Be Happy Film Review: Abhishek Bachchan & Inayat Verma Shine with Strong Chemistry but Lack Novelty

By Shantiswarup Tripathi

• Rating: 2 Stars
• Producer: Lizelle Remo D’Souza
• Writers: Remo D’Souza, Tushar Hiranandani, Kanisk Dev, Chirag Garg
• Director: Remo D’Souza
• Cast: Abhishek Bachchan, Nora Fatehi, Nasir, Inayat Verma, Johnny Lever, Harleen Sethi
• Duration: 2 hours 10 minutes
• OTT Platform: Amazon Prime Video

The emotional film "Be Happy," which revolves around the father-daughter relationship and the themes of hope and expectations, created a lot of buzz when the trailer was released. With a powerful trailer and Abhishek Bachchan’s superb performance in the recent "I Want to Talk" movie, there were high hopes for this one. However, Remo D’Souza’s directorial "Be Happy" falls short of expectations. The core issue lies with the weak screenplay. Remo D’Souza, who has previously directed dance-based movies like ABCD, ABCD 2, and Street Dancer Time to Dance, is known for his dance expertise. Unfortunately, "Be Happy" offers nothing new. The film essentially turns into a dance reality show, lacking the emotional depth expected from a family drama. The trailer already gave hints that the story revolves around a young girl, her dreams, the strained father-daughter relationship, their coming together to make her dreams possible, and a life-changing event that alters their goals. But sadly, the film fails to deliver on its promise.

Story

The film begins with a dream sequence of a young girl, Dhara (Inayat Verma), who aspires to be a dancer. She is a single-parent child, having lost her mother, Rohini (Harleen Sethi). Dhara is raised by two men: her father, Shiv Rastogi (Abhishek Bachchan), and her grandfather (Nasir). Dhara admires dance choreographer Maggie (Nora Fatehi) and wishes to join India's biggest dance reality show, "India's Dancing Superstar." After a dance performance at her school, Maggie offers to take Dhara to Mumbai and train her for the show. However, Shiv refuses, wanting Dhara to focus more on her studies. Dhara, however, is persistent and emotionally blackmails her father by repeatedly mentioning how her late mother would have supported her dreams. Dhara’s grandfather supports her decision, even convincing Shiv to move to Mumbai and accept Maggie’s offer. Once in Mumbai, Dhara excels in both dancing and studies. But a major twist occurs when Dhara falls during the final round of the competition, and the film asks the crucial question: Will Dhara give up or continue to pursue her dream? Will she become "India's Dancing Superstar"? You’ll have to watch the film to find out.

Review

The film does showcase some great dance sequences, but the story and screenplay are weak. It remains limited to dance and lacks depth in depicting the characters' lives. In one scene, Maggie talks about how dance is not about money or competition but personal expression. If only the director had followed this philosophy, the film could have been much more impactful. While the film starts off strong, it loses its way as soon as it transitions from Ooty to Mumbai. From there, the narrative devolves into a typical TV dance reality show, with no focus on the father-daughter relationship. Even the life-changing medical emergency scene fails to hit the emotional mark. The film's treatment of life-and-death moments comes off as farcical rather than profound. Given Remo D’Souza’s previous work, it’s disappointing to see the story veer into shallow melodrama. What should have been an emotional turning point for Dhara feels unnecessarily manipulative. Had the screenplay been stronger, the story could have had a much deeper impact. While the climax, though conventional, could have worked, it needed tighter editing.

Acting

Inayat Verma, who plays Dhara, is the real highlight of the film. Her innocence and charm make her character instantly relatable. Abhishek Bachchan, as Dhara's grieving father Shiv Rastogi, delivers some fine performances in certain scenes. While he is no dancer, his effort and dedication to his role are evident. Unfortunately, his performance is overshadowed by the weak writing. Despite this, the chemistry between Bachchan and Verma works well. Nasir as Dhara’s grandfather is another strong presence, bringing warmth to the role. Harleen Sethi, as Dhara’s mother in flashbacks, brings a touch of freshness. Nora Fatehi, in the role of the dancer Maggie, manages to steal the show due to her dancing skills. Although she attempts to hold the film together, her acting leaves much to be desired. She’s more suited for dancing than acting, and it’s evident she still needs more training in the latter. Johnny Lever’s comedy track, however, feels out of place and forced. It’s hard to understand why he even agreed to take up this role.

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