If Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara had a life-threatening disease, it would be called 'Babloo Happy Hai'. There are three friends, one of whom is engaged to be married. His fiancee has a problem with everything he does, and doesn't even like his friends. The three firends get to gether to have drinks, party a little and basically enjoy a bachelor adventure trip. His fiancee soon follows him there, and as the story progresses, there's an AIDS scare too. This is where the movie leaves the track of bromance and relationships, and works instead to sensitize people about AIDS. All in all, Babloo Happy Hai is an attempt to be 'cool'. And when the movie switches tracks, it almost seems like a docu-drama than anything else. Sachin Chauhan, the man behind the dialogues unfortunately does a sad job here, given he wrote dialogues for movies like 'I am Kalam', 'Paan Singh Tomar', and 'Saahib, Biwi Aur Gulam'. The truth of the matter is that Babloo may be happy, but the audience won't be.
The plot has promise. And some of the exchanges between the three fellows have the right degree of brash camaraderie that some Dilli boys can create. But we soon realize that this is a film with a message: about AIDS, how it does (and doesn’t) spread, and how those infected can live a full life. And how well-meaning people, like the guy (Dabas) who runs an NGO which creates awareness about HIV, can actually help. Features about messages can be tricky, because the latter can overwhelm the story if the balance is not right. The director has made strong message films before ( ‘I Am Kalam’) with much more clarity and success. This one tries to do the same but fails : the plot is weak and the acting amateurish.
The film faces an identity crisis. It implies a tension between the filmmaker's vision and the genre's demands, diluting its core purpose. The subplots and songs are entertaining but don't add any value to the narrative and there lies its fault. You also wonder why it has been promoted as an adult comedy! Also, the title bears no relevance to the story. Despite the shortcomings, the film manages to keep you engaged, thanks to the strong performances by the three lead actors and gorgeous cinematography. You will be tempted to take a vacation and go to Manali! Erica Fernandes and Amol Parashar look promising. Babloo Happy Hai encourages you to be cautious without being preachy. It's fairly entertaining but loses focus and wanders around aimlessly, just like its protagonists' road trip.