Guzaarish

Directed by: Sanjay Leela Bhansali

Starring: Hrithik Roshan, Aishwarya Rai, Aditya Roy Kapoor

Released: 2010

Verdict: destroy every copy – horrible – bad – whatever – flawed but enjoyable - good – great – amazing

Do you remember that scene from Om Shanti Om where Shahrukh Khan is supposed to play a suffering deaf and blind lover with no functional limbs? And what his reaction is? „This film will be critically acclaimed, it will win awards..... but this film will flop!“ Of course we all remember that scene. But I suspect Sanjay Leela Bhansali never saw the film (that by the way beaten his own Saawariya hollow, releasing at the same day). Had he watched the movie and saw th scene, he probably wouldn´t have made Guzaarish – or perhaps would treat it bit differently. SLB is responsible for some of my most favourite movies. In fact right from Khamoshi to Saawariya I cannot rate them lower than 9/10, that´s how perfect they are to me. Guzaarish however, made me unwillingly put my bias toward the director aside and admit that what they say is true. Sanjay Leela Bhansali is a megalomaniac who boasts a lot and the more he is trying to create a perfect film the more annoying he gets. Guzaarish in the end feels wanna-be-ish and rather pretentious.

Strong Saawariya deja-vu....

Just like Black and Saawariya (and to an extent Devdas), Guzaarish too takes place in some unnamed reality, which seems familiar enough, but yet it is impossible to pinpoint it in space and time. That is, after all, SLB´s vision of making „timeless“ films. However while his previous films (filled with overwhelming gorgeousness) had feelings to live, strong messages to shout and intriguing characters to meet, Guzaarish lacks the magic. Perhaps because it never evolves beyond the idea introduced at the very beginning and doesn´t take the opportunity to speed up and sweep you off your feet in the whirlwind of emotions. It is definitely not the Bhansali I know. Maybe he also fails because for the first time ever he was not making an ode to love? Sure, love is present, but demands no attention.

"I lied! I want everybody´s attention!"

The films touches a rather sensitive matter of euthanasia, but (fortunately) does not state the ultimate opinion, neither is the point of view forced to the public. It doesn´t get preachy, or not too much. In the end it is a simple story of a man, who wants to leave life, that is slowly slipping away from him anyway.

"LOL let´s die today!"

What saves the movie are the performances. Hrithik as a disabled magician, who is in dreams still haunted by the adoring applause of the audience, was amazing. His facial expressions were spot on and there are very few actors, who could have done better, maybe not even the same. From deeply desperate to maniac-like joy, he gives his all to the character. The show-stealer in a beautifully subtle role is, however, his devoted nurse aka THE Aishwarya Rai I love and always dreamed of getting her back after the disasters of Raavan and Action Replayy (sadly it only confirms the theory about her needing Bhansali or Mani Ratnan to bring out the best in her). Their interaction is interesting to watch, although the unending verbal sexual innuendos in between them seem cheap and Aish´s moaning scene pure awkward. It almost ruined the film for me at the very beginning. Yes, after watching it whole you understand why Ethan talks like that and why she responds, but it simply comes a a complete shocker and not everybody will be as understanding and willing to understand as I am. 

She was amazing... but even if she was crap you´d forgive her because... look at her face!

All the supporting cast was very good too, although Aditya Roy Kapoor seems destined to be the new age comic side-kick. A new generation Johnny Lever in a way. What irritated me BIG TIME was the constant slipping into English by all the characters, beyond the limit of tolerable. Too much of it. Music is beautiful, but it does not live up to standarts of Devdas, HDDCS or Saawariya soundtrack´s quality (and again – English songs in Hindi films are just not done).

In the end I was quite confused. By Ethan, who preaches about living life to the fullest, but wanting to die. By Sophia, who doesn´t want to let him go, but is the one to kill him with his consent. By depressingly beautiful visuals, that actually creeped me out instead of bringing the sense of enjoyment. Something was simply missing. Guzaarish is not a bad film by any means, however coming from Sanjay Leela Bhansali it is a huge disappointment and his weakest work as yet.

"True story!"

Black

Directed by: Sanjay Leela Bhansali

Starring: Rani Mukherjee, Amitabh Bachchan, Ayesha Kapoor, Shernaz Patel

Released: 2005

Verdict: destroy every copy – horrible – bad – whatever – flawed but enjoyable - good – great – amazing

What comes to your mind when somebody says „black“? For me it used to be just a colour that helps one to look a bit slimmer, a colour of sadness, a dumb colour without a feeling. But now, now it became a certain space, which is calmingly empty and quiet, and at the same time filled with something wonderful but not yet seen. What caused this change in my perception was „Black“. Once again Sanjay Leela Bhansali had to face the negativity because many people didn´t like the fact he doesn´t make films out of completely original and new scripts. But in my opinion it is not the main storyline, which makes a good film-maker, it is the way he (or she) perceives the plot and hoe he presents it to others. And Bhansali may not be the original source of the tale, but he is possibly the best story-teller out there.

This time he decided to tell a story of a blind and deaf girl and her teacher. The inspiration for him was the famous history of Helen Keller and Annie Sullivan. In a way the film is a tribute to these remarkable women, as well as all blind and deaf people and those who help them find a way from a world that is black. Because after all, everything starts in darkness...

Magical moment...

 When she was a little baby, Michelle McNally just barely survived a severe illness. As a result she is deprived of seeing and hearing. Her loving parents are desperate, completely oblivious of what to do. Her mother refuses to admit her into an asylum and is determined to take care of her daughter herself. But how to raise a child who has no normal way of learning about the world around? Who does´t understand that everything has a meaning, a name. And so Michelle is growing more like a wild, uncontrollable animal and every day is a torture for her and her parents. After she nearly kills her baby sister, not even remotely realizing it, her father, whose grief turns into an unending frustration, is finally determined to send her away. Her mother begs for one more chance and this time she decides to call upon a special teacher for now eight-years-old Michelle. 

Ayesha Kapoor as little Michelle - possibly the best child performance I´ve seen.

Enter Debraj Sahai – a very unconventional (to say it mildly) teacher, who likes to drink, and who likes to create an image of a „magician“ in the eyes of others, because he is one of the few who really can break the black barrier into the world of deaf and blind children. In a very short time he becomes nearly obsessed with bringing Michelle out of her solitary, savage existence, but his harsh methods and stricktness meet with a great disapproval of Michelle´s father, who, after a while, asks Debraj to leave his house. But Debraj, knowing Mr. McNally is traveling for some time, manages to convince his wife to grant him more time with Michelle. 20 days pass and the girl shows no real progress. Debraj is running out of time, and if something doesn´t happen soon, not only he will be defeated, but Michelle will stay a dumb, wild and violent creature only outwardly resembling a human being.....

"Come into the light."

Black has a story as powerful as you can only wish. It is sad, and yet it leaves one with a feeling of something beautiful. It is a film that gives you something, enriches you. And it proves again, that no matter how spectacular and captivating the visuals are, what matters most in the end is the story. Yes, yet again Bhansali presents us with a stunning world full of unrealistic beauty. It is much more subtle then spectacular Devdas and is free of any blue extravagance of Saawariya, but still it pleases the eye and the visuals, sometimes even reminding medieval Gothic style, are as much part of the narrative as the characters. In Bhansali´s world everything finds its place and only all that together can create the final picture. A question where and when is this story taking place might cross your mind, because one cannot really tell from just looking, but in the end it is irrelevant – because even knowing when and where does not hold any importance to the story itself.

Rani in her life role.

Emotions are real. Anger is not over the top even at its utmost, love does not need to be put into words, and tears that he brings into your eyes are not a "duty" like in for example Chopra/Johar films. What I find incredible is how Bhansali exactly knows what the actors are capable of. He is a person who showed us brilliance of Aishwarya Rai, the intensity of Shahrukh Khan, the depth of Madhuri Dixit´s talent, he even made Sonam Kapoor act decently (!!!). And this time too he shows us the strength of Amitabh Bachchan and Rani´s unbounded versatility. These two actors, Rani in particular, made the film what it is. If there are any two actors, not paired as a romantic jodi, whose mutual interaction I absolutely love, it is Rani and Amitabh. The two of them almost seem to have some deep understanding, perfect timing, and in a strange way also intense chemistry. They are great to watch on their own, fascinating to watch together – be it here or even in such a mediocre flick like Baabul. 

My favourite non-romantic pairing.

All the other performances were nothing but amazing too. I was literally blown away by little Michelle played by Ayesha Kapoor, and when Rani continued to present the character after her, it was all so beautifully seamless one couldn´t help but wonder! Somewhere along the line I also couldn´t help but to compare the film with Bhansali´s yet latest movie Guzaarish (2010). The two definitely start with the same atmosphere. But where Guzaarish fails in charming the viewer, Black works magic. Where Ethan wants to die, Michelle unendingly searches for light.

Black is definitely a modern day classic.

Devdas (2002)

Director: Sanjay Leela Bhansali

Starring: Shahrukh Khan, Madhuri Dixit, Aishwarya, Rai, Jackie Shroff, Kirron Kher

Released: 2002

Verdict: destroy every copy – horrible – bad – whatever – flawed but enjoyable - good – great – amazing

The story of Devdas, set in 19^th century India, has first seen the light of day as a short novel by Saratchandra Chattopadhyay in 1917. The author was deeply dissatisfied with his own work and objected strongly against its publication. „It was written in a drunken state,“ he admitted. „I am ashamed of the book now. It is immoral. There is a prostitute in it and God knows what else!“ But the book was published still and it became probably the most popular Indian text of modern time. The journey of a man overpowered by his own weakness has made its way into the world of films more then ten times already, one of the most recent adaptation being the one by Sanjay Leela Bhansali. Released in 2002 the movie was a super-hit and already is being labelled as classic. Many people from other countries choose it as their first Indian movie and for many of them it is an all-time favourite. What is the magic here?

The story is not complicated. Devdas and Paro are childhood sweethearts up until the moment Devdas is sent away by his displeased father to study law in London. When he finally returns, he is a grown man and Paro blossomed into a stunningly beautiful girl. The separation did not shatter the closeness between the two, and soon they fall in love. However Paro´s family has a lower social status and hence the marriage is out of the question in the eyes of the young man´s parents. Things are made even worse when Devdas´ mother publicly insults the mother of Paro, after which the latter swears she will wed her daughter to a family even richer then the one of Devdas. After a heated argument with his father Devdas gives into his weakness and instead of standing up to his parents runs away from home, leaving confused and broken-hearted Paro behind. Only after realizing his mistake he comes back only to arrive on the day of Paro´s wedding to a much older man. Half-mad with pain Devdas seeks the company of beautiful courtesan Chandramukhi and for the first time he raises the glass of alcohol to his lips....

Devdas as handsome English gentleman....

Devdas was my first Bollywood experience, and what an experience! The genius of Sanjay Leela Bhansali´s sensitive touch is breathing from every single frame, not one place in the movie is boring, every detail has its meaning. It is udisputable, that Bhansali is way ahead of everyone when it comes the work with colours and materials. His dedication to every aspect of the project in making is admirable. To endow a film with such opulence it is easy to loose the touch with story-telling, but that is not the case with Bhansali´s Devdas. The director changed some aspects of the story, for which some people could not forgive him, but all the changes in the end contributed to the ultimate appeal of the film. Shahrukh Khan did probably described the film best, when he mentioned it as „visual orgasm“. The lavish sets and marvelous costumes leave one brethless and stunned, but in the end the story was what remained in memory the most.

All the characters are wonderfully human. There is Devdas, who is weak-willed and rather spoilt, but all he longs for is in fact appreciation of his father. There is Paro, who is dignified and dutiful, but at the same time she has pride. And the prostitute, that the author of the original novel was in the end horrified of, is a woman supposedly with no valued in life, yet she is the one who sarifices her peace of mind for a man who will never love her. The three main protagonists have done a brilliant job. Devdas is by many (including me) considered Shahrukh Khan´s best role till date. His Devdas, who comes from London, has an air of grandieur and arrogance to him, which melts completely into a self-pity and wallowing in the second part of the movie, only to be reduced to man pursuing his dying wish. Aishwarya Rai gave the role of Paro her glamorous beauty, that perfectly compliments the dignity of the character. Her most powerful scene has to be the final „run for the gate“, where she manages to be absolutely heart-breaking.

Paro and her diya...

And then there is of course Madhuri Dixit. Her Chandramukhi is by far the most convincing and the most interesting character in the film. When she first appears, you feel she is mischievous, level-headed women very much aware of her charm and abilities. You know she is intelligent and sensitive, and very, very much emphatic. And when love happens to her, she gives into it and treasures it, evne though it´s unanswered up until the final parting with Devdas. Madhuri Dixit has always had a gift to portrai a woman completely in love, and this time she combined this quality with tragic passions and devotion. Her Chandramukhi is breathing, thinking, living person, whom everybody would love. That is her magnificent acting power.

Of the supporting characters Kiron Kherr as Paro´s mother and Jackie Shroff as Chunillal are given the most space, and both are making the most of it. Especially Jackie proved his versatility, because the light-headed drunkard with good heart is nowhere near the roles he had done previously. His interaction with both Madhuri and Shahrukh is very natural. The only actress, whose performance was somehow over the top and not pleasant to watch was Ananya Khare, in the role of Kumud, who, I felt, was trying to hard and failed to impress. Some might say she was meant to be annoying, but I don´t think that´s a justification for the over-dramatic acting.

Meet Chandramukhi - woman literally as beautiful as the Moon

Just like he is amazing in his work with visual part of the film, Bhansali is also known as a great lover of music. Songs and dance numbers in his films are not meant just to pass the time, they are the essential part of the storytelling. As a result Devdas has been given a truly outstanding musical score, where every song is a sheer delight. And the picturization is just as satisfactory. The energetic and lively Dola Re Dola is in my oppinion the grandest dance number in the Hindi cinema ever. The purely Indian Kahe Chhed Mohe is an enchanting fairytale and lyrical Maar Daala weaves magic. Silsila Yee Chahat Ka is a golden moment for all lovers of the singer Shreya Goshal.

Looking at this film objectively, seeing it´s splendor and opulence, one has to admit Devdas is not realistic as such. One needs to perceive it as a fairytale or a different world, much more grand and much more colourful. However the emotional impact and love tragedy, that leaves Romeo and Juliet in shame, is wonderfully moving and captivating. It is a splendid movie.

This is the one scene that ALWAYS makes me cry!