Had Happy Ending been made some years ago when urban rom-coms — remember the likes of Salaam Namaste, Hum Tum and Neal and Nikki — set in western cities like Sydney, Paris and Vancouver — were becoming a bit of a cult with the audiences, it wouldn’t have appeared as terribly unoriginal as it does now.

Directed by Raj Nidimoru and Krishna D. K. and produced under Illuminati films, the film stars Saif Ali Khan and Ileana D’Cruz in the lead roles.

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Yudi (Saif) wrote a very successful book five and a half years ago, but is struggling to combat writer’s block now. His financial position is dire, coupled with the fact that his publishers have sidelined him for Aanchal (Ileana) who pens romantic novels despite being completely averse to romance. Just like our hero.

Desperate for work, Yudi meets Bollywood actor Armaan (Govinda) and concedes to writing a stellar script for the latter, who is looking to undergo a reinvention.

With his career virtually in shambles, Yudi is also seeking to break-up from his obsessive girlfriend Vishakha (Kalki Koechlin). That Saif Ali Khan has a commitment phobia in the movie comes off as no surprise. If Emraan Hashmi has enacted the typical playboy image in practically every film he’s done, Saif Ali Khan has reprised the all-too-familiar bewildered, non-committal guy role in previous movies like Dil Chahta Hai, Hum Tum, Salaam Namaste and yet again in Happy Ending. But this time you are not willing to forgive him for his repetitiveness.

Both lead protagonists are averse to commitment and it is this very thing that makes them go off on a road trip together, share a hotel room and a bed, with no strings attached. But whatever tall claims the two make, love is inevitable and it seeps in sooner or later. This is pretty much Happy Ending for you.

For a movie that is about two writers, it is only fair for a viewer to expect a few celebratory moments of writing or literature. But save for a book reading in the movie by Aanchal, which makes for a particularly jarring scene with more whims than anything literary, there is nothing.

Ileana’s acting is flawed and Saif’s role is too familiar to write home about. Their romance is phony as is their on-screen chemistry. One wishes that Kalki had more screen time as she manages to bring more depth to her limited role than either of the leads.

The friendship between Yudi and Montu (Ranvir Shorey) affords humourous moments in the movie, especially the part where both of them break into Vishakha’s house to erase embarrassing pictures of Yudi from her laptop.

Govinda’s screen time is limited and he doesn’t get to show off his comic timing too much, which comes as a secret relief. He may be the King of Comedy for all the ‘No. 1’ series of films done in the 1990s, but actors such as Paresh Rawal and Boman Irani, and their unaffected comic flair, makes him look rather tame and coarse in comparison now.

The film has its light, breezy moments but it is not great cinema. Just like Saif’s formulaic roles, the film builds up to a predictable conclusion. The movie can be aptly rechristened as Predictable Ending.

Overall score: 2/5