Nov 24, 2007 12:51 PM
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Despite hearing that the film overall expresses darkness, I came out of the theater smiling due to amazement. I went in with expectations of Sanjay Leela Bhansali magic and I left the theater with more appreciation for the genius of cinema. Once again, SLB has taken the interpretation of a written story of love. This time, he has made a movie about the Russian story "White Nights". SLB's work not only gives the story life, but he makes sure to put his own style into it. Even at this moment, I am unsure whether to accept Saawariya as a mere film of Bollywood or a piece of art.
Why did you watch this movie?
As somewhat mentioned already, I went to watch this movie for Sanjay Leela Bhansali. All the films of his that I have watched have left me with an impression. I also watched this movie for the newcomers, Ranbir Kapoor and Sonam Kapoor.
Plot
*"Saawariya" is a story about two young lovers. Ranbir Raj(Ranbir Kapoor) comes to a new town to work as a musician at RK bar. There he meets a courtesean by the name of Gulab(Rani Mukherji). Gulab befriends Raj and he finds comfort in the new city. The new city brings him opportunites and one happens to be love. On the bridge, he meets Sakina(Sonam Kapoor). In just a few days, she invades his dreams and hopes of love. Sakina sees him as a friend and hides the truth about Imaan(Salman Khan). While Raj longs for her love, Sakina waits for love.
*Cast
*Ranbir Raj played by Ranbir Kapoor- "Saawariya" was Ranbir's debut film. His performance was well done for his first film. As I watched him smile and shake his head and deliver strong dialouges, I could not help but think how proud Rishi Kapoor and Neetu Singh is of Ranbir.
Sakina played by Sonam Kapoor- "Saawariya" was not only Ranbir's debut but also Sonam's. For a first time role, Sonam did justice to her role. However, I think she will continue to seek out more talent in acting as she continues to take on more versatile roles. But, for her first film, she was quite impressive. I also kept thinking how proud Anil Kapoor probably was while watching the film the first time.
Gulab played by Rani Mukherji- Rani has always been known to be a "good" actress. Although she had a limited role, she played her character very well. The role of a courtesean was not new for her but there was a different shade in her character as Gulab that made her role seem new to some extent.
Imaan played as Salman Khan- Salman Khan appeared in the film about 2 or 3 times. He did not have much of a great impact in his acting as much as the knowledge of his character had. So, I think the amount of time he appeared on screen was perfect for the sake of the film.
*Was the movie able to keep you glued to the screen?
*Yes. I know people who have watched it and said or wrote reviews indicating that the film was boring. To be honest, I was somewhat afraid of watching it in theater after I heard that. However, my love for Sanjay Leela Bhansali's work kept me thinking "it is going to be great!". I was able to sit in my seat patiently. The film seemed more like an art work. Shades of black, gray, green, and blue took over the film the whole time. The songs were so beautiful and every movement of the camera captured brilliance.
So, I can see why not everyone enjoyed the film but I advice those willing to take a chance to go watch it or wait for it on DVD. But, if you do not give it a chance, you are missing out on true cinema, which is art.
