‘Happy Hardy and Heer’ movie review: Now where have we heard that one before?

One Himesh Reshammiya used to be bad enough. Happy Hardy and Heer has two of him. (Make that three – the voiceover is by one “HR”).

In his first movie since Tera Surroor (2016), the music composer and singer with fathomless ambitions of being a leading man is both Happy and Hardy, who have a common interest in Heer (Sonia Mann). Heer has been friends with the Sikh and turban-wearing Happy since childhood and therefore cannot take him seriously. Happy, in keeping with the cliche, is also go-lucky, and is affectionately called “Loser” by Heer and everybody else for his inability to hold down a job.

Heer likes “achievers” and in a telling move, falls in love with Happy’s lookalike Hardy, who is sans turban and has golden streaks in his hair and an aa-aa-attitude to match. Hardy is also fabulously wealthy, and the now-sad Happy takes off to heal his heart and add an achievement or two to his name.

The eternal love triangle has been done to death, and refuses to be revitalised in the hands of Reshammiya, who is credited with the story, and director Raka. There is barely anything new in the situations between Heer and the two men in love with her. Besides, both the leads look a bit too seasoned to be playing the love-at-first-sight game. Despite the high volume at which the dialogue is delivered – Reshammiya is subtlety itself compared to Sonia Mann – almost nothing resonates.

Reshammiya appears to have finally figured out the basic elements needed to be a leading man. The musician works hard on sharpening his histrionic abilities, and baiters and meme-generators might be sorely disappointed by the movie’s tendency to play things straight. However, the plot is too one-note to be substantial or memorable. Director Raka does his best within the circumstances, cutting to a song whenever possible. It’s a wise choice, since the only sources of energy is Reshammiya’s pulsating soundtrack, which has the potential to survive the movie’s life cycle.

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