Be Happy

Be Happy is a beautiful emotional rollercoaster that surprises you just when you think you have it all figured out. What starts off as a feel-good, lighthearted story gradually pulls you deeper, keeping you wondering"Where's the twist?" And then bam it hits you like a truck, leaving you completely absorbed in the unfolding drama.

The performances are truly commendable, with Abhishek and Inayat delivering top-notch acting that brings the emotional core of the film to life. Their chemistry and depth on screen make you feel every high and low of the narrative.

Given that the film revolves around dance, the choreography had a lot riding on it. While there were two major sequences that stood out brilliantly, it felt like the rest of the performances didn't receive the same level of attention or finesse. A bit more effort in choreographing the supporting dance pieces could have elevated the overall impact.

That said, Be Happy carries a deeper emotional message that lingers long after the credits roll. It's not just a story about dance or dreams it's a story about relationships, love, and emotional strength. Every father should watch this film with his daughter and try not to cry because chances are, he won't succeed.

All in all, Be Happy does a fantastic job of blending emotion, story, and performance leaving you with a film that's both heartwarming and thought-provoking.

Be Happy (2025) : Movie Review -

Be Happy is a film that pretends to be about "happiness," but is actually Remo sir's substitute for ABCD 4, which was never made after the flop run of Street Dancer 3D. The worst aspect of the film is that a 9-year-old girl acts better than Nora Fatehi and Nassar sir, and interestingly, that's also the best part of the film.

Be Happy follows a little girl, Dhara (Inaayat Verma), who wants to pursue a career in dancing, but her banker father, Shiv (Abhishek Bachchan), wants her to keep dance as a hobby and focus on her studies for a better career. Maggie (Nora Fatehi) runs a dancing academy and is impressed by Dhara's amazing dancing skills. After a few hiccups, she manages to take Dhara under her wing and eventually helps her get selected for a dancing reality show. Just when everything seems to be going well for Dhara and her father, fate plays a dark game and puts a halt to their hopes. Will they be able to fight it?

Similar to ABCD 2 and Street Dancer 3D, Remo's artificial setup of dance sequences ruins the organic feel in this film. It's better to watch any reality show's extended preview episode before the grand finale than to watch this movie. However, it does evoke emotion by the end, even though the climax is highly superficial. The father-daughter duo delivers a whole performance without rehearsals. Ab bolo? Be Happy isn't clever in such situations, and there are many like this. The character of Johnny Lever was entirely out of place, and the angle of Maggie and Shiv as a soon-to-be couple felt soulless. The kids behaved beyond their ages, while the adults acted like children. There's much more to take a dig at, but the film ultimately gets the "spotlight" at the end, making us go ahead with the full use of a pair of tissues.

Performance-wise, Inaayat Verma, despite being a child artist, emerged as the best actor among the entire cast. As I mentioned, she acts beyond her age despite a moderate IQ level in academics (49.8% or something), as if she were a completely mature and intelligent child. Abhishek Bachchan was good, and Nassar was watchable-conditions apply. Nora Fatehi looks sexy in her dance attire, and her moves are killer, but her acting skills will kill you. The time has come for her to focus on expressions and dialogue delivery because it becomes predictably irritating to listen to her foreign accent when she delivers Hindi dialogues. Hopefully, she'll improve in the future, or better yet, she should continue dancing because she is indeed a fantastic dancer. There is a large supporting cast that hasn't done anything worth mentioning here, so I'll skip it.

Thematic similarities were expected, but D'Souza's setup and storytelling have not really progressed over the years. The technical aspects hardly make any difference, and the music adds extra boredom. Either "Be Happy" didn't truly understand its own message, or it failed to explore it well on screen. The idea of happiness sounded better at the start, but by the time it reached its finale, it became tedious and quite illogical. Remo D'Souza's vision for dance movies needs improvement, but I don't think it will make any difference-it hasn't in Hollywood, so Bollywood is far behind. "Be Happy" still has those "be sad" moments that will make you cry, but the rest of the show, much like Dhara's age, is CHILDISH.

RATING - 4/10*

Remo D'Souza's Be Happy works considerably better than expected, largely thanks to Abhishek Bachchan's genuinely understated and impressive performance as Shiv, a single father navigating his daughter's dance ambitions. The story of a banker torn between practical concerns and his child's dreams feels authentic rather than manufactured.

Abhishek brings quiet authority and emotional depth to the role, avoiding the theatrical pitfalls that often plague Bollywood father figures. His restraint makes the character's journey genuinely moving.

Inayat Verma as daughter Dhara is talented and engaging, though her confidence occasionally tips into overconfidence, which undermines the emotional vulnerability needed for the third act's deeper moments. A touch more subtlety could have created stronger audience connection.

The film's biggest missed opportunity lies in its Ooty setting. Rather than showcasing the hill station's distinct beauty as a contrast to Mumbai's chaos, D'Souza treats it like any generic location. The cinematography fails to capture Ooty's unique charm, wasting a natural advantage.

Nora Fatehi's dance teacher role feels severely underwritten, and her performance lacks conviction, making her character feel like an afterthought rather than the crucial mentor figure the story requires.

Despite these issues, Be Happy succeeds through its core father-daughter relationship and Abhishek's committed performance.

Rating: 7.5/10 (Abhishek's nuanced work lifts a dance drama that could've been much more visually distinctive)

I love Bollywood because it evokes emotions in me despite being a foreigner. Almost all mainstream movies that were released after covid lack soul, exception being 12th Fail, Laapata Ladies etc... This movie made me cry, I cared about the characters which rarely happens with recent Hindi movies. The child actor was brilliant, Abhishek was great and the rest of the cast were good as well. Even Though Norah's accent was visible even to me who barely speak Hindi, learning from watching too many Bollywood movies. The story had its flaws, but after watching so many senseless Bollywood movies these past few years like Pathaan or Fighter or Loveyappa (lol don't judge, wanted to see how Amir Khan ka bheta would do in movies and don't let me begin with Nadaniyaan) it was closest to the Bollywood my millennial ass could relate to. Overall I wanted to pass time and watch something with my dinner and being an Abhishek fan I decided on this and I didn't regret it.

Abhishek Bachchan has never been praised for his acting capabilities but I feel he deserves love and appreciation as he has the ability to dive deep into the character. I'm sure he is a real loving father and his love for his child is displayed in his character for movies like LUDO, I WANT TO TALK and this movie too.

This movie goes a long way in providing new perspective on father daughter relationship in today's age, where family don't have time to talk to each other forget discussing dreams. Parents plan something for their children and children never have clarity on what they want except mobile. They dream today's world through mobile, not based on reality or inner calling. This movie takes us back to an era of giving importance to family before anything. Acting is good, and dialogue are excellent and to the point. It's good family movie and has message of entire family. Sometimes it is a bit emotional but that is something about originality and purity of father daughter relationship. Daughter's will always have a close bond with then father and the emotional turmoil they both good through is really hard to understand. Please watch this wonderful movie.