The film follows eight diverse students pursuing engineering at CBIT navigating their four years of college life. It explores their friendships, rivalries, romantic relationships, and self-discovery, capturing the essence of campus experiences and the transition into adulthood.
The film received a positive response and was a huge box office success, redefining the coming-of-age college drama in Telugu cinema.[3][1] The film won three Nandi Awards, and six Filmfare Awards.[4][5] Happy Days is widely considered a modern classic of Telugu cinema, holding significant cultural impact, notably influencing many students to pursue engineering. The film was dubbed was remade in Kannada as Jolly Days and in Tamil as Inidhu Inidhu by actor Prakash Raj.
Plot
The film follows eight diverse students pursuing engineering at Chaitanya Bharathi Institute of Technology (CBIT). The film introduces us to Chandu, a sincere and somewhat shy guy, who quickly develops a close friendship with Madhu, a beautiful and intelligent girl. Their bond deepens into a tentative romance, navigating typical early relationship jitters and the subtle complications of family expectations.
Another key pair is Rajesh, the outgoing and jovial "playboy," and Appu, the spirited tomboy. Initially, Rajesh has a crush on their English lecturer, Shreya, but his genuine connection with Appu blossoms over time, evolving from playful teasing to a more profound understanding.
Tyson, the academically brilliant but socially awkward member of the group, secretly harbors feelings for Sravanthi, a senior. His sincere, if sometimes clumsy, attempts to express his affection lead to various comedic and poignant situations, exploring themes of unrequited love and the struggles of self-expression.
Shankar, a dedicated student from a modest background, is focused on his studies to fulfill his family's dreams. However, his life takes a detour when he becomes romantically involved with Sangeeta, a manipulative senior. This relationship eventually leads him down a path that jeopardizes his academic performance and future prospects.
Throughout their four years, the friends experience the quintessential college life. They endure the initial phase of ragging from seniors, which surprisingly solidifies their bond as freshers. They face the rigorous academic curriculum, demanding professors, and the intense pressure of examinations. Amidst this, they also revel in the vibrant campus culture, participating in lively celebrations, inter-departmental competitions, and numerous other memorable events. The film portrays instances of unwavering friendship, mutual support during personal crises, and the occasional moments of betrayal and sacrifice. As they approach graduation, the friends undergo significant personal growth, learning life lessons far beyond their engineering coursework. The climax sees them facing campus placements, marking their transition into the professional world, yet their strong friendships endure as a testament to their "happy days."
Sekhar Kammula held a talent search at Big FM and idlebrain.com and managed to select seven of the eight lead actors. He had to cast Tamannaah Bhatia as a suitable actress was not found.[7] The main lead of the film, Varun Sandesh, was selected using the internet without any direct audition. He sent his photograph by e-mail in response to the idlebrain.com advertisement and subsequently sent a video clip of himself enacting certain scenes along with a song. Damidi Kamalakar Reddy, founding Secretary and Treasurer of Chaitanya Engineering College, acted as a Professor/Lecturer in a brief cameo role.
Filming
Most of the shooting took place at Chaitanya Bharathi Institute of Technology (CBIT) and Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Technology (MGIT). The opening scene between Appu and Rajesh was shot in MGIT with select scenes shot outdoors. Sekhar being an alumnus of CBIT, found it to be a suitable location. He had to arrange a special screening of Anand to the chairman of CBIT and its board members to convince them for an on-site shoot. Apparently, after watching Anand, the board granted their permission to shoot the film.[8]
Cost cutting measures
Sekhar Kammula cut costs of producing the film through various methods. By casting newcomers, he reduced expenses to a reasonable level. As most of the shooting took place in the college, there was no need to construct sets. By partnering with Pantaloon Group, he saved an additional ₹10 lakh on the costumes budget.[9]
Music
Music was composed by Mickey J Meyer and released by Big Music.[10] The audio launch took place at Annapurna Studios on 24 August 2007, 100 students selected from various colleges in Hyderabad attended. The guests for the evening included BN Reddy (CBIT), Kamalakar Reddy (CBIT), Dil Raju, Sekhar Kammula, Ravi Naidu (BIG Music), Mahesh Kumar (Reliance business head), Ilayaraja, Swapna, C Vijaya Kumar, Ashok and the star cast. BN Reddy launched the audio CD and gave the first unit to Kamalakar Reddy.[11]
Happy Days was released on 28 September 2007 in the United States and 2 October 2007 in India.[13]
Reception
Critical response
The film received positive reviews for its fresh story, cast, screenplay, and songs. A critic from Rediff.com wrote that "Don't miss Happy Days for you will be reminded of the days gone by. Savour that nostalgia as Sekhar gives you ample amount of it".[13] Jeevi of Idlebrain.com wrote that "If he sticks to his sensibilities, Sekhar Kammula can never make a bad film. Go and watch Happy Days."[14]
The film was dubbed into Malayalam as Happy Days and re-made in Kannada as Jolly Days and released in 2008. Both versions proved to be successful. The Tamil remake, Inidhu Inidhu (2010),[15] was directed by noted cinematographer K. V. Guhan under actor Prakash Raj's Duet Movies banner. Mickey J. Meyer was retained as the music director for both films and the project was his first venture in each language, respectively.
In 2014, there were speculations that a Hindi remake of Happy Days would be directed by Sekhar himself, and would be co-produced by Salman Khan.[16][17][18] However, there were no further updates.
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