Happy Ending: A happy movie

HAPPY ENDING
Staring: Govinda, Saif Ali Khan, Ileana D'Cruz, Ranvir Shorey, Kalki Koechlin
Rated: 6/10
Happy Ending is quite a hip and happy movie, breezy about that crazy little thing called love. And no, before you jump to any conclusions about it being a mushy love story, just remember it’s Saif Ali Khan at the helm of affairs (literally) and he keeps his film much like himself — cool dudish, funny, light and wonderfully irreverent about romance.
After the unexpected success of Go Goa Gone where the Indian zombies had you in a, well, unexpected laughter riot, Saif seems to have come of age in reading the pulse of his audience. That, and his dalliance with ‘those’ kind of roles (endearing boy-turns-confused-lover-turns-good friend-turns cool dude) throughout his career, seals the success of this one where love sits light on humour and humour sits heavy on proceedings.
Indeed, a modern-day romcom, very overtly Saifish, in fact so Saifish that you can completely identify the hero with his off-screen personality. It’s modern of course, but it is also a love story from the boy’s point of view. It is young, it is contemporary and it comes with a lot of situations that happen to today’s boys and a lot of events that seem real-life. Saif handles all of this with elan and all the sloppiness is confined to his bloated alter ego who has a thing for junk and obesity.
Illeana D‘Cruz is chic and attractive and manages to create a chemistry with Saif despite a deliberate lack of romance between the two. The we-are-friends-and-don’t-you-dare-think-otherwise act after a romp in the bed and some groovy moments along the Pacific coast drive, are quite well conceived and picturised.
Saif’s strict policy of let’s not get cheesy with love also makes this an interesting film to watch. All this and much more is enhanced by the presence of Govinda who finally gets it right, unlike Kill Dil where he wastes himself to badness.
Kalki, as that girl who never gives up in love and hence is the one to run away from, is enchanting — as enchanting as the rest of the film is. Must watch for laughter-meets-love story.

Source: Sunday Pioneer, 23 November, 2014

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