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Film: Happy Bhag Jayegi (Happy Will Run Away)
Year: 2016
Country: India
Director: Mudassar Aziz
Starring: Jimmy Shergill, Abhay Deol, Diana Penty, Momal Sheikh, and Ali Fazal
Review: If you happen to interact with the least-informed man on either side of the border between India and Pakistan — and you asked him about the relations between the two — chances are that you’d find there still exist some tense vibes.
That said, there’s a lot of commonality between India and Pakistan, two of the most vibrant cultures in the developing part of Asia, and it doesn’t end with cricket, a sport where both countries excel prodigiously.
It is heartening (and riveting at the same time) that a wise filmmaker by the name of Mudassar Aziz decided to soothe that strain (and often irrational animosity) between the two nations courtesy of a “Happy”-go-lucky movie that punches above its weight and lightheartedly so.
It’s pretty amazing how the film so quickly eases any tension by serving laughter and plenty of feel-good moments, courtesy of an exciting cavalcade of witty, loud, energetic and passionate characters from both sides of the border.
In all, it’s a riveting tale that highlights friendship and the importance of unconditional love, forgetting the needless ego clashes between the countries for once.
Without giving away too much of the plot … Happy (Diana) is a hyper-energetic, over-the-top, small-town girl from Punjab, North India, who decides to escape in a truck on the night of her wedding — and soon finds herself amidst a heavy consignment of fruits and vegetables, which is on its way to former Governor of Lahore’s residence in Pakistan.
Thus begins a great comic adventure – with laughter and love thickening throughout.
If you’re craving some merriment, then be sure to go see this Happy!
You will come running back with chuckles, that’s guaranteed.
Rating: (one to five whistles, five being the best): 4 Whistles
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Contributor Dev Tyagi can be contacted at dev@newswhistle.com
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Image Courtesy of Eros International
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