Movie Review: Happy Ending

Cast: Saif Ali Khan, Ileana D'Cruz, Kalki Koechlin, Govinda and Ranvir Shorey
Director: Raj and DK

If Raj’s and DK’s film had a real-life happy ending we’d have called them the Bollywood equivalent to the Coen Brothers. Our desi writer-director duo shows enough talent to merit that comparison. But they also show us that in real life, endings are middle-of-the-road. They’re not as rosy as Mills & Boon neither are they as grim as Edgar Allen Poe. Just like love is no fantasy, Raj and DK are no Coens. They have a great eye for comedic detail, but like anyone else they’re not error proof. Their romedy, Happy Ending, misses the sweet spot by a whisker. It has its moments but the finale is just too limp to warranty any necessary stimulation.

Essentially, Happy Ending is a cheeky film with a run-of-the-mill urban romance at its centre. And it’s the mediocre love story that spoils the mood. Saif Ali Khan plays a writer and a Casanova. And that’s exactly where the contrasts start. Not that writers don’t enjoy excesses in female attention. But they’re generally not the cocky, extrovert studs. But Saif’s character is. And his number one problem is commitment. So you have a montage of a song where Saif’s character is beating a hasty retreat when his girlfriends decide to say the three dreaded words. But when he meets the more-successful-than-him writer played by Ileana D’Cruz, I love you, becomes inevitably imminent. It never helps when a film gets predictable. Certainly not when you can second guess the climax a good hour before the end. Along the way there are a few genuinely good surprises. Raj and DK have done a fantastic job with the script. The subtle sexual references are superb. But it’s the treatment that just doesn’t gel. There’s too much of the Hum Tum, Love Aaj Kal and Friends With Benefits vibe. To distract from the romance and to fill in the comedy, you do have Govinda playing the washed-up Superstar. But it doesn’t help when his character conveniently disappears every time the film is trying to build up the romance between Saif and Ileana.

This could’ve been another Bowfinger (Steve Martin’s and Eddie Murphy’s hilarious spoof on Hollywood) if only the narrative had given enough time to the Govinda and Saif Ali Khan plotline. The romance between Ileana and Saif would’ve still managed to thrill you, and the film would’ve had enough gags to keep you entertained. But that doesn’t happen. The movie chooses to concentrate on the lavish Los Angeles locales and its stylish hero and heroine. Every time the movie deviates to set pieces involving Ranvir Shorey, Kalki Koechlin and Govinda it entertains. All the time it spends building up steam between its leads, it becomes pedantic. The music by Sachin-Jigar is just about okay as well. The quirky Paaji tussi such a pussy cat number with vintage Amitabh Bhattacharya is oddly witty. But it comes at a point when the movie focussed firmly on establishing the chemistry between the hero and heroine.

Saif and Ileana look like a million bucks. Together they seem to be a fun on-screen couple. But their characters aren’t fleshed out enough. They start off as competing writers but the attraction gives way to the rivalry a bit too easily. The highlight of Saif’s performance though is his effort in the double role scenes. Saif’s other character is a podgy, hairy, geek acting as the swanky hero’s alter ego. Their clever repartee filled scenes are a delight to watch. Every time Saif pairs up with either Ranvir, Kalki, Govinda or Preity Zinta (in a cameo) or even Kareena Kapoor (in a special appearance) his performance seems to hit the target. Kalki and Govinda in particular are phenomenal. The scene where Govinda shows off his CGI muscles is awesome. Kalki’s demented girlfriend act is a show stealer too.

          

But those are flashes in the pan. They redeem an otherwise inconsistent film. A movie that opts for straight-laced romance over sex-charged comedy. And when you do that, you don’t end on a happy note.