) with the local corporator Bhagga (Jimmy Shergill). However, this was pretty much against the wishes of Happy who harboured feelings for the jobless aspiring musician Guddu (Ali Fazal). They decide to elope but their plans go awry when she ends up travelling on the wrong truck which takes her to Pakistan. She eventually lands at Bilal Ahmed's (Abhay Deol) residence who is the son of an ex-Governor & being trained to be the next big thing in Pakistan politics. In order to avoid his family name being tarnished, Bilal proposes to deport Happy to which she disagrees & he is forced to come up with a plan which will unite Happy with Guddu. But how will Bilal manage to do it without his father getting wind of it??? This is the second venture of Mudassar Aziz who had a forgettable directorial debut with "Dulha Mil Gaya" in 2010. As in his previous movie, he has scripted this one as well & though it is definitely much better it is hampered by the predictability and unnecessary sub-plot that fails to provide any added impetus. However, the screenplay makes the movie enjoyable with humorous dialogues and situational comedies being pitched in. There is surely a whiff of "Tanu Weds Manu", which indicates that Anand Rai might had an influence in the making rather than being solely concerned with the production. None of the technical aspects deserves special mention as the visuals were average while the music was passable. It's been almost 4 years since Diana Penty made her return back to the silver screen after her debut in "Cocktail". Since her character of Happy has distinct similarities with Geet in "Jab We Met" & Tanu in "Tanu Weds Manu", comparisons are inevitable & I would have to admit she falls short. Abhay Deol has done his role aptly inspite of his character not being properly etched while Jimmy reprises a variant of his role from "Tanu Weds Manu" adequately. Piyush Mishra rocked as the Pakistani cop while Ali Zafal was average and Momal Sheikh seemed quite stiff. Verdict: With "Rustom" going great guns, it will be tough for this to have a foothold at the box office. To add to their woes, the film fails to offer anything unique which the audience hasn't seen. In short, the actors though let down by a lack luster script makes it watchable!!! Rating: 2.25/5 Regards…Ben

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