If its indulgences were trimmed, this might have been a more enjoyable film.
For a film in which dance is so integral to its plot, I didn’t think the musical set-pieces here stood out particularly. The focus isn’t so much on the moves, as it is on the scale of the dance numbers. And that’s a shame.

It turns out to be a cross between an `Oceans 11/12’ and ‘Flashdance’ and a whole bunch of movies that topline Mera Bharat Mahan sentiments….a long showreel of what Shah Rukh Khan the superstar can do…

It’s all about Indiawaale, and while Sonu Sood stays consistent and Deepika inevitably dazzles, it is Shah Rukh himself who appears the most out of place — in a movie made to rest on his shoulders. Perhaps they piled too much onto him; perhaps the decades of raising those arms into that iconic pose have taken their toll… Either way, Happy New Year never gets to soar.

I have a very high tolerance level for anything Shah Rukh is in, and yet Happy New Year was a slog. Which compels me to repeat a line from my review of Chennai Express: Come back, Rahul. All is forgiven.

As far as a final verdict is concerned, there is nothing wrong with Happy New Year if all that you are looking for is a good timepass and entertainment.

Because the film manages to tick most formula boxes, one can expect it to rock the festive weekend, a time when the audience automatically seems to get less discerning. We don’t know how much this Diwali release will leave you smiling, but those dazzling lights and eye-popping colours will leave you blinking for sure.

The film relies more on the two-minute noodle brand of patriotism than it does on common sense in order to further the plot. Featuring some adorable cameos from Anurag Kashyap and Vishal Dadlani and (yes, you’re reading this right) Sajid Khan. This could have been a much better film if only it had dared to move out of its comfort zone. Happy New Year is a film that’s bound to make you feel good, but trust me, the feeling won’t last.

There is no dearth of gloss in Happy New Year, but everything else in the film, including the content and its treatment, are allowed to go for a toss.

Visually Happy New Year looks great but why wouldn’t a film with a big banner, a talented filmmaker like Farah Khan, a good cast and great locations? That’s never the challenge. The challenge is to entertain and Happy New Year falls short in entertaining, it’s long length of over three hours being the weakest point.

There is no doubt that Farah Khan knows the craft well but she is yet to give an entertainer like Om Shanti Om.

Happy New Year is a muddled mess which has its own warm moments but as a package fails to work. Three hours of Shah Rukh flaunting his abs and swagger gets too much to take minus a strong storyline. Farah Khan has redeemed Tees Maar Khan but Happy New Year is her most mediocre work. It’s a magnum opus which is pretty much hollow from within and remains an all frills, no thrills show.

The film, at best, seems like Shah Rukh paying a tribute to himself. He paraphrases dialogues of his earlier films. With his ten-pack abs, bronzed face and blond streaks, he goes for an image makeover. He is no longer the quintessential romantic hero but a patriot, a devoted son, a fighter and a leader. For Charlie’s entry, a few of litres of water are wasted. In another entry, nearing the climax, a silhouette of Khan with his arms extended, is set against the backdrop of the Indian flag with chants of “We Want Charlie”. Shah Rukh, you see, is as big as the nation. Ultimately, his film is big on scale and small on ideas.

So what is new here? Nothing really!

The same references to past movies; The same ‘mera baap chor hai’ revenge story; The same inconsequential dance songs.

Happy New Year is just a disappointment when it comes to the kind of work that SRK and Farah have done earlier – the last two times Farah Khan and Shah Rukh Khan collaborated they made brilliantly entertaining films – something you would expect to continue. The biggest loss of this film hence is Farah Khan’s failure as a director. Her failure to draw any other emotion – love, agony, patriotism – out of you apart despite attempting to do so in multiple scenes in the film. HNY is just a lesser film, though a fairly decent festive watch – for people of all age groups.

One sure hopes that Farah had spent a little more time on the movie itself than on the promotions, because even though it is sure that the movie will ride the wave of a Diwali Weekend and Shah Rukh’s popularity and do good business, this is her flimsiest movie yet. The spectacular entertainment that is expected out of her is all but a fizz. It may be entertaining in parts, but at best it is a one time watch. Watch the movie if you are a Shah Rukh Khan fan – but the movie has nothing more than his fabulous body to offer.

I am pleasantly surprised and happy that Happy New Year attempted story. Yes, most of it is expectedly lame and laughable. But, isn’t it cool that Farah Khan thinks her audience to be worthy of it. As if nodding to the fact that the audiences tastes are changing, even if the nod is a weary one and the change is ever so slow. Thank you, lady, and I mean it sincerely.

Surely, smarter films can be constructed with such resources, thereby opening up a new universe of possibilities for viewers and distributors alike. I can already hear box-office registers ringing, but ask yourself this: Would halls be full if Shahrukh Khan chose to forego his friends’ films?

Watch this if you love Khan and Dubai, and are good with suspending belief for over three hours.

The final word: Happy New Year is worth a watch this festive season. You will, like me, laugh throughout the movie – whether at, or with them! Dear readers, you decide.