'Happy New Year' is colourful but scarcely entertaining.
Farah Khan is known for glitzy extravaganzas. The screen is invariably a
riot of colours in her movies. Glossy entertainers may not always boast
of a meaty theme, but ultimately such films should entertain. 'Happy
New Year', has everything going for it,a sensational star cast, peppy
music, exotic locales and a capable filmmaker. But as a whole the film
doesnt add up. It has its moments but they get submerged in the melee
and the lack of a particularly interesting plot hurts it big time.
Basically a heist drama with a deluge of songs and dance sequences the
film invests a lot on Shahrukh Khan's star power, to deliver the goods.
It is also a revenge tale in the strictest sense of the term. Charlie
(Shahrukh Khan) is itching to take revenge on Grover (Jackie Shroff),
who double crossed his father played by Anupam Kher, which resulted in
him being in jail.
Charlie plans to pay back by stealing antique Mughal era diamonds from
the safest of safes in the Atlantis luxury hotel of Grover, in Dubai.The
diamonds are kept 150 feet below and is laser protected. Vicky's
(Abhishek Bachchan) who is the son of Grover finger prints are required
to open it.
Charlie plans an elaborate and brilliant hi tech heist. He plays the
most unbelievable of dramas to achieve his goal. The arrival of the
diamonds in the hotel coincides with the elimination round of a World
dance competition. Charlie finds this a golden opportunity and he tries
to enter the competition with his team comprising characters played by
Boman Irani, Sonu Sood etc. Their dancing skills are pathetic to say the
least, but that doesnt deter them. But their plans are foiled as Grover
decides to postpone the arrival of diamonds to the New Year eve, which
coincides with the final round of the dance reality show.
To enhance their chances to participate in the final round Charlie ropes
in the services of a bar dancer, Mohini (Deepika Padukone). A look
alike of the character of Abhishek too is in the mix and the film
becomes a hotch-potch of sorts. Too much melodrama and stretched out
song sequences take the sting out of the narrative.
The sub plots look inane and a rather grandiose finale doesnt pull the
movie out of the rut it contrived to be in. Much depends on Shahrukh and
he does his best. But his inability to give a new dimension to a
character that is from the same mould of many SRK characters is
palpable. Deepika looks competent but not superb. Abhishek Bachchan is
fabulous in his different avatars. A talented actor like Boman Irani is
let down by a cliched and badly written role. Yet the veteran manages to
make his mark. Jackie Shroff looks elegant and suave as the antagonist.
'Happy New Year', will provide drops of entertainment. It turns into a
drizzle but it flatters to deceive eventually. The viewer will have a
neither here nor there feeling. Farah Khan has made better entertainers
in the past and 'Happy New Year', is unlikely to be counted among her
better works.
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