Saawariya - Page 9

Sitting through Saawariya

Your heart goes out to the male lead, from the moment you first set eyes on him. Poor darling -- he is parentless, homeless, penniless (having spent all he owned on more chains than you find on prisoners condemned to death, and those nifty diamond studs in his ears), friendless...
And witless. Until he stumbles on a presumably senile old lady (Zohra Sehgal, wasted in a role she will have a tough time living down) to adopt him, he sleeps in the open with a soccer ball for a pillow. Trouble is, the soccer ball is round (big surprise, that), and keeps rolling away, causing the poor fellow to crack his head on the unfeeling stone and wake up to see Rani's painted face leering down at him.

If only he had friends, they would have advised him to let half the air out of the ball to keep it from rolling away, but never mind that.

He is a good-looking boy, Ranbir Kapoor is, and his most striking feature is the cleft in his chin. You get a good view of that feature, because the camera zooms up close, very close, a good bit of the time. In fact, the camera gets so close, and his face is consequently so magnified, that to your fevered imagination that cleft seems to be the size of a bathtub in a luxury resort.

You've got to love the boy, for more reasons than one. There is the bowler hat and, on occasion, the borrowed umbrella that brings home to you, with all the subtlety of a sledgehammer, that the Raj Kapoor legacy has found its latest torchbearer (In case you missed that message, one of the buildings sports an outsize neon sign that says, with touching simplicity, 'RK'). There is the endearing earnestness with which he mouths the silliest dialogues ever penned, often struggling to be heard against the background music.

A brief segue about the music, which at its best is needlessly loud and at its worst, unbearably cacophonous. At times it so loud, it measures a good 7.0 on the Richter scale. The theatre shakes under that unrelenting assault -- though on second thoughts, those tremors could have been caused by Dostoevsky turning over, and over, and over in his grave, poor fellow.

Never mind that, let's continue with the reasons why you should love the latest roll-out from the Kapoor khandaan. There is his toned bod, and the cute butt you almost see when he uses the flimsy towel around his waist like a matador's cape. My spies tell me audiences in the US can actually see the whole butt and nothing but the butt -- a circumstance that earns this film the dubious distinction of being India's first to merit a PG rating. (I wish we had the PG rating here - my parents, always concerned for my well-being, would have guided me away -- far away -- from this movie.)

Continuing the list of reasons to like Ranbir, there is the faux Hrithik Roshan dancing style where you throw your hands and legs about like you don't want them anymore, and the random fits of epilepsy that make his lady love laugh and the rest of us cry.

To be serious for a minute, it would be terribly unfair to judge this boy on the basis of this film; he deserves a better litmus test than a hackneyed script, inept dialogues, and a director who let his incompetent evil twin take over the helm can provide.

When Ranbir's butt was the only highlight of a soulless Saawariya

Arthur J Pais in New York |

November 08, 2007

Just as Ranbir Kapoor was to drop the white sheet wrapped around his waist, a man in the row in front of me woke up his companion, saying almost breathlessly, 'Dekh, dekh, bilkul nanga hai' (Look, look, he's completely naked).

The brief nude scene -- which in India has been smudged -- could be one of the highlights of the visually sumptuous but soulless film, Saawariya. The movie has received PG rating in America for its 'thematic elements, brief nudity, some language and incidental smoking.' PG means parental guidance is recommended.

Most Hindi films in America are released without an American rating; for instance, even a child could have walked into the theater showing Omkara a brilliant but also a highly raunchy and ultra violent film. Since Saawariya , Sanjay Leela Bhansali's bloated and monumentally boring melodrama, is being distributed by Sony which is an American company, it was imperative that it was rated by Motion Pictures Association of America.

Whether Ranbir's derriere will do anything at all to the film at the box-office remains be seen.

The woman who was woken up told her companion soon after the brief nude scene was over: "I am going to sleep. You can wake me up tomorrow." The way the movie was limping, she felt it would never end. As the lights came on, she was asking: "What did he show this time?"

The film, which inaugurated the Mahindra Indo-American Arts Council Film Festival in New York on Wednesday, received mild applause at the end, with some viewers saying they clapped more to acknowledge the beginning of the film festival. But many viewers thought it was an inauspicious co-venture for Sony.

At least 20 people, out of some 600 at the screening, walked out half way through the film which is about two hours and thirty minutes long.

"What possessed Bhansali to make this film!" said a man to a friend. "I think the success of Black went to his head. That film had no songs but here we have nearly a dozen songs. But I can hardly hum any number but for the title track."

It is not that viewers found everything wrong with the film. Some thought Salman Khan, who has just about 10 minutes in the film, was impressive. But why is his character made to be so mysterious? Who exactly is Iman, the character the actor plays in the movie? Why doesn't he tell his girlfriend, who has waited for him for over a year, why he couldn't write to her... Had Bhansali been around, he might have answered those questions.

Earlier in the film, when Iman, a paying guest in the house run by the grandmother of Sakina (Sonam Kapoor), is leaving town he tells Sakina that he cannot speak of the work he is doing for the country. "What happened to that work when he decided to come back for his lady love?" wondered an elderly woman. "Everything in the film seems confusing."

But many people liked Sonam, even though some felt the decisions her character makes in the film are not really convincing. Some felt she had a rare kind of spontaneity; a few said she could become a top star in no time. "These kids are pretty promising," a young woman said. "But they needed a better film."

Many people were disappointed at the climax. "I did not expect the jilted lover to cut his wrist or shoot himself," said a university student. "But the climax is so tame and unconvincing that it ruins the film which was already in much trouble."

As for the grand sets, many people thought in paying too much attention to the production details, Bhansali forgot to give more attention to the screenplay.

"I haven't read the short story by, by... what's his name, Fodor," said another viewer; he was trying to get the name of Fyodor Dostoevsky whose short story White Nights is acknowledged as the source for Saawariya. 'But I wonder if he could have written a story as confusing as the one in the film.'

Another person said he could understand why Bhansali needed nearly a dozen songs and dances for his film. "The villain I think is the short story that inspired Bhansali," he said. "It is difficult to make a full length film based on a short story or a novella. He would have done better had he used a novel with an intriguing plot."

As for the competition between Om Shanti Om and Saawariya which are being released on November 9 across the world, many viewers thought there would be intense competition between the two films.

"Santa Claus has arrived early this year and he definitely loves Shah Rukh Khan said a man who has not seen Om Shanti Om. "But I have the gut feeling that it is going to knock Saawariya flat. At least it won't be pretentious."

But some felt even if Saawariya had been released with no competition, it would have had a tough time wooing audiences.

A young woman who was going through the festival brochure discovered that many awards would be given on November 11, the last day of the film event.

"Is there any award for the most boring film," she wondered loudly. "I would love to nominate this film. I would even suggest its title be changed to SaaBOREiya.'

"It is a colossal blunder," said a filmmaker whose work is being shown at the MIAAC Film Festival and who did not want to be named. 'It is radioactive. But, hey, who knows? Audiences may come to love it because they like Sonam and Ranbir."

US reaction: 'They should have called it Sa-bore-iya

Daddies' little superstars

Text: Sukanya Verma

By Taran Adarsh, November 9, 2007 - 10:32 IST

Irrespective of how his films fare at the box-office, you cannot shut your eyes to the fact that Sanjay Leela Bhansali's films have so much to offer in terms of style and substance.

Alas, SAAWARIYA is all style, no substance. When a director of the calibre of SLB attempts a love story, you expect to experience the various emotions that you generally associate with romance. Sadly, the emotions you experience while watching SAAWARIYA is sorrow and after the screening, anguish.

With splendid backers like Hollywood giant Columbia/Sony and a dream cast, Bhansali falters big time in SAAWARIYA. It doesn't give you the feeling that you're watching an SLB film or a film of epic proportions. Instead, you constantly feel that you're watching a 2-hour play.

Dostoevsky's short story WHITE NIGHTS may sound interesting on paper, but SLB's adaptation suffers because there's not much meat in the plot. In fact, it wouldn't be erroneous to state that SAAWARIYA ranks amongst SLB's weakest films, as far as scripting is concerned.

To cut a long story short, SAAWARIYA disappoints big time. You expect the moon from this genius film-maker, but you're disheartened as you watch his new creation.

This time, hum dil nahin de chuke sanam!

SAAWARIYA is about two young star-crossed lovers. A musician, Raj [Ranbir Kapoor], is certain that he has found his ultimate dream when he arrives at a picturesque town. However, destiny paints a different picture for Raj. One silent night, he spots a mysterious girl draped in black, standing alone at a bridge.

This chance encounter introduces him to Sakina [Sonam Kapoor], a shy and quiet girl, who continues to intrigue him. Thus follows the beginning of a new friendship, where Raj, with his most charming ways and an undying spirit, tries to win Sakina's heart.

Raj is unable to accept her haunting past and their friendship pulls him into a whirlwind of desire, madness and romance.

SAAWARIYA suffers because of its writing mainly. Let's unravel the points that bother the viewer no end…

Which part of the country is this straight-out-of-a-fairytale town located? And what era are we talking of?
Even if you subscribe to the theory that it was love at first sight for Salman and Sonam, what is it that keeps their romance going?
Why does Salman disappear suddenly? Besides his name, the girl knows nothing about him. Not his home/native place, work/profession/work place, relatives, nothing absolutely. It's like falling in love with a shadow, isn't it?
Why does Rani Mukerji abandon Ranbir, when he comes knocking on her doors and admits that he wants to spend time with her? Why does she lose her temper, although she secretly loves him?

• And Salman returns. The sequence that follows and the culmination to the story leave you completely disgruntled and perplexed!

Besides, the conversation between the lead pair fails to involve you. Sure, a few sequences are filmed brilliantly, but the impact the film ought to create in totality is missing. It gets verbose and boring after a point.

What makes matters worse is the setting/ambience. The film gets monotonous after a point, visually speaking, since it has been shot in its entirety on dark sets. You long for some visual relief, some bright spots, some sunshine…

Monty's music is another sore point. Sure, a few songs are well tuned, but the everlasting melody, associated with SLB's films, is missing. You hear them, savour them that moment, but forget all about them once the movie concludes.

Ravi K. Chandran's cinematography is of international standards. The sets look imaginative, but as mentioned earlier, you yearn for a visual break, a different colour.

As a storyteller, SLB is letdown by his own writing. Things start slipping as the reels unfold. In the post-interval portions, you fervently pray that things might stabilize, for SLB as also Ranbir and Sonam's sake, but alas! The love, passion and anguish, the hallmark of SLB films, is clearly missing this time.

Now to the dream launches! Ranbir Kapoor is supremely talented, no two opinions on that. Yes, he looks handsome, but what you carry home is the sincerity in his performance. If that's the [high] level of performance in his debut film, this lad will only make the Kapoor clan proud in years to come. It's a 10 on 10 for this debutante!

Sonam Kapoor is an average actor. However, her role doesn't give her the opportunity to display histrionics. She looks gorgeous at places, but plain ordinary at times.

Age has started showing on Salman Khan's face. He looks like an old, mature man in this film. The boyish looks have gone! As for his role, he is completely wasted in this hardly-10-minute appearance. Rani Mukerji is first-rate. Zohra Segal is superb, while Begum Para is hardly there.

On the whole, SAAWARIYA lacks soul. It's SLB's weakest film to date, in terms of writing. At the box-office, the film will collect big numbers in its opening weekend due to the Diwali vacations as also the hype surrounding the film. But the cracks will start showing at relatively smaller stations/single screens first [where the practice of advance booking doesn't exist] and at big centres as days progress. For the distributors, they'll have to rely on its business from multiplexes mainly. While the business from multiplexes at Mumbai, Pune, Delhi, NCR, Kolkata, Jaipur and South will be impressive initially, there would be a big gap between multiplex and non-multiplex centres. Overall, disappointing -- in terms of content and in terms of business as well!