A love story with a deeply rooted social message, is centred around lives of three friends, one of them is to get married in a month’s time.
Babloo Happy Hai is a story set in the fast-paced times we live in today, concerning those who are forced to move the fastest – our youth. A bit of a road film, in the initial part, it explores the emotions and aspirations of each of the three bachelors who embark on a road trip to attend a wedding in the Himachal Pradesh.
The film begins with friends enjoying a rocking bachelor’s party, a seemingly one night stand, and then throughout the first half of the story, it is a treat to watch breath-taking mountains, picturesque locales of Himachal Pradesh.
‘Babloo Happy Hai’ takes you on a journey through the breathtaking mountains, and through the lives of a set of memorable characters who will make you think again about love, and fall in love with love itself.
Amidst the common notions of irreverence and rebellion, the youth of today is troubled by many questions, puzzled by many choices, battling with a lot of pressures; wandering perhaps, but not entirely lost. The most basic of these conflicts, however, remains the question of love.
The film begins in the posh neighbourhoods of the capital, New Delhi, where 24 year old Jatin is planning a road trip up north with his buddies Harvinder (a.k.a. Harry) and Rohan. For Jatin, the endearing young groom-to-be, this could be the last such youthful indulgence before he gets tied down (quite literally) by bride-to-be Tamanna, who is a bratty, high society number, gleefully building on her idea of a ‘perfect’ life starting with a ‘perfect’ wedding . While the hardly-perfect Jatin’s ‘love’ is one of much labour.
Harry’s hopeless quest for love (or something like it) lands the happy-go-lucky Sardar in positions he had only dreamt of. Rohan, usually the voice of reason amongst the three, is going through a rough patch with his long-time boyfriend, and hopes to get some much needed fresh air and good old guy fun with his buddies in the mountains.
Enter, the wild child; Natasha. The prodigal daughter of this tale, who kick-starts it all with (what Jatin assumes is) a one-night stand after the bachelor party, followed by numerous meetings; some coincidental, others deliberate, driving our hero deeper into a dilemma between ‘duty’ and ‘love’ that only gets worse as there are revelations that leave everyone stunned.
Completing this intricate picture, are Deepa and Harsh, a good-humoured, dynamic couple in their mid-thirties, much in love, with much to teach this young bunch, who in turn not only adore and admire the two, but even envy how perfectly they complement each other as companions. Love blossoms as it only can in the snow-laden valleys of Himachal, at the summit of which is the NGO Aashray, run by the couple, which somehow becomes a mid-point for all adventure and misadventure, where newer bonds are formed, just as older ones weaken.
Whether through drunken nights or impromptu dance lessons, through intense arguments and intimate moments, Jatin and Natasha find themselves drawn towards each other. The story draws to a climax when Jatin comes face to face with a secret that Natasha has been hiding for a while. The news sends Jatin’s already unsettled life, completely topsy-turvy, as his love is replaced by a bewildered hate, in spite of Natasha’s efforts to clear his misunderstandings. It is when his self realisation take over his misbelieves, that he finally gives her a listen, and the true nature of the events are revealed.
Jatin is ashamed of his failure to trust her, and embarks on one final trip to claim his love, without any more fear. Jatin embraces a unique outlook towards life, one of positivity and a fighting spirit, and of love that conquers all. Like Natasha always says:
You’ve gotta dance like there’s nobody watching,
Love like you’ll never be hurt,
Sing like there’s nobody listening,
And live like it’s heaven on earth.
A pleasant surprise to see Nila Madhab Panda, a critically acclaimed director, whose previous releases were I AM KALAM and JALPARI. Here is an attempt to send the message of today’s youth – have fun in life, yet be cautious at every bend of the road in ones life.
The title track ‘Babloo Happy Hai’ is performed and Composed by Hard Kaur, and other catchy number is Jimmy Bhand rendered by Mika Singh. There is an item number Banjaran, whereas Uhe Baatiyan is a touchy, soothing song by Shankar Mahadevan.
In the first half, it is colourful, rocking, singing, fun and progresses quite well and keeps the audience in high sprits. Post interval, the story loses direction and harps on one message that HIV positive people are not untouchables, and they have every right to have their fun in life.
Click on the Thumbnails to view LARGE IMAGES:
Cast:
Sahil Anand as Jatin
Erica Fernandes as Natasha
Preet Kamal as Tamanna
Sumit Suri as Harry (Harvinder)
Amol Parashar as Rohan
Parvin Dabas as Harsh
Anu Chaudhary as Deepa
Reyhna Malhotra
Khushboo Pandit
Crew:
Nila Madhab Panda – Director
Gagan Dhawan and Ravi Dutta – Producer
Narendra Singh – Co-prodcuer
Supratik Roy – Creative Producer
Sanjay Chouhan – Writer
Subhransu Das – Cinematographer
Bidhu Bhushan Panda – Executive Producer
Bishakh-Kanish – Music Directors
Hard Kaur – Music ‘title track’
Protiqe Mojoomdar – Lyricist
Birenjyoti Mohanty – Editor
Tarique Umar Khan – Art Director
Sameer Kumar Patra – Sound Designer
Arvind Thakur – Choreographer
Music Credits
Tile track “ Babloo Happy Hai” by Hard Kaur
Music – Bishakh-Kanish
Lyrics – Protiqe Majumdar