Guzaarish Movie Review: Moving Saga of Love and Sacrifice
Bollyood somehow seems to make a neat job of movies based on rare diseases and disabilities. Guzaarish is a pure master-stroke by Sanjay Leela Bhansali.
Story of Guzaarish:
Guzaarish is a tale of a talented magician Ethan Mascarenhas (Hrithik Roshan) who suffers serious injuries when a jealous competitor plans his fall, turning him into a paraplegic. Poor Ethan is confined to a wheel chair for twelve long years. He becomes a Radio Jockey at an FM station, Radio Zindagi. The show talks of hope, positive energy so much that audiences find it difficult to believe that someone who is the voice of their positive aspirations has a serious spinal injury for the past 14 years. Sofia (Aishwarya Rai) is a nurse who takes care of him, and what they share between them is unspoken love.
Ethan one day, files in a court, a petition for mercy killing. He takes the help of his lawyer friend Devyani (Shernaz Patel) to support his plea. Sofia is clearly taken aback but Ethan’s mother Isabel (Nafisa Ali) supports Ethan’s decision. Ethan’s physician Dr. Nayak(Sushel Seth) stops his from going ahead with the case. Meanwhile, Omar (Aditya Roy Kapoor) comes to Ethan’s house, an aspirant who wants to learn the art of magic from him. Impressed by his dedication, Ethan agrees to pass the legacy to him.
What works for Guzaarish:
Only a prolific director manner like Sanjay Bhansali, who understands emotions well, can do poetic justice like this. It is a challenging subject in today’s time of inane comedies. Who else but him to come up with a story that tackles euthanasia? We have to give full credit to the writing done by Bhansali himself and Bhavani Iyer for coming up with an absorbing and a touching story line.
The visual splendor that is a prominent of Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s every movie-Devdas, Saawariya or Black is very much there even in Guzaarish. Though there were accusations that Guzaarish was a copy of The Prestige(Christopher Nolan) it seems that the movie is a blend of two films, Whose Life is It Anyway and the Spanish Oscar winning movie Mar Adentro(The Sea Inside). But then they are just reference points rather than a blatant remake. Dialogues by Bhavani Iyer and Vibhu Puri have the right sense of touch and appeal. A notable mention should be made about the apt costumes done by Sabyasachi
Guzaarish has been shot in a regal manner. The panoramic view of the outside and the looming indoors has an ethereal effect on the mind. The background music by Tubby and Parik may be subtle but has a distinctive touch that stays with you.
What does not work for Guzaarish:
There is not much on the flip side for Guzaarish, however the movie may not work with masses especially possibly due to the generous doses of English in the story. But since it is a Christian story based in Goa, it is obvious. However, if you want to connect, you have to speak the language of the people-Hindi.
Performances in Guzaarish:
It can be quite an ordeal to do the kind of role Hrithik Roshan has done in the movie. He has done complete justice to the role of a paraplegic. One of the best actors this side of the planet, he has always been excellent, irrespective of the course of his films and thankfully, even the film matches to his brilliant persona. Confined to a wheel chair, Hrithik gives a performance that is simply, awesome, in one word.
Aishwarya Rai, has given this role a touch that shows her keen understanding of the subject. Never has she gone overboard, a thing that most actresses would have done. Aditya Roy Kapur gets a pivotal role which he does with elan. Nafisa Ali and Shernaz Patel are competent and it is always a joy to watch Sushel Seth. The rest of them including Rajit Kapur, Moni Kangana Dutta and Makarand Deshpande also leave an impression.
Best scenes in the film:
- Hrithik’s act gone wrong in the near-fatal accident.
- The court room sequence and Aishwarya’s outburst.
- The emotionally driven finale.
Conclusion:
Guzaarish is a tale of love, hope and sacrifice, narrated in a compelling manner. The film comes with a strong emotional component, invigorating music and yes, the crackling chemistry between Hrithik and Aishwarya Rai. Do not miss this ‘Drama of the Year’.
Guzaarish - Aishwarya Rai and Hrithik Roshan
Guzaarish - Hrithik Roshan
Guzaarish - Aishwarya Rai
One Response to “Guzaarish Movie Review: Moving Saga of Love and Sacrifice”
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We are very lucky to witness as you call it “master stroke” from directors like Sanjay Leela Bhansali and even Mani Ratnam… There is so much dept and detail, one might argue that is what you get with a writter/director but really its a “director’s patina.” This is a movie I would love to own as part of my personal movie collection.
Every single shot is so well thought out but not quite as much as Mani Ratnam movie. Hrithik’s acting was decent but at times when he switched english to hindi and vice-versa… something didn’t fit right. I have yet to see a bollywood actor tread this path successfully. It might be just me-but I find my self concentrating on that more than the story when a bollywood actor/actress makes the switch.
Hugh L. or Dr. House having a British accents makes American believe everyday that he’s not British. Not sure if anyone might see my point.