| Happy Bhag Jayegi | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Mudassar Aziz |
| Written by | Mudassar Aziz |
| Produced by | Aanand L. Rai Krishika Lulla |
| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Saurabh Goswami |
| Edited by | Ninad Khanolkar |
| Music by | Sohail Sen |
Production companies | |
| Distributed by | Eros International |
Release date |
|
Running time | 126 minutes |
| Country | India |
| Language | Hindi |
| Budget | ₹20 Crores |
| Box office | est.₹46.5 Crores[1] |
Happy Bhag Jayegi (transl. Happy will run away) is a 2016 Indian Hindi-language romantic comedy film, written and directed by Mudassar Aziz, and produced by Aanand L. Rai and Krishika Lulla. It stars Diana Penty as the eponymous character; a free-spirited bride-to-be from Amritsar who runs away from her wedding ceremony and inadvertently arrives in Lahore, Pakistan. The production features an ensemble cast consisting of Penty, Abhay Deol, Jimmy Sheirgill, Ali Fazal, and Momal Sheikh.
Aziz began writing for the film in 2012 and later approached Rai to produce it. Happy Bhag Jayegi was conceived as a "cross-border" romantic comedy and was originally titled Dolly Lahore Mein. Although a large part of the film is set in Lahore, the film was primarily shot in Chandigarh and Amritsar with Saurabh Goswami working as the director of photography. The film featured Pakistani actors Javed Sheikh and his daughter Momal Sheikh. The film is Momal Sheikh's Bollywood debut. The music for Happy Bhag Jayegi was composed by Sohail Sen and released under the label of Eros Music. Eros International acquired the worldwide distribution rights for the production, which runs for 126 minutes in its final cut.
Happy Bhag Jayegi was released theatrically in India on 19 August 2016; it opened to mixed responses from film critics, who appreciated the performances of the ensemble cast and the humour. Criticism was focused on its scattered screenplay, inconsistent tone, and relatively poor characterisation of the central character. Despite mixed reviews, the film was an average grosser at the box office, collecting ₹465 million against a budget of ₹200 million. It was considered a sleeper hit by media outlets in India. A sequel titled Happy Phirr Bhag Jayegi was released on 24 August 2018.