Happy Birthday, streaming on Netflix, is a clear example of style over substance

Happy Birthday is a film, written and directed by Ritesh Rana, that was promoted extensively in the lead-up to its theatrical release on July 8. Starring Lavanya Tripathi in the lead role, this comedy, bankrolled by Mythri Movie Makers and Clap Entertainments, received a disastrous response at the theatres and has now landed on Netflix. Does the film make for a good watch on the small screen? Here’s what we think.

The surreal comedy is set in an imaginary world where guns are sold publicly owing to an order passed by a minister. At such a time, Happy (Lavanya Tripathi) heads to a pub for a surprise party. However, a series of events and odd-ball characters related to a diamond robbery take over the narrative. What is this madness about? What drives these people crazy? and is there a mysterious past to Happy we aren’t aware of?

Lavanya Tripathi gets a plum role and surprises you with her performance. She is wacky, stylish, and gets the scope to go all out in a no-holds-barred avatar which also has a special surprise. The actress is at her stylish best in the film while Gundu Sudarshan, in another meaty part, does a fine job with his comic timing.

Vennela Kishore’s terrific form continues in an effeminate role, where the actor gets the pitch of his performance right. The first hour is filled with a handful of decent moments replete with memes, satires and whatnot! One of the funniest sequences in the film, between Vennela Kishore and Satya, is preserved for the second half. Comedian Satya has proven his worth as a crowd puller before and he doesn’t disappoint. His body language, comic timing, and dialogue delivery are top-notch. If not for him, the film wouldn’t have been so tolerable.

The director plans his interval bang well. However, in over-the-top comedies, the run time should ideally be crisp. Happy Birthday is over two and half hours and tests your patience beyond a point. While the trailer hints that the film is all about gun culture but this aspect is put behind the backburner and only used as a backdrop. The film has many editing issues, more so with Lavanya’s track.

The film had solid scope for comedy and director Ritesh makes the most of pop-culture references through memes and social media. The narration, though, is cluttered and the nonlinear screenplay does not work in the favour of the film. Though characters are written and established well, their comic potential isn’t utilised fully. The makers time and again suggested one shouldn’t care for logic in such a setup, though the situations are plain bizarre in a few instances and confuse audiences.

Happy Birthday does not live up to its hype. The fun quotient is limited to a few sequences at best. Vennela Kishore and Satya salvage the show with their hilarious acts but the rest of the film is over the top and drags beyond necessity. The director, who made an impressive debut with Mathu Vadhalara, disappoints this time. Not all original ideas make for great films.