Sequels have been raining since many years as they are preferred by the production houses and financers are more keen to invest in a franchise instead of a fresh, uncertain project. However it really looks strange as well as desperate when we get to see sequels of even average films as HAPPY BHAG JAYEGI released in 2016. And it further seems weird when we also find the lead character being replaced by a bigger star (taking an undue advantage of his/her status) sidelining the original actor.
The case was recently witnessed in the sequel of JOLLY LLB wherein Akshay Kumar replaced Arshad Warsi without any logical reasoning at all and now we have HAPPY PHIRR BHAG JAYEGI which instead of replacing the actor, introduces another character of the same name taking the story forward. However the issue remains the same, as in this forced sequel too, the entire focus remains solely on Sonakshi Sinha and the original Diana Penty is poorly treated as a mere guest artist appearing in only a few scenes.
But that isn’t the only problem with HAPPY PHIRR BHAG JAYEGI. The film doesn’t work despite being bigger in cast, canvas, locations and humour elements too as it rarely makes you laugh or even smile and there is so much illogical as well as absurd happening on the screen that fails to make a connect after a decent start.
The freshness of its original goes missing, the dialogues are not funny, the names used like Makaju and Fa-Q sound cheap and the Hindi-speaking Chinese goons actually become a drawback along with the deliberate gay angle inserted in the script. Besides the atrociously silly sequences around the adult toy factory, the jail in China and the pathetic climax never let the film rise above mediocrity. In addition, the writers keep making cheap references of Chinese products, Jackie Chan and politics between India, Pakistan and China too that fail to raise any laughter simply falling flat.
Including product placement in many scenes (of Chinese Noodles) the biggest weakness of the film remains it senseless script and then comes the inclusion of Sonakshi Sinha as a Punjabi speaking girl who doesn’t look convincing right from her very first scene. Sonakshi keeps irritating in most of the sequences with nothing new in her performance as per the given character, especially because of the wrong accent of Punjabi and a bit of over-confidence. The debutant Jassie Gill on the other hand is pretty decent as Bollywood’s new addition (post Diljit) as a turbaned Sikh from Punjab. However both Diana Penty and Ali Fazal get nothing much to do in the film, strangely ignored by the writers and director Mudassar Aziz. In the supporting cast, Jason Tham is impressive playing an interesting character of Adnan Chow along with Raja Bundela as the emotional Sikh father. But the film gets literally saved from becoming a big torture by Jimmy Shergill and Piyush Mishra together, though they too are not able to make an impact in their every scene.
In other words, the duo of Jimmy-Piyush, an emotional flashback of Punjab and a particular sequence on the escalator along with the catchy title song, remain the only good things in this supposedly comedy film that eventually doesn’t turn out to be even average entertainer. Cinematography and Sohail Sen’s background score is fine but the soundtrack as usual is just ordinary except the well arranged title track sung by Daler Mehndi. Also, a couple of songs once again heavily borrow from the famous hits of the past.
In all, this can easily be called an unrequired below average sequel of an average original. And you are sure going to be disappointed, in case you are willing to watch it for the original Happy. Sadly, now we are witnessing forced, avoidable sequels being made of just anything and everything.
Rating : 2 / 5
