Nov 12, 2007 01:22 PM
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I saw this movie a couple of days before and I am really surprised to see all the negative reviews this movie is getting. When I think about why? the answers are simple:
1.Most movie goers are comparing it with SLB's previous movies: Khamoshi, Devdas, Black etc. When a successful director has given hits and comes up with a new movies, it is natural that people make a comparison with the director's past work but in doing so, it is also very important to treat each movie differently and not to judge all movies from a similar point of view. Saawariya is different from what SLB has done in the past and it should be judged accordingly as well. Again, how can you compare this with OSO which is a total masala flick?
2.This movie has been adapted from a novel about a love story which goes over the span of four nights. People with negative reviews about this movie seem to forget this. True, even a movie based on a one night story can give depth to several characters but this movie is in a different setting.
Now here is review of the movie and why I liked it:
Plot wise Saawariya is based on Dostov's novel which goes over four nights. The story revolves around Ranbir Raj(Ranbir Kapoor) who comes to this town in search for his destiny and wins everybody's hearts by his attitude about enjoying life, hope and music. He falls head over heels in love with a muslim girl Sakeena(Sonam Kapoor), who is in turn waiting for her love Imaan(Salman Khan) to fulfill his promise by returning to her after a year. Raj makes friends with a pr*stitute by the name of Gulabji(Rani Mukherjee) and Lillian(Zohra Sehgal). The story in the movie takes place during the last four nights till the completion of that year when Imaan is supposed to return.
Movies theme:Many people are complaining, which place is this? what era is this? These details are irrelevant to the story. It is a place forgotten in time, you can call it an imaginary town or a place with no names. The movie is like poetry on screen. The sets, use of melancholic colors, use of light and shadows is simply superb and absorbs you in to the scenes. The gondola, the lake/river in the middle of the town, neon lights, Sakeena's house etc are simply beautiful to look at and contribute to the timeless nature of the location. Again, many people are complaining the predominant tone in the movie is blue, it is very dark etc etc. Well, the director has to go by the theme of the movie and when you have a director who emphasizes on aesthetics and the use of light and color, blue potrays sadness and that is why the movie is predominantly in shades of blue. The emotion of sadness underlies the movie's theme. On one hand, Gulabji is in love with Raj but due to her profession, she does not want to confess her love while on the other hand, Raj is madly in love with Sakeena but she always brushes away his proposals and takes them as jokes. Sakeena herself is in the long wait for her love to come back to her and often bursts in to tears thinking of him. Lillian has been living alone since 37 years and her son promised to return to her but has'nt. Hence, each character has sadness flowing through their veins like blood. Imaan's role is not sketched properly, he is a person with no information on where he comes from, where he disappears to, what is his background etc. But, I think that has been intentional because Sakeena is madly in love with Imaan and she does not care where he comes from, what is his background etc. Ofcourse, if you take a pragmatic approach, these details are very important but given the movie's theme, they have been intelligently ignored.
Music goes with the movie's theme and I think it fits in to the T. The title track is great although it could have been filmed better. It comes in two parts in the movie. The "pari" track is very good as well as it shows Raj slowly winning everybody's hearts. "Chabeela" in which Gulabji dances to make Raj happy has been filmed quite well. Virtually, there is a song after every few minutes in the movies, but all the songs do not last 5 minutes. Some of them are just a minute or two and this gives the movie a feel of a musical like Moulin Rouge.
Performance wise, Ranbir kapoor gives a stellar performance. He handles his expressions well, dances well, looks good and has all the qualities for a star performer. Sonam kapoor is good in her role as well but in some scenes, she does not look too good. Salman Khan's role is a very short one and he does it well. Rani is great as usual and Zohra Sehgal is awesome in her role.
Cons: Ofcourse, I am not championing this movie to say it is flawless. It has got it's cons. Firstly, the excessive number of songs in the movie act as a deterrent sometimes. I do agree with other reviewers, there could have been more soul and life in the movie. References to Mughal e Azam and Rishi kapoor go against the timeless nature of the movie. Imaan's character could have been potrayed a bit more.
Finally some important points if you plan to watch this movie:
Do keep in mind that it is based on a novel over four nights.
This movie is a different genre to other SLB movies, so kindly do not compare. In fact, this movie might start a new trend in Bollywood.
Remember the sad theme of the movie and you will not mind the blue colors.
Watch it with an open mind.
Do not expect it to be a Devdas or a Black or Khamoshi.
Go with the expectations that it might be different to other Bolly movies you have seen before and do not expect any masala stuff to be in it.
