Saawariya

When the movie is in hands of Sanjay Leela Bhansali (SLB), it has to be something different, something good but unfortunately it is not always liked by people. I think Saawariya will result into something which will be liked by selected group of people.

The story is very simple, a simple love triangle. A guy is love with a girl but the girl is in love with some other guy. And that’s it. A simple clear love story with amazing music, amazing sets and superb direction. (Not to forget the choreography)

But despite of all these good things, the movie might not click with aam janta. Now the first question you will ask me will be “WHY?. It is simply because it is a dream of SLB, it is imagination of SLB. It is not real. It is more like a fairy tale, a dark musical fairy tale of love. The movie is very dark and it has many elements which will make people think, “What the hell is going on?”. For example, the starting scene.. the introduction of Ranbir Kapoor. Though it was superb but it was more of dramatically picturized which I am sure most of the people would not understand. There are many other scenes which were not something natural but they left great impact in the minds of people. (Atleast on 3 of us)

The movie reminds you more of old English musicals, with everything happening on those lavish sets and people getting mesmerized by the characters, the music and just everything.

But apart from all these good things, the movie has few flaws too:

1. Will not appeal the aam janta, actually, this kind of movies can’t be made for aam janta.  (This one is the major)
2. The 2nd half lags a bit

So, to sum the things up. On the acting front, Ranbir Kapoor was excellent, I am sure this guy is gonna make big one day for sure. Sonam Kapoor had less dialogues but her expressions were mind blowing. Zohra Sehgal was looking as gorgeous and graceful as ever. Hats off to her.Rani Mukherjee was OK. Salman had nothing much to do.

Music was amazing, lovely songs. Direction, SLB ROCKS simply in this area. Brilliant. Choreography needs a special attention, the songs were choreographed in very very different manner. Very impressive work. Cinematography by Ravi K was remarkable. (Though it was limited around the sets it was handled brilliantly.)

Overall, I loved this movie but sadly people won’t accept this dream of SLB.

Though really wish they do....

This movie is a ok movie... It doesnt really have any story... I think Sanjay Leela Bansali just made a movie to show Ranbir and Sonam as new actors... I think this movie only did one good thing and that is give India and the world a new good looking actor, Ranbir. I also think that Sonam still have to work a bit more and she also can become famous... If you want to see the movie go ahead and see the movie and the new actors....

   This is a movie that will appeal to those that are romantics. it is a great movie and you cannot say it is a horrible movie just because you dont happen to like romances. if that is so, it is still a good movie but it is not one you like.

   i especcially loved the ending since it was totally different from what u were lead to believe for the past ten minutes before it.

This is very different from other Sanjay Leela Bhansali movies that I have seen. Maybe because I didnt see Black. It was more like reading a book than watching a movie. Sakina (Sonam) is in love with Salman and waits for him every night. Raj (Ranbir) sees her once and instantly falls for her. He befriends her and gives her company for next 3-4 nights while she waits for Salman.

Raj (Ranbir Kapoor) performs at a night club. He is always smiling and also brings smiles to his near and dear ones. One night, he sees Sakina (Sonam) just standing on a bridge lost and sad. He tries to strike a conversation but she is evasive. He senses her sadness and tries to talk her out of it. He falls for her in the process. Rest of the movie, he is torn between his love for her and her expectation from Raj to help him find her love (Salman). This is where I think the direction is superb, the movie doesn't move on to become a regular Bollywood flick with Rona dhona. He simply sticks with her and tries to keep her happy during her wait.

Sakina stays with her aunts and gets into a relationsship with Salman when he was a paying guest in their house. Does that remind anyone of HDDCS  . Lesson: don't let Salman stay in your house if you have bahu-betis.  Anyway, Salman leaves with a promise to return after an year. The time is near and hence she is out every night waiting for him. She is shown to be sad at times, but mostly cherubish and lively (esp. in the company of Raj).

Both Ranbir and Sonam were refreshing. Ranbir's love for Sonam and his child like enthusiasm keeps the movie alive.  The characterisation of the movie in general is pretty good. All the characters and being drawn out neatly and they don't deviate from it ( a rarity in Bollywood).

Cinematography. It was beautiful. All in blue and green with sign boards all over the place. No days, only nights. Makes you feel like you are standing in an old city market. More like theater than a movie. A small set with a river, a bridge, curvy roads, bullock cart, a tavern. Like a stage. Heard lot of people complaining about how this is not how it is. But that wasn't the objective. The point was not to keep it close to reality but to weave a dreamland which Bhansali did beautifully. There was one scene in particular, where the top view of the whole set is shown. Totally breathtaking.

My advice, go for it but don't expect an emotional drama. Its just a narration, a short story. 3 days in the life of 2 people.

It is said to be based on white nights, the short story by Fyodor Dostoevsky, which happens in a period of four nights and a morning.

First Night The story opens with a quotation by Ivan Turgenev

"And was it his destined part

Only one moment in his life

To be close to your heart?"

The narrator begins by talking about his life in the city noting that he lives a largely lonely existence with a maid named Matryona. He states that the only time he feels comfortable in the city is during night time. He then retells the story of his relationship to a young girl called Nastenka.

He first sees her standing against a railing and tries to spark a conversation with her but, she, noting his presence, walks away. Stroking his curiosity he follows her until she comes across an admirer who's more aggressive in his courting, leading the narrator to intervene on the scene. He then walks her home showing her and the reader his painfully shy demeanor. She converses with him as a friend though obviously she too is as lonely as the narrator. She promises to meet him tomorrow and attempt a friendship provided that it does not lead into romance.

Second Night

On their second meeting, Nastenka introduces herself to him and the two become friends by relating themselves to each other. In a precursor to a similar speech in Notes from Underground, the narrator gives a verbose speech about his longing for companionship leading Nastenka to comment, '...you talk as if you were reading from a book'. At the end of his moving speech, Nastenka sympathetically assures him that she would be his friend.

Nastenka's Story

The third part is Nastenka relating her life story to the narrator. She lived with her strict grandmother who gave her a largely sheltered upbringing. Her grandmother's pension being too small, they rent out their house to gain income. When their early lodger dies, he's replaced by a younger man closer to Nastenka's age much to her grandmother's distaste. The young man begins a silent courtship with Nastenka giving her a book often so that she may develop a reading habit. She takes a liking to the novels of Sir Walter Scott and Aleksandr Pushkin as a result. One day the young man invites her and her grandmother to the theater running The Barber of Seville.

Eventually she runs towards him urging him to marry her. He refuses stating that he does not have money to support their marriage but he assures her that he would return for her within a year. Nastenka finishes her story at the end of this, noting that a year has gone and he hasn't sent her a single letter.

Third Night

The narrator gradually realizes that despite his assurance that their friendship would remain platonic, he has inevitably fallen in love with her. But he nevertheless helps her by writing and posting a letter to her lover and hides away his feelings for her. They await his reply for the letter or his appearance but gradually Nastenka grows restless at his absence. She takes comfort in the narrator's friendship and unaware of the depth of his feelings for her she states that 'I love you so, because you haven't fallen in love with me.' The narrator despairing due to the unrequited nature of his love for her notes that he has now begun to feel alienated from her as well.

Fourth Night

Nastenka despairs at the absence of her lover and his reply even though she knows that he's in St. Petersburg. The narrator continues to comfort her to which she's extremely grateful leading the narrator to break his resolve and confess his love for her. Nastenka is disoriented at first, and the narrator, realizing that they can no longer continue to be friends in the manner that they did before, insists on never seeing her again; however, she urges him to stay. They take a walk where Nastenka states that maybe their relationship might become romantic some day but she obviously wants his friendship in his life. The narrator becomes hopeful at this prospect when during their walk they pass by a young man who stops and calls after them. He turns out to be Nastenka's lover into whose arms she jumps. She returns briefly to kiss the narrator but journeys into the night with her love leaving him alone and broken hearted.

Morning

"My nights came to an end with a morning. The weather was dreadful. It was pouring, and the rain kept beating dismally against my windowpanes."

The final section is a brief afterword that relates a letter which Nastenka sends him apologizing for hurting him and insisting that she would always be thankful for his companionship. She also mentions that she would be married within a week and hoped that he would come. The narrator breaks into tears upon reading the letter. Matryona, his maid then interrupts his flow of thought telling him that she's finished cleaning the cobwebs. The narrator then notes that though he never considered Matryona to be an old woman, she looked far older to him then than she ever did before and briefly wonders if his own future is to be without companionship and love. He however refuses to despair.

"But that I should feel any resentment against you, Nastenka! That I should cast a dark shadow over your bright, serene happiness!...That I should crush a single one of those delicate blooms which you will wear in your dark hair when you walk up the aisle to the altar with him! Oh no- never, never! May your sky be always clear, may your dear smile be always bright and happy, and may you be for ever blessed for that moment of bliss and happiness which you gave to another lonely and grateful heart...Good Lord, only a moment of bliss? Isn't such a moment sufficient for the whole of a man's life?''

Hey folks...this review is a bit serious huh...unlike me! - probably was in a good mood while writng this...

Catch Phrase : Every Child is Special.

Movie is focused on the finer aspects of upbringing a child. Shows that when parents themselves are unaware of the problems of their own children, how can outsiders / society be expected to understand the individual !? Lets discuss the matter under 2 sub headings – Agreeable Points, Disagreeable Points.

Agreeable Points :

1. The initial reaction of Ishaan’s father upon hearing that his son is a dyslexic. Firstly he was blissfully unaware of the fact that there is such a disease ! And secondly upon hearing that his son is suffering from such an abnormality, he reacted vehemently- to the extent of even abusing the school authorities right in front of the child. This is a very common reaction seen among parents – they are not very involved in their child’s progress and are more bothered about their personal egos. Since Ishaan’s elder brother was always ranking first in his class, so it was taken for granted that Ishaan should also be good in studies. This is another problem in many families – sibling comparison.

Thus the point to note here is the fact that parents should be more involved and spend more quality time with their children and at least identify the basic problem areas and needs of their children and try to solve it within home premises lest it becomes public and causes humiliation to the child.

2. Hostel is never a solution. The most touching song of the movie ‘Maa’ – every child - be it a son or daughter, needs to know that they are ‘loved’ and ‘needed’. This feeling can only be given at the home front. The term ‘Home’ itself should exude the feeling that he/she is heading to an abode where he/she will be loved and adored unconditionally. Being sent away from ‘Home’ can itself cause enough disturbances to a sensitive heart. This is very well depicted by Ishaan’s change in attitude and mannerisms once he is left alone in the hostel.

3. Some of the teachers were shown as sarcastic and ruthless with a non-caring attitude. It is also shown that school education is given only to pass the exams and so the clever students do and say exactly what the teacher teaches! For example the Hindi teacher expected the students to recite his explanation verbatim. Also the Drawing teacher actually had the audacity to hit the child because he was inattentive!

Disagreeable Points:


1. Once it was identified that Ishaan was suffering from dyslexia, he should have been sent to another school or maybe a provision should be kept in a school with different sections – the brighter ones in Section A and the academically below average ones in latter sections. It cannot be expected from a teacher to stop proceeding with the syllabus just because a single student is failing to understand the topic! The entire class cannot be expected to bear with a single ‘dyslexic’ child’s difficulty in understanding a simple thing.

In fact children of same IQ, when segregated, can do better because the pressure of unnecessary academic competition is lesser. If below average students are made to compete with children having a higher IQ, they tend to grow up into frustrated and depressed individuals since after they pass out of school and get mediocre jobs in the professional world, they are more likely to become rebels with zero work attitude. The fact that they studied till late night and somehow managed to get a good result does not necessarily guarantee a good job because the professional world seeks real talent and will not recruit someone with just mugged up bookish knowledge. This can cause enough frustration to an individual. Therefore its better that the tendencies of the child is deciphered by the time he /she is 12 to 14 years of age and handled accordingly. This needs a close parent-teacher association that is totally lacking in Indian schools.

the movie simply rocks.sanjay leela bansali has done a great movie.well i am talking abt the cinematography and direction.the color they have used simply rocks.

introduction of the movie was  really good,remember the 3d buildings in the beggining???

love rani and the newbee.....

nice part of dis movie is d young lead........all d char's ve done justice..d blue hues in d movie....d sexy n deadly looks of ranbir kapoor n rani mukherjee ve been an added flavour....every one talks abt ranbir.....i actually loved rani in dis musical.....d music is awesome....it gives a heavenly touch.....d story could ve been extended.....bhansali i luv all ur movies...no matter wat others say....u ve lived up to my expectations atleast......n monty d music director.....has done d best....d best.....d best.....

its really boring ...

"Saawariya" is the movies like we dont need interval, adn specially it's not a popcorn movie. Sanjay leela bansali has been specified in starting of movie that movie is based on short story called "White nights" , which was  a famous story in 1985. on this story many movies have been made by many directors from rest of world. It is very hard to make movie like this. Those who are telling here like this is very bad movie they should have to go in liabrary and read the story. It's very hard to bring an idea from your story to on canvas. Story writing is writer's imagination but showing to others it's directors imagination. And i think SLB have done it very well. It' a fantacy love story, the place which is hsown in movie may be no where in worl, but imagine by director, the character of RAj who is in love of music saw a girl and fall in love with her "Sakina" who is already loving another one and also waiting for him "Imaan". This story also narrated by Gulabji , who love Raj, but wanna to tell him that she loves him. Actually it's a very heartmelt story but not get well by audience. So, SLB ko award ke bare me chance hai ye me bol sakta ho, becoz this year is now ending and i think only "ZodaAkbar by Gowarikar" and "Khoya Khoya chand by Sudhir Mishra" is waiting. not more movies are nice this year...

i m really very confused about raj & sonam that r they really so talented or it is just the sir sanjay leela bhansali who has done all the efforts. overall the movie was great. sonam kapoor has a long way to go in bollywood. i expect same kind of performance from her,infact i will like to see her once again with sanjay sir.

i dont know what has happened to all these biggy directors, I can never figure out what Sanjay Leela Bhansali was trying to show in this movie, and then there was those irritating dance steps by Ranbir. Sonam is cute but her role is limited to smiling and just smiling, for a change she cries too!

I guess Sanjay had been doing this "change the script to match the set pleas" act since a long time, all his movies has this bluish black tinge, and it seems that after black he forgot that there is something called sunlight and that too exists!

Rani I guess is obsessed with the role of prostites, and believe me she is bad in it. Salman is there for two scenes only so cant talk much about it

Overall a MUST AVOID, I would give it as a rating of 1

Overall Rating: 1

Please avoid it! 

Ah ha haha…..

Highlights:

Sanjay Leela Bansali made a 2inch by 2 inch set and took the decoration theme from Arabian Nights and Venice. Then he took a story written by some English Author – story name: White Nights. So Arabian Nights, Venice land (lots of water and little land, boatman) and English Author together come in this movie.

First scene of the movie  brings to us the sad sob story of Prostitutes waiting for a fairy to come for their salvation. Ranbir assures them of such an arrival by his song.

Ranbir then sees Sonam running helter-skelter from some thugs at around midnight. She is wearing thick randomly tinkling anklets so that when she runs around at mid-silent-night, even the deaf and the mute will be able to hear her and catch her …and ‘do the needful’ dutifully on her I guess !!

Ranbir then asks her why she is out with an umbrella and standing on the bridge. She tells him of her lover. He is shocked for he had already fallen in love with her the last night when he first saw her – love at first sight ! Sonam laughs like a 14 years old silly-pilly girl who has just probably stepped in her adolescence and is restless like a butterfly to know and find out what’s it like to ‘hump’ …well that’s how she behaved !!

He grandmother kept her fixed to her with a safety pin so that she does not run away – but she always escapes without fail at midnight tying her maid to her granny !! Her other occupation is to dust the carpets.

Salman Khan is her lover actually. He was a tenant in her house. She tells her blind granny that Salman is old haggard although he was young! So you see Sonam is shown to be quite clever !! Salman had to leave but gave her the assurance that he will return for her. His return was delayed and thus Sonam was a bit apprehensive….it was at this time that she met Ranbir.

Anyways Salman returns and she runs to his arms leaving Ranbir alone to live with her thoughts for the rest of his life.

The movie was too serious and slow for both the new comers – they should have been introduced as college fellas..maybe then they could have actually competed with Om Shanti Om.

ITS A OK MOVIE ACCORDING TO ME BUT RANBIR KAPOOR WAS EXCELLENT IN THE MOVIE AND THE SETS WERE GOOD

BUT I WAS CONFUSED ABOUT THE END

its a good movie u should see this

ranveer is future of bollywod and sona is too good

Gosh! Ghost story. The last straw on the camel’s back. Yet again the futility of the sacrifice of the Indian freedom fighters comes alive. After movies like Hey Ram, Pinjar, 1947 Earth, which more or less showed that people were more bothered about their personal animosity and were taking personal revenge rampantly, we have another movie here – showing the pains of sacrifice suffered by a Lady ‘freedom fighter supporter’ !



Story:



The lady, Gayatri, belongs to a family which was intensely involved in the struggle for Indian independence. One day a man stumbles into her house – a huge castle in fact - and proclaims to be a freedom fighter but turns out to be a British spy responsible for killing 90 freedom fighters by informing about their hide-out to the British officials. Gayatri seduces him and keeps him engaged while she sends her maid to inform her father about the villain’s presence in the house. Her father comes and hangs him to death.



Because it was late 19th century, women were expected to be chaste virgins till their death I guess! Thus in spite of the fact that she saved other freedom fighters from their untimely death (because of the greedy Indian informer) by giving up her virginity, she is still considered an outcaste and thus leads the rest of her life alone in seclusion and dies a painful death after a long illness! Why? Tie your safety belts folks….because while dying, the villain said that he’ll take her spirit/ soul with him – wherever he goes and will not rest in peace until he succeeds in doing so !



Thus the castle becomes haunted!! Whoever tries to break the house meets with untimely death under uncanny circumstances.



Scene II – A hindu guy (Hero) is in love with an orphan girl (Lisa - Heroine) – who is half British and half Indian – ie. some Indian dame, upon finding a handsome and fair British stud – maybe a soldier or officer, copulated with him blissfully. But this fact was not acceptable by the then Indian males – maybe because they never got a chance to ‘do the needful’ with fair skinned and pretty English Ladies – they were not even allowed to touch them in fact ….. just an assumption. But as far as men are concerned – be it Indian or British – they are pretty broad minded regarding ‘copulating’ with anyone or everyone they meet – irrespective of class, creed, color etc… (refer. Mangal Pandey where the dark skinned, uncouth and ugly prostitutes were used to entertain the British soldiers) …..so I guess this Indian female had a gala time with the British fella – but her ‘gala time’ was short lived since the Indian thugs killed the stud and were about he kill the female as well but because she was pregnant, they left her!



Thus a half Indian and half British looking girl was born. Because of her British blood, she was fair and thus lovely as well. So the Hero of the movie falls in love with the fair and lovely dame (a rare combination during those days as the average Indian females around must be short, dark and ugly as well!) – much to his parents’ disapproval. They even tie her to the car and were about to set her ablaze when their son rescues her and discards all religious threads and oaths saying that if religion separated two ‘love birds’ – he will not accept such a religion!



He thus leaves his parents and goes ahead to marry her and settle down elsewhere. The role of parents ends here – thus showing the fact that such separation has been happening since eons – once the child grows up and becomes financially independent, he/she does not need parents anymore….I wonder why people still copulate and bring forth thankless souls on earth…!!



Tie your safety belts yet again folks – this Lisa is Gayatri’s reborn soul !! And as luck would have it – the Hero, who is an architect, is given the job of breaking the Gayatri’s castle and build a hotel there!!



So they reach there. The villain’s soul that had been haunting the house for so many years, recognizes Lisa (as Gayatri), possesses her – causes a whole lot of trouble to her and her husband and at the end – Hanuman Chalisa saves the show ! The villian’s souls is destroyed and yester-era Gayatri alias Lisa finds someone to love her after all. They live happily ever after.



Conclusion: One should give up sacrificing altogether folks !! If this is the result of sacrifice . . .then something’s is terribly wrong with the term ‘sacrifice’ itself. Beware of sacrificing…be very aware …lest you could suffer like Gayatri…and keep suffering in the next life as well – as Lisa !! – gosh! No more sacrifice for me…what about you? !!