Happy Raj Movie Review:

Dignity. They say there is no unique experience in this world. What one goes through might be personal, but it is not something no one else has experienced. That’s why it is surprising that empathy is sparse in this world. Of course, empathy, like any other emotion, takes time to cultivate. This timing is crucial because empathy can be perceived as misplaced, misunderstood, or mocked if it isn’t rooted in understanding. The need to accord this dignity not just to those around us but also to the self is one of the more pronounced takeaways of debut director Maria Raja Elanchezian’s Happy Raj. However, this journey takes one too many detours, has one too many contradictions, and finally ends up taking the flavor-du-jour route of ‘It’s all about loving your father.’ 

Happy Raj (GV Prakash Kumar), aka Anandraj, wants to be a happy-go-lucky youngster, but fate has handed him a raw deal, and he feels neither happy nor lucky thanks to his father Kaathamuthu (A terrific George Maryan). Happy’s father is the subject of immense ridicule for his looks and stature, and is called ‘Kudhirai Muttai’ (Horse’s egg). This tag becomes his identity, and Happy is ostracised for it; this neglect extends to his love life, where women stay away from him, not wanting to be the daughter-in-law of Kudhirai Muttai. Trying to start afresh, Happy moves to Bengaluru and meets Kavya (Sri Gouri Priya), his senior at an IT company. When the romance becomes serious, and the idea of marriage is broached, the film becomes Meet the Parents and Meet the Fockers rolled into one, with a liberal dose of culture shock, an urban vs. rural divide, class hierarchy, and, of course, the need for dignity. 

Coming to the detours that derail the film for a while, Happy Raj’s major drawback is its incessant need to wring out a romcom from a stirring emotional drama. While it is commendable that the meet-cute romance between Happy and Kavya is wrapped up very quickly, the film needed to be a little more coherent without resorting to mindless one-liners that might evoke a chuckle but are a distraction. It wanted to go for the Yaaradi Nee Mohini vibe of a stuttering newcomer falling in love with a confident mentor, but it takes the comic route to get there. While this detour is definitely interesting, the film doesn’t go all out with the humour. This means the comedy weighs down the romance, and the humour gets watered down by the love. But then again, the entire first half with its various set-pieces involving Happy and Bhaskar (Madurai Muthu), Happy and two North Indian go-getters, Kaathamuthu and Kavya’s father Rajiv (Abbas), and even Happy and Kavya blow hot and cold because it acts as a setup for the entire second half.

Director: Maria Raja Elanchezian

Cast: GV Prakash Kumar, George Maryan, Sri Gouri Priya, Abbas, Geetha Kailasam

All the genuine fun moments and the compelling comedy are packed one after another in the second half of Happy Raj, and Maria definitely salvages a film that could have crashlanded. He is heavily bolstered by the wonderful music of Justin Prabhakaran and a terrific George Maryan, who shines high in his best role since Kaithi. In fact, it feels nice to have an actor like George get wonderfully written scenes that make it clear that the film might be titled Happy Raj, but the protagonist is definitely Kaathamuthu. Full points to GV Prakash for sidestepping when the film needs him to. Maria, who goes for easy laughs in the first half, puts in a lot more concerted effort in the second and rewards us with a narrative that does enough to elevate the characters who are generally treated with disdain. While the ‘North Indian’ stereotype is milked for humour, there is an undercurrent of dignity accorded to their grit and persistence. Even as Kaathamuthu’s gait, behaviour, and skin colour are often invoked to evoke various emotions, the film never treats him badly. Here, the character stands tall despite whatever is thrown at him in the name of narrative convenience. George plays the character with just the right mix of restraint and flamboyance, and the very fact that Kaathamuthu is a hero in his own eyes is such a refreshing turn of events. Even if many characters ridicule him, Kaathamuthu never feels defeated, and the film doesn’t paint him as a naive villager waiting for a saviour to uplift him from his predicament. 

At times, this underlying layer of respect does get hidden when the humour elements overstay their welcome. This also means that some neat little touches don’t get their due. For instance, Happy’s mother (Geetha Kailasam), portrayed as a simple villager, undergoes a major makeover when she visits her son in Bengaluru. Interestingly, when she returns home, she doesn’t shed the makeover and reverts to her demure self. Her choice of sarees, her hairstyle, her makeup… everything changes, and not a word is spoken about it. It shows the kind of house Happy grew up in, and the kind of father Kaathamuthu is. But these flourishes aren’t half as pronounced as the never-ending ego clashes between Rajiv and Kaathamuthu. Again, naming Abbas as Rajiv and his wife as Reena is a funny ode to Minnale, but it doesn’t go anywhere. And again, it all comes down to George, who shoulders the entire film and lends it immense respect and dignity. There are a few monologues, though cramped into the narrative, that elevate the film simply because they come from a place of truth and honesty. 

While the film oscillates between could-have-beens and should-have-beens, Happy Raj ends up a better family drama than a good romcom. Of course, there is a fair share of manipulation. Still, then, when Kaathamuthu makes you introspect with a throwaway line about simple biology. George Maryan reiterates that an actor's talent needs the right scaffolding; we overlook this simply because they absorb taunts, mockery, and verbal assaults, yet never surrender their dignity.