Director of highly acclaimed films like “Khamoshi: The Musical” (1996), “Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam” (1999), “Devdas” (2002), “Black” (2005) and “Saawariya” (2007), Bhansali once again proves his dexterity when it comes to cinematic grandeur. [break]
Guzaarish is truly a sigh of relief. This piece of art from Bhansali mystically explores the journey towards death which makes you feel mortality as a steeping stone to immortality.
Not everyone knows how it feels like to suffer the true pain of isolation. Bollywood has certainly dealt with solitude in human life in different films, but not all have been successful in justifying the emotion. Few actors who succeeded in depicting this feeling of solitude are Dilip Kumar in original “Devdas”, Guru Dutt in “Pyasa”, Meena Kumari in “Sahib Bibi Aur Gulam” and Nutan in “Bandini.”
Now the emotions come alive once again with the chemistry between Hrithik Roshan and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan in Guzaarish.
The entire movie is set in Goa, the home town of one of the most accomplished magician Ethan Mascarenhas (Hrithik). Ethan was severely injured when one of his magic tricks went wrong and since then it has been 12 years that he lives a life of a paraplegic. Since last 12 years, Ethan is being looked after by Sophia D’souza (Aishwarya), his care-taker nurse.
Despite the fact that his life has been confined into his wheelchair, Ethan’s will power is what has kept him stronger and positive towards life. Perhaps, he hosts his own radio show called Radio Zindagi, through which he makes many believe that one should take up all the juices of live till death do apart. For his listeners, somebody who is suffering from spinal injury since more than a decade but still living his life to its fullest is the biggest inspiration.
But on the fourteen anniversary of his accident, his definitions towards life changes and he decides to file his own petition for mercy killing. This comes ahead as a shock to Sophia who has given up everything to keep Ethan alive and this changes their relationship from being just a patient and nurse.
Devyani Dutta (Shernaz Patel), Ethan’s best friend and a lawyer by profession understands the suffering of Ethan and promises to become her lawyer.
In the meantime, Omar Siddiquie (Aditya Roy Kapur) – a struggling magician comes to Ethan, hoping to become his disciple as he regards Ethan as the greatest of all magicians. Considering his love towards the magic, Ethan agrees to keep him as his adherent.
The story unfolds further combined beautifully in a rich cinematography alongside the whole bunch of deep expressions and emotions. The quest to live every second of life and the feeling of suffering and still fighting to own the ownership to one’s life is packaged creatively by a director who has always been popular for his knack of going real in reel.
The character of Ethan, played by Hrithik is so bewildered by adversity that he is able to treat his own suffering with unruffled humor.
All the scenes in this film are ecstatic celebration of life and are touching journey towards death. The drama in the film unfolds wave after wave with powerful dialogues and all your predictions go down to drain by the end of the movie. All the characters in the film occupy their space aptly, creating the magic in the cinema and leaving you with goose-bumps every now and then.
The film layers the agony of a dead-body with passion to make the limited living of a life “sau gram zindagi” congenial for to the one suffering and for people around him.
Bhansali, who portrayed an opulent opera through a broken spirit of Sharukh Khan in Devdas (2002), creates his magic again with a body irreparably damaged in Guzaarish.
The character of Sophia played by Aishwarya gives an exceptional elegance to this film. Not all directors can bring out the true understated beauty of an actor. Bhansali is a master in this job.
Be it bringing out the real potential of Rani Mukherjee in Black or getting Manisha Koirala get to do something really worth of in Khamoshi and now bringing the real heroine of elegance and acting in Aishwarya, this director always creates a top benchmark through his characters.
The chemistry between Ethan and Sophia is far better than what they were like in Dhoom and Jodha Akhbar. The romance in the film survives through gentle smile and subtle smirks but cannot last lone because the destiny does not have them together forever.
Aditya Roy Kapur, who made us believe that acting is also his cup of tea through his last release Action Replay, does his best for his character of a struggling magician in Guzaarish. He is natural and vivacious. Shernaz Patel equally supports the screenplay.
Bhansali’s musical score communicates beautifully to the tragedy of life. Every song in the film evokes and echoes the film’s radiant soul. Sudeep Chatterjee’s cinematography is as flamboyant as it was in Devdas.
Do go for this dazzling and serene movie experience for you won’t be getting one such to experience from Bollywood for at least some months from now.
Screening at QFX
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