Movie Review: Happy New Year

Starring: Shah Rukh Khan, Deepika Padukone, Abhishek Bachchan, Sonu Sood, Boman Irani, Vivaan Shah Directed by Farah Khan Rating - * * * 1/2 (3.5 stars) There are two things that you need to know about Happy New Year (HNY) before watching it. Why two you may ask. Simply because you will find many such 'know two things about him/her' instances in the film. So back to the two things that you need to know about HNY - the film is close to 3 hours long and the credits rolled out at the fag end are 'not to be missed' ones. So fortunately or unfortunately you have to sit through the entire movie. But then good news is that this first-of-its-kind dance heist keeps you sufficiently transfixed to your seat despite having a no- brainer of a plot. The fun part is the innumerable twists and turns that keep you engaged not to forget the magic created by all actors present with their unique quirkiness. The story of the movie is threadbare. Charan Grover (Jackie Shroff) falsely incriminates Manohar (Anupam Kher) in a massive theft that leads to his incarceration and later death. Years later, Manohar's vengeful son Chandramohan Sharma aka Charlie (SRK) plots the downfall of Charan Grover with the help of his dream team - Jagmohan Prakash (Sonu Sood), Tammy Irani (Boman Irani), Rohan (Vivaan Shah), Nandu Bhide (Abhishek Bachchan) and sexy Mohini (Deepika Padukone). These sixsome fraudulently secure a place in the finals of dance competition Daboo DC...oops WDC (World Dance Championship) sponsored by villain Charan Grover where they will evidently heap revenge on the man who turned their leader Charlie's life upside down. How they do it is of course what the movie is all about. While HNY will not exactly go down in the annals of Bollywood history as a landmark movie, the sequencing of the film is enough to keep one's attention riveted. Farah employs the oldest audience luring trick in film business - underdogs turning champions. The movie is replete with multiple rabble rousing scenes, the standout one being SRK breaking his dance sequence to save the life of a dancer kid belonging to the rival Korean team whose captain had earlier heaped scorn on Team India. Though the movie is bankrolled on SRK's superstar power, after a long time one gets to see King Khan playing a character rather than the solo superstar hero of the movie. He is the lead hero of the movie no doubt but not the only fulcrum on whom the entire movie revolves. Like the captain of a sports team, he expertly marshals his team members giving every other supporting actor ample chance to do his bit. The movie stands out for a lot many reasons. Nothing's forcefully inserted in the movie and both SRK and Farah have stayed true to showing only what goes well with the script. Missing in picture this time is the trademark romance between SRK-Deepika with Farah choosing to keep it minimal and simple which certainly is a happy change considering the fact that with SRK around one would always be tempted to thrown in extra romantic sequences. After Chak De, this movie again sees SRK's patriotism at its best. The Indiawaale slogan and SRK's heart rousing speech about the Indian tricolour in the climax is sure to get some spontaneous applause from audience. The loud comic sequences of Abhishek will most certainly delight kids who have always been SRK's primary target audience. The superstar has time and again expressed his love for kids and his youngest son AbRam's adorable visuals in the end credits only reinforces this fact. Farah certainly deserves a pat on her back for making a grand comeback after the debacle of Tees Maar Khan. With the movie boasting of an ensemble cast comprising well-known actors, Farah had a difficult task at hand of pleasing everyone with a meaty role in the movie. Thankfully, the lady handles it adeptly by etching every single character well in the movie. Abhishek Bachchan as the vomiting expert induces peals of laughter with his innate comic timing, a genre that Junior B is soon beginning to ace in. His Nagoba (snake) dance looks insanely funny for no reason and could soon be imitated at popular nightspots in the country. Boman Irani as the ageing Parsi stud plays his bit well pleasing us with his inexplicable 30 second convulsions. Sonu Sood as the muscle man and Vivaan Shah as the hacker are important cogs in HNY wheel. The biggest disappointment is however reserved for Deepika Padukone's fans. The good news is that the actress looks smoking hot in the movie. Unfortunately, that's the only good thing about her. There is not much scope for dialogue baazi in this multi-starrer and neither does Deepika dance like a dream which is what she is supposed to do being the only dancing superstar in the lineup. Jackie and Anupam Kher have been wasted in nothing roles. The movie is not without its flaws. Despite being billed as a dance heist drama, there is no effort made to show suave dance moves by Farah Khan who herself is an accomplished choreographer. A missed opportunity perhaps. Also aping Hollywood, Korea is made the new villain in the movie. What's however encouraging to note is the elaborate heist Hollywoodish scenes that gives the audience some never before seen thrills and frills. The question finally boils down to whether this three-hour long dance heist drama is worth your watch? Oh yes, it is we say. For this Farah's own enjoyable remixed version of Shaalimar meets Mohini of Tezaab meets patriot SRK of Chak De who leads his team to the final resounding victory that was always ours to clinch right from the beginning.