Guzaarish

825 People Rated:

(3.1/5)

Verdict: Like most of Bhansali's films, Guzaarish requires patience, and lots of it. If you are a fan of Bhansali's previous ventures, do not give this a miss! A one time watch for everyone.

What exactly is the purpose of the existence of 'Guzaarish'?  It is a Bollywood film, so commercial and critical fame obviously top the list in that order. Is it perhaps Bhansali's attempt to regain past glory post the disaster that was 'Saawariya' (2007)? Could be some wanton urge of Mr. Roshan to show to the world that he too can act; characters with disabilities aren't the prerogative of only Khans. Maybe the Goa tourism board needed one hell of an expensive advertisement....that doesn't really show Goa. Maybe Mr. Bhansali just wanted to make the audience weep like babies; make you reach for those handkerchiefs at the drop of a hat. There could be a thousand reasons, but for me it only serves as a reminder of the pretentious nature of Sanjay Leela Bhansali who in his career has only sought to shamelessly pilfer movies outright from across the globe (including old Bollywood films) and present them as schmaltzy overblown intellectual films with a so called heart. Not to forget the strange la-la land most of his movies are set in where flowing drapes, the color blue and vintage houses seem to be in overwhelming abundance.  Having watched 'The Sea Inside' I'm going to be blunt, 'Guzaarish' doesn't even come close to matching the emotional appeal or connect the former film created with me. For a long time after I had watched 'The Sea Inside', it affected me on a level raising questions that only instigated some sense of personal morality in me. Right, wrong, everything seemed to merge into one in an attempt to find my own answer for an invisible question omnipresent in the movie but never thrust in your face.  What if I hadn't watched 'The Sea Inside'? 'Guzaarish' would still fail to convincingly address its own core issues. The primary plots being of euthanasia & the budding romance between Ethan & Sofia. In trying to make the movie far more accessible to the general audience, the movie simplifies the concept too thus creating a superficial monster that's all talk and no show. The romance is never allowed to blossom properly, the emotional connect is far too superficial. Just watch the unintentionally hilarious penultimate scene that's as much an attempt to make you cry as an ode to American Football.  The sub-plot about magic and passing on the torch of wisdom to another is pure hokum. Not a shred of credibility exists for anyone even remotely aware of the tricks of the world of professional magicians. Plus the hurried manner in which the eager apprentice's woes are resolved only makes you wonder, when did that happen?  Life is worth living is repeated over and over again, but none of the characters can make a strong enough point for the case; neither do they manage to put up a convincing argument for Ethan wanting to end his life. Yes, he is quadriplegic but hes been like that for 14 years, so did he just wake up one day and decide he wants to kill himself? If one court rejects it, hasn't anyone heard of appealing in a higher court? Oh wait I forgot this is la-la land, Bhansali's wonderland, wheres hes judge, jury and executioner. While the cinematography is good and the film looks beautiful; its all make believe. Making already picturesque locations look beautiful should be the least a competent cinematographer can achieve. The indoor sets are a treat to behold for their Victorian elegance but lack any sense of time, place, purpose or people. What was wrong with everyone's clothing sense in the film? The music is below-par and not a single song did I find hummable.  Hrithik Roshan huffs and puffs with wide eyes through the role, though he fares better in the comic moments. But his uncharacteristic smiles & laughter when compared to the dead-pan look on other quadriplegics, seem pretty over-the-top similar in the vein of Mr. Khan's 'hey-look-I'm-acting' bit in the underwhelming 'My Name is Khan'. The physical characteristics of a quadriplegic are not totally convincing either (though if I hadn't seen 'The Sea Inside' I might not been able to gauge). Aishwarya Rai Bachchan fares somewhat better, but still suffers from her 'tilt-head-when-emotional' syndrome of acting. Aditya Roy Kapoor grins his way through yet another mediocre performance while Shernaz Patel's truly hilarious scene occurs when she stuffs her mouth with a piece of toast right in the middle of an emotional outburst; Though credit should go to her for having not choked on the bread. Ash Chandler in a cameo appearance would be guaranteed to walk away with this year's Worst Actor Award and Worst Hairstyle awards if there were any.  Rather than watching this pretentious excess of emotional artillery directed straight at your tear ducts, go an rent a copy of The Sea Inside and know that real cinema doesn't come in blue bubble-gum wrap.