Very few actors can make viewers cry in their seats when they break down on screen. Salman Khan and Alia Bhatt come to mind quickly. Abhishek Bachchan is one of them too, and Be Happy benefits immensely from his performance.
Directed by Remo D’Souza, the film doesn’t tread new ground. It follows Dhara (Inayat Verma), a pre-teen who dreams of winning a dance reality show. Her father, Shiv Rastogi (Abhishek), a middle-class bank employee, is raising her along with her grandfather (Nassar). Dhara idolises Maggie (Nora Fatehi), a dance instructor who encourages her to move to Mumbai and train at her academy. Shiv is firmly against the idea. How he comes around and starts viewing dance as more than just a hobby forms the rest of the story. A health crisis adds another layer of conflict.
The father-daughter bond is the film’s emotional core, and Abhishek and Inayat share convincing chemistry. Their relationship feels heartfelt, making their emotional moments land effectively. Abhishek, in particular, brings depth to his role, making Shiv a relatable figure. The performances are solid, though Nora’s overly sweet, one-dimensional Maggie becomes grating at times.
{{/usCountry}}The father-daughter bond is the film’s emotional core, and Abhishek and Inayat share convincing chemistry. Their relationship feels heartfelt, making their emotional moments land effectively. Abhishek, in particular, brings depth to his role, making Shiv a relatable figure. The performances are solid, though Nora’s overly sweet, one-dimensional Maggie becomes grating at times.
{{/usCountry}}The film takes a simple, family-friendly approach, designed to tug at heartstrings at every turn. The title Be Happy is ironic because it fully embraces its tearjerker identity. The sequences are crafted to elicit emotion, and the film doesn’t shy away from that.
With a predictable, saccharine storyline, it is up to the cast to add weight. Abhishek’s 25 years of experience serve him well—his last release, I Want to Talk, was also a father-daughter story, and he has mastered the beats of playing a concerned parent. Inayat’s character is wise beyond her years, and while the writing occasionally overdoes it, she gives her all. Nassar is charming as the goofy grandfather.
Harsh Upadhyay’s music complements the film’s tone.
Like Remo’s earlier dance films, Be Happy sticks to a familiar formula. A direct-to-OTT release is a smart choice, freeing it from box office pressures and allowing viewers to discover it on their own time. Despite its flaws, Be Happy leaves you with a smile.
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