Be Happy Review: Dull symphony of missed opportunities ft. Abhishek Bachchan

2/5

Be Happy Story: Dhara (Inayat Verma), her father Shiv (Abhishek Bachchan), and her maternal grandfather, Mr. Nadir (Nassar), live in a northern state in India. Dhara is a bright young girl with a talent for dancing. So when Maggie (Nora Fatehi), a pop dancing sensation, comes to her school, witnesses her dance, and invites her to her dance academy in Bombay, Dhara sees her life changing. But Shiv is against the idea. When he finally gives in and takes her to the dream city, her dreams seem to be coming true—until destiny has other plans. Will Dhara win the dance competition? What does life have in store for her?

Be Happy Review:

There is no harm in telling stories that center around a tragic disease with emotional depth, but there’s only so much an audience can invest if that is the film’s sole selling point. For example, Anand’s battle in Anand was not the only thing driving the movie, and more recently, Abhishek Bachchan in I Want To Talk was not just about his battles with various diagnoses. His fight to stay alive defined the film—not just his condition.

So when a movie introduces a little girl diagnosed with a life-threatening disease and makes that the crux of the story, it cannot expect the audience to simply cry on cue. Be Happy falls into this trap, attempting to manipulate emotions without offering enough substance to truly invest in.

Written by Remo D'Souza along with Tushar Hiranandani, Kanishka Singh Deo, and Chirag Garg, Be Happy tells a story that has already been told numerous times. There is no harm in revisiting familiar themes, but the magic lies in how uniquely the story is retold. What do you offer that makes this blueprint uniquely yours? That is what truly matters. Unfortunately, Be Happy brings nothing new to the table. Meanwhile, Manoj Bajpayee’s Bhaiyya Ji hits theatres tomorrow; Taandav to Ouch - a look at some of his finest short films.

The film follows a predictable formula: a little girl with big dreams, a single father struggling to make ends meet while also playing the role of both parents, and a grandfather who brings lightheartedness while balancing the father’s serious nature. We’ve seen variations of this setup in countless movies over the years, but what makes this one stand out?

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Some might argue that the dance competition subplot, with Dhara leading it, adds something fresh. But even that aspect is underwhelming. For a movie directed by a seasoned dancer-choreographer, this is one of the most lackluster musical dramas in Hindi cinema. It abandons the two most essential elements of its genre—music and drama. If your dance competition, which is the heart of your story, is reduced to montages, and if the dancers perform to generic tunes instead of well-crafted songs, how are we supposed to be invested?

The music fails to make an impact, except for an emotional Kailash Kher number, which is the only one that resonates. When it comes to the emotional aspect, Dhara’s medical condition is thrown into the mix so abruptly that it lacks any real impact. We’ve seen this device used repeatedly, and it doesn’t always succeed in evoking the intended emotions. At times, it feels more like a forced attempt at audience manipulation rather than an organic part of the narrative.

Abhishek Bachchan can now portray an on-screen father with ease and confidence. After delivering an impeccable performance in Shoojit Sircar’s I Want To Talk, he does what he is told to do here to the best of his abilities and shines. Inayat Verma is a great addition, and Nassar brings immense joy to the screen.

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Nora Fatehi appears, dances, delivers a few lines, and then disappears. The same goes for Johnny Lever, whose presence in the movie is as questionable as Pluto’s planetary status. Casting a legend in such an inconsequential role feels like a wasted opportunity.

Be Happy Final Verdict:

Be Happy chooses to abandon the two most important elements of a musical drama—music and drama. This is not the film one would expect Abhishek Bachchan to do after I Want To Talk, but he did.

Be Happy hits Amazon Prime Video on March 14, 2025. Stay tuned to OTTplay for more updates on this and everything else from the world of streaming and films.-