saawariya review

Saawariya ReviewCast: Ranbir Kapoor, Sonam Kapoor, Zohra Sehgal, Salman Khan, Rani MukerjiDirector: Sanjay Leela BhansaliBanner/Producer: Sony Pictures Limited and Sanjay Leela BhansasliMusic: Monty SharmaStar Rating: * ½Sanjay Leela Bhansali has always had the penchant for making visually mesmerizing films. But with Saawariya, this penchant has turned into an obsession, making the director completely ignore the singular most important aspect of fine, emotionally gripping cinema – the screenplay! It seems like Bhansali forgot to write the screenplay because all he had to do was to read and re-read Fyodor Dostoevsky's Russian short story, 'White Nights' a couple of times, and leave the rest to his cinematographer Ravi K Chandran and Art Directors, Omung Kumar and Vanita Omung Kumar. Well, long story short, Saawariya is a landmark fiasco artfully orchestrated by one of our finest (or so we thought) filmmakers, Sanjay Leela Bhansali.While the promos gave us the feel of a fairy tale love story set in a picturesque…well, someplace… watching the movie still gives you absolutely no clue about where this someplace is or in which century exactly this story is set in. Can this be Russia and the year 1848 (The year White Nights was published)? Oops! No, It can't be! It clearly is not Russia, because the people speak Hindi and it's definitely not 1848 because they have high tech gadgets such as the 'The Telephone' and 'Iron Box', which didn't exist back then. So, where and what is this place Mr. Bhansali, and why are all the women except Sonam, her immediate family, and Ranbir's prostitute friends, dressed in western outfits? The entire place is very western and has no signs of anything Indian except for the skin colour of the people who strut about the streets in manufactured plasticity. Eureka! This must be an Indian settlement in Russia! Or is it not? Why couldn't you have made it easy for us Mr. Bhansali?Two words to describe Saawariya, 'Comatose Magnificence'. The visuals are sheer poetry. Wrapped in the brilliance of the hypnotizing visuals, the soul of the story lies lifeless under the labyrinth of Bhansali's idea of fantasy and splendour. With it's strong storyline, Saawariya could've become a beautiful rendition of an emotionally moving tale immortalized on celluloid. But what is offered to us on screen is a doused down, emotionless story entrapped in the clouded finery of Bhansali's imagination.Ranbir Raj (Ranbir Kapoor) is a struggling musician who moves into the 'mystery town' and wins Lillypop's (Zohra Sehgal) heart and becomes her paying guest cum foster son. While he sings in a local bar to earn his living during the nights, he roams about quite aimlessly during the day and sometimes performs Bollywood-ish song-dance routines with the prostitutes (who seem to infest the 'mystery town') on the road and spends his life doing pretty much nothing else! One day he sees Sakina (Sonam Kapoor) standing in a bridge all by herself, crying her heart out. So, as any man would do, in the middle of the night, he goes up to her (very cheap!) and starts making small talk (read flirt) with her. In the four nights that follow, the shy Muslim girl becomes Ranbir's friend, while Ranbir falls in love with her. But Sakina has a past. She is waiting for her lover, Iman (Salman Khan) to comeback from 'wherever' he went a year ago and marry her. Ranbir tries to convince her that he is never going to return, and she almost believes him. But in the end, Iman returns and Sakina and Iman live happily ever after, while Ranbir goes back to his old life. Oh! And we almost forgot, Rani Mukerji is Gulab the prostitute. She has no role except to show off her designer clothes and add to the (so called) glamour value to the movie!Reading into the characterization, Zohra Sehgal's is the only character in the film that is well developed and makes any sign of emotion flicker within you. Ranbir's character has absolutely no clue in life whatsoever. It doesn't stop there; his character is extremely annoying and completely juvenile. He does all sorts of annoying antics that'll make you want to slap him if he were doing it to you. For instance, there is a boxing sequence that Ranbir does to Sonam (he just boxes with thin air, actually) when they first meet. Any sane woman in her right mind would want to run away from a close-to-psycho character like that and never ever want to meet him again for the rest of his life. And, this is only the tip of the iceberg! Sonam's character is no exception. For someone who is so convinced that her lover would meet her on the destined date, she flickers and wavers and nearly falls in love with another man when Salman Khan doesn't turn up on the dot! Without thinking twice, she grabs the opportunity (Ranbir Kapoor) and agrees to marry him, without even bothering to wait for her old lover!A few questions for Mr. Bhansali…1. The biggest most burning question – When and where is this movie set?2. Why do you have serial lights everywhere – Under the bridge, around the clock, lining the boats? 3. Why do the costumes for the junior artistes look like you have picked them up from suburban Mumbai, while the costumes for the lead artistes look like they are from some another long-lost bygone era? 4. Does Salman Khan wear waterproof clothes? Or is it divine intervention that his clothes dry instantly after just being drenched in the rain when he first meets Sonam? 5. Why does Sonam stand in the bridge night after night when she knows very well that Salman would come back only on Eid day? Loose ends aplenty, Saawariya is a stage play that has been shot on film and projected in large screen. Apart from the lead characters, the junior artists are pathetic actors. It is very annoying to go through the horrible acting ordeal that Bhansali puts us through. Zohra Sehgal is an absolute pleasure to watch. She is brilliant! Ranbir is talented, but overacts and annoys perfectly well. He certainly deserved a better debut. Bhansali's direction spoiled him. Sonam is beautiful, gracious and sheer pleasure to watch. She emotes well and carries her character with elan and poise. Thumbs up to Sonam!So much has been said about the cinematography and sets. Absolutely no flaws there – First class and fantastic. The intent behind these magnificent sets are questionable though. Why is everything grey? Is he trying to portray gloom? Even if he is, what are the semiotics behind creating a dark town such as this? It doesn't seem to fit. Bhansali seems to have forgotten that semiotics work only when incorporated with style and purpose. There seem to be a lot of symbols, but there are no allusions to any of them in the movie. Disappointing.Monty Sharma's music is pleasant and moving. His tunes are a fine mix of melodies that add substance to the dull screenplay. Thumbs up!All in all, Saawariya is a costly effort gone wrong. Bhansali's brilliance has taken a new meaning with this movie sending waves of disappointment across the country. Saawariya is synthetic