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'Happy' a success sans big stars
By B. Anuradha, Indo-Asian News Service

Film: "Happy"; Cast: Allu Arjun, Genelia, Bharani, Manoj Bajpai, Ratnam, Rama Prabha, Brahmanandam, Venu, Shetty and others; Director: Karunakaran; Producer: Allu Arvind; Music Director: Yuvan Shankar Raja. 
       

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After the disastrous "Balu", young director Karunakaran redeems himself a little with this wholesome entertainer. 

After hits like "Arya" and "Bunny", Allu Arjun again plays to the gallery as a no-holds-barred prankster though it's also a bit of a self-pitying role. His dancing is the film's USP.

Pretty Genelia, who must have cursed herself for playing the lead opposite middle-aged hero Venkatesh in the dud "Subhas Chandra Bose", finds her mate in the youthful Arjun. She plays the stereotypical role of a rich girl but salvages the ill-defined role with her bubbly performance and spontaneity. 

Karunakaran, who showed promise in the blockbuster "Tholi Prema", tried working with big stars but could not exploit their larger-than-life images and failed miserably. He is now back in his element, skilfully exploring the mindset of the boy next door. In the process, he delivers a youthful entertainer dealing with the conflicts and aspirations of youth.

Bollywood actor Manoj Bajpai makes a comeback to the Telugu screen with this film, but the small role does not exploit his immense talent. 

Comedians Brahmanandam and Venu Madhav evoke a few laughs while seasoned artistes Bharani and Rama Prabha are adequate. 

Producer Allu Arvind, who failed to impress with star-studded films like "Johnny" and "Andarivadu", breaks his jinx with his actor-son Allu Arjun. The film bears ample evidence of his lavish spending. 

Tamil composer Yuvan Shankar Raja delivers foot-tapping numbers, with the title number and "Ye hrudayam" standing out.