After a colourful and exhausting Holi, we were looking forward to a quiet weekend at home. Of late, the husband and I have been enjoying late-night movie marathons from Friday through Sunday and have enjoyed a rather curious feast in multiple languages. While I like turning to classics for the feel-good factor, he chooses new-age slick cinema. We both give in to stories high on drama and emotion though, and Be Happy was our top pick this week. How can one pass watching Abhishek Bachchan in a parent’s role?

Be Happy explores the beautiful father-daughter bond between Shiv Rastogi (Abhishek Bachchan) and Dhara Rastogi (Inayat Verma). While Dhara is a happy child who wants to take the spotlight and perform in India’s biggest dance reality show, Shiv is morosely battling a personal loss. Life takes an unexpected turn when Dhara is faced with an urgent medical crisis that collides with her dream performance. The story is about how Shiv rises to the challenge of finding happiness and fulfilling her wishes.

At its core, Be Happy is an honest movie that tugs at your heart. As a parent, we’re expected to be strong and happy for our children but that’s not always the case. Shiv adores his daughter but cannot express himself the way he should. He supports her half-heartedly and still gives in to her demands. He doesn’t take her jabs seriously and caters to all her wishes. Aren’t many of us like that? A line from the movie goes “Tumhare paas happiness nahi hai to kahan se doge?” and that’s so true.

Whether it is tying uneven braids for Dhara’s school, pandering to her dancing whimsies or feeding her maggi to keep her happy, the men of the house cutely fuss over her. Dance forms an integral part of the story and has been showcased well wherever possible. Special mention for Shiv and Dhara’s fabulous stage performance!

However, despite all the light-hearted moments and striking dance moves the story is predictable and moves at a snail’s pace. Editing a few minutes from the run time could probably make it crisp. Abhishek Bachchan (being a girl Dad himself) pours his heart into his role but is unnecessarily gloomy at times. He conveys his internal struggles beautifully through his eyes and subtle body language. Inayat Verma is confident and boy, can she dance! I loved her sarcasm in Tu Jhoothi Main Makkar which was in stark contrast to her layered performance here. This girl sure is made for big things.

Remo D’souza has donned the director’s hat and done justice to it. Supporting characters like Mr. Nadar (Nassar), Maggie (Nora Fatehi), and even the child character Prem play their part well. Johnny Lever with his limited screen time and dialogues feels wasted. A well-known face for the mother’s character would’ve worked better for the movie. Some parts, especially the Ganpati Visarjan sequence, are reminiscent of Sunil Dutt’s Dil Ka Rishta and will certainly tear you up.

To sum it up, Be Happy is an emotional movie that explores the evolution of relationships through challenging times. It’ll make you laugh and cry while identifying with the struggles of parenthood. Relax, sit back, and enjoy it with your family. Streaming now on Amazon Prime. Do watch!

This blog post is part of ‘Blogaberry Dazzle’hosted by Cindy D’Silva and Noor Anand Chawla.

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