Hi,
I just came back after watching the last show of Saawariya...even at 10pm show, inspite of the "gorgeous" reviews this film is garnering...the house was full. Not that people were super-excited about the movie....they were either there to see Ranbir-Sonam or else out of curiosity of finding out that how could the great SLB go wrong? Anyway, here's what I felt....no offence to anyone....I am bad at reviewing , so am dividing it into bouquets and brickbats....First the brickbats....
1. The first half of the film is a major major letdown...the pace of the film competes with a snail...the narrative is not strong enough and the scenes look beaded together asymmetrically...
2. Background of Raj's character and Gulab needed some proper fleshing out as half the time people were wondering that what is this fiesty woman doing here? What is her relevance? Same goes for Imaan's character.
3. The sets are beautiful....they actually transport you into another world but they only mount the feeling of pathos and depression...giving a feeling of melancholy and suffocation after sometime.... a little sunshine could have balanced out everything perfectly....
4. Dialogues should have been simpler and closer home... and for the sake of commercial success , a touch of realism was required indeed....
5. SLB doesn't believe in scriptwriters and the massive hurdles and loopholes in the film are due to the fact that this creative genius followed the play blindly and word-to-word...
Now, the bouquets...
1. I can't think of a single film-maker in contemporary Indian cinema who can match the creative brilliance of SLB when it comes to presenting the movies.... he fills every single frame with a life of it's own....his attention to detail is truly mind-boggling....he truly is a SHOWMAN.
2.The various gamut of emotions that Ranbir's character goes through in his whirl-wind passionate love for Sakina is beautifully depicted.....the joy, the sadness, the anger, the jealousy, the defeat and the victory.....Ranbir is truly the most alive and vibrant character in the film...
3. Bonding of Ranbir with Lillipop (Zohra Aunty) and Gulab (Rani) actually touches your heart. The man has so much to give....he fills the lives of these two women what they have always craved for....Love for Lillipop and respect for Gulab...all moments between these three bring sunshine into an otherwise sad film....
4. Ranbir and Sakina look so perfect and gelled together that it's difficult to believe that Sakina could actually love anybody else than Ranbir. Even in the most depressing settings, Ranbir and Sakina seem the most alive thing possible....The seeping through of Ranbir in Sakina's life is beautifully portrayed....
5. Ranbir and Sonam are the best thing to happen to SLB's Saawariya. They both definitely have star quality....Sonam looks like a Princess from the Gothic age and it's easy to see how Raj falls in love with her the very moment he lays his eyes on her. They both are good-looking starkids who look great together, have an amazing bonding and a crackling chemistry and can ACT......the climax can vouch for that. I don't think SLB did any injustice to Sonam...going by the play her character Sakina is this elusive confused charmer and SLB stuck to that.
6. Lastly , a word for my favourite actress Rani....Girl, you are a powerhouse...you just have to stand in a frame and it goes up in smoke. I love you!
On a parting note,
When you leave the hall....moments stay with you....not the whole film for obvious reasons....Raj writing Sakina's name all over the town walls, Raj's dilemma and heartbreak during the song 'thode badmaash', Raj and Sakina's angry, passionate and loving interactions, Lillipop's argument with the fiesty Gulab, Gulab's shameless feminity and desertion of Raj when he needs her the most, Liilipop sitting with Raj's picture at the end of the film, Sakina crying and kissing Raj's hands when he asks her to choose a yes or no for Imaan's return and her hugging him...Sakina running like a madwoman through the inroads of the town towards the bridge....shot of Raj betraying Sakina's faith and burning her letter....separation of Raj and Sakina ( perhaps the best 15 minutes of the entire film).........for a few seconds you do sadly laugh at the human fallacy of falling for somebody you know you cannot have.....😆
Saawariya is a flawed film...yes, it is... but it is all heart. It's so easy to see that an over-indulgent and passionate SLB was simply seeing a dream for himself while making the film...he didn't think about the regular audience while making it....he never does....he did what Raj Kapoor used to do...make films for himelf. Critics are right in their place, the public is right in it's place but then, SLB doesn't care what we say about his baby....it's his baby. SLB will stay SLB and we'll keep watching him....even if he falters, you cannot snatch away his magic....it'll always find it's way back....
Anyway, Saawariya won't be a flop. It's doing fine in USA and UK and is expected to be either a semi-hit or an average grosser in India. Saawariya is not for everybody, it really isn't.And ya,any Tom , Dick and Harry can conceive an Om Shanti Om ( kill me for that if you want to) but it takes courage and a little madness to even dream of attempting a Saawariya in India where Masala sells and rest all goes into deepfreezers.😆
Sorry for boring you all but I am like a tap....I just have to vent out everything.
Cricket
Health and Fitness
2