Farah Khan is finally back and how! With a bang, we must admit. Given the risky genre, the inevitable comparisons, there were huge chances of Farah losing the plot. But she stopped herself from going over the board and in turn gifts us with an immensely enjoyable ride.
With box office occupancy indicating an earth shattering opening for the film, we bring you 5 reasons why Happy New Year, although about 3 hours long kept us entertained and had us in splits!
If ‘Eajy lagta hai Mohini ka dance’ was something to go by, be sure to be amazed by this actress’s earnest performance throughout the film. Yes, she doesn’t know how to speak Englis! (yes that’s how she pronounces it) and she might not understand how it is to be ladylike, But you lose your heart to Mohini who only desires to achieve one thing in life – getting ijjat from everyone. From her Maharashtrian twang to her English dialogues, from her emotional scenes to her spectacular dance acts, Ms Padukone has hit the right chord.
Nuanced, inhibited and subtle, SRK sparkles as Charlie. Chiseled body, rock-solid abs, some extremely powerful action sequences and not allowing his starry aura overshadow the other stars, SRK does it in a way, different from all his contemporaries. In an industry where ensemble films are generally edited to benefit a certain superstar in the film, SRK keeps his ground and makes sure HNY comes across as a team effort and not just another SRK-Deepika film! But yet in the ensemble, Shah Rukh manages to blend in effortlessly, putting in a striking performance.
The grand canvas along with the ensemble cast:
With a huge canvas set for a film of such a stature, each frame is filled with a lot of grandiose and magnificent shots. The opening shot itself gives you a hint of what can be expected from the film. The entire heist is well tackled and the supporting characters contribute equally to the film. While Boman Irani marvels with his single 50 year old Parsi demeanour, Vivaan Shah comes across as a treasured find to the industry. Sonu Sood flaunts his fab body and makes sure that it’s not the only thing about him that catches the eye. But it is definitely Abhishek Bachchan who steals the show with his naughty Nandu, his snake dances and all the exuberance!
The film’s comic and action scenes:
Farah Khan keeps the story simple, and fills in the run time with some amazingly played out comical as well as action sequences! While the introduction of the characters are amusing, the fight sequence between Sonu Sood and the goons is hilarious. But undoubtedly, it is Abhishek Bachchan‘s strip-tease scene that packs in the loudest cheers from the audience! The cameo appearances, especially the Anurag Kashyap-Vishal Dadlani spoof is rip-roaring! While the film scores really high on the comic scenes, the action sequences are equally well shot. The entire heist has been planned well and director Farah Khan deserves the loudest applause for the same!
The spirit of the film:
Replete with comic and action scenes, the film celebrates the spirit of India like no other. There are occasions when a few sequences bring in a sense of pride and a wide smile on your face. Although it is a dance-heist film, Farah has effectively let the heart rule out the technique. You might not like the way the Indiawaale team dances because they can’t dance. But it is the heart, soul and morale that ups the fun quotient in the film. In a country where the bhashan dance, the Ganpati dance or the dhunuchi celebrates the happiness of dancing more than the technicalities, Farah Khan uses the platform of her film to bring out a triumphant story of the ‘Dil-se wala dance‘ to the ‘technique wala dance’. And surely, each Indiawaale today must be proud for the same.
