Farah Khan is renowned for creating larger-than-life entertaining movies. While 'Main Hoon Na' and 'Om Shanti Om' are now considered cult classics, even 'Tees Maar Khan', initially perceived as a box office flop, has found love among Gen Z audiences. Farah also directed 'Happy New Year', featuring an ensemble cast including Shah Rukh Khan, Abhishek Bachchan, Deepika Padukone, Sonu Sood, and Boman Irani. The film also starred Mohan Kapur, who recently shared Amitabh Bachchan and Jaya Bachchan's reactions to the film in an interview with Siddharth Kannan.
Mohan Kapur recalled, "I got a lot of criticism for 'Happy New Year'." The host then brought up the much-discussed special screening where Jaya Bachchan openly expressed her disappointment with the film. Mohan elaborated, "If a film works, it's a great film, and if it doesn't, it's bad. Whatever Jaya Bachchan ji said about the film was her opinion. Everyone has an opinion, and they are right. There was a special screening, and I was there. Jaya ji and Bachchan sir were sitting at the back. During the interval, Amit ji had a shocked expression. Jaya ji walked outside the hall to get refreshments, where she told SRK what she said. Shah Rukh, being the gentleman he is, reacted by saying he understood her point of view and added that the film was not made for a thinking audience or something to that effect. They were making a fun film."
Mohan also defended both Farah Khan and Abhishek Bachchan, stating that actors commit fully to the tone of a film once they agree to do it. "Farah Khan is the only person I have ever asked for work because I loved her first film, 'Main Hoon Na', and then 'Om Shanti Om'. If you say yes, then enjoy the process. Abhishek Bachchan is an intelligent actor; for whatever reason, he did the film, he did justice to his role. If she found it stupid as a mother, she was justified in looking at it that way. There is no good or bad. There are so many good films that flopped, and bad ones became blockbusters."
Back in 2022, Jaya Bachchan herself spoke about 'Happy New Year' during the Mumbai Literature Festival and admitted she was stunned by the film. "I told Abhishek he's a great actor if he can act stupid in front of the camera like that. I can't be part of what is being done in films these days, and hence, I don't do films anymore. I couldn't do it. But he did it so freely; I was impressed. Of course, I went and told the producer and the main actor of the movie that I've never seen a movie that was more nonsensical than this one." She also recalled Shah Rukh Khan's witty response to her criticism. "He was so quick… amazing man. He said, 'Jaya aunty, not more nonsensical than 'Amar Akbar Anthony'.' I said it could be entertaining. 'Amar Akbar Anthony' is a film I love watching… if you want to laugh, you don't take back home anything you watched in the theatre."
Mohan Kapur further revealed that he had personally approached Farah Khan for a role in the film because he was eager to work with her. "I had reached out to Farah for a role in 'Happy New Year', but that same night, I got a call saying they had already cast for it. One month later, I got a call again, and they offered me a role for another character. The shooting was the next day. When I reached the set in Film City, Farah said I was like a piece of furniture in the film. There was no role, but because she felt bad for me when I called her asking to be a part of her film, she wrote a role for me. I was only standing with Jackie Shroff. Later, she gave me a few dialogues. I got criticized for the role; a lot of fans asked me why I played that role. But some decisions you take from the heart, and this was that, since I wanted to do a Farah Khan film."
Despite the criticism surrounding the film, 'Happy New Year' turned out to be a major commercial success. According to Sacnilk, the film earned around Rs 397 crore worldwide against a reported budget of Rs 150 crore.
