Guzhaarish - It is a dark love story. Darkness is nothing but a very low degree of light. In life, light resembles hope. Hope - the ability and encouragement to see, dream, do and achieve. When we are stripped of our ability to do and achieve - what we will do? Things are more difficult when we can see and dream. Our world become dark and soon the dreams will be painted black. When we cannot express our anger, when we cannot protect our loved ones, when we have to depend on others for each and every personal needs even the best of hope will pray for the days to end. Yes, ’Guzhaarish’ is a YES for Mercy Killing.
Ethan Mascarenhas (Hrithik Roshan) was the number one magician of the world. In an accident he is now bed ridden, where he need support for each and every day to day activities. He however can see, hear and speak. He fought the situations with much confidence for 12 years and achieved a lot during this time, including writing a book, operating a radio channel (’Zindagi’) which spreads hope for many. However his physical condition is worsens day by day where the Body parts are stops functioning one by one. Sofia D’zouza (Aisharya Rai Bachchan) is the home nurse who looks after Ethan for the last 12 years without taking even a day off. Ethan now feels there is no meaning in continuing life and extending the sufferings and moves court for a permission to end his life. Guzhaarish is a plea for mercy to end the sufferings.
It is a dark tale of love. The characters, situations and even romance are wearing black. It is an issue based film. The story and characters are designed (even handicapped for) focusing on the issue. How far you connect to the issue will judge your liking or not liking the movie. Sanjay Leela Bansali is known for bringing beautiful visuals on screen dark or bright and the director didn’t fail this time too. The best is extracted from the cast and crew but the writing could have been better.
Performance by Hrithik Roshan is awesome! The actor is been handicapped by the character but the film will be ever remembered for Hrithik’s performance. Excellent! Aishwarya Rai Bachchan too gives a very good performance. The camera gives more shades of the beautiful actress, especially in the first half. The mature and elegant character was well safe with Aishwarya under the guidance of Sanjay Leela Bansali. Aaditya Roy Kapoor arrived with a lot of promise, especially after his excellent performance in Action Replaay, but the screen play didn’t give much space to the actor after the grand entry. Rest of the cast is adequate, probably except the actor who enacted the father of Church who was a miscast for the role, unless the character was meant for fun.
Cinematography for a Sanjay Leela Bansali is always special and this film too keeps the mark. Excellent! The light shade combinations and the angles are very good and the images are superb!
Editing could have been better. The narration is already slow paced (thanks to the screen play) and the editing didn’t help to maintain the slow pace where the film drags further. (The bed sheet magic scene will be remembered definitely for bad editing.)
Songs of the movie do have variety. English, Hindi, Konkini and songs of different style and mood, they are beautiful individually and collectively. Udi is my pick from the lot. The music director Sanjay Leela Bansali impresses! Choreography of the songs however could have been better for a Sanjay Leela Bansali film.
Plus points of the film:
Hrithik Roshan’s and Aishwarya Rai’s excellent performance.
Beautiful cinematography.
Beautiful Songs
Some beautiful moments - like Hrithik’s reaction to the fly, rain drops, the accident & magic scenes.
Dialogues in two situations, one by the mother to the judge and the other in the climax by Hrithik himself.
Minus of the film:
1. Screen play. The writers resorted to many a cinematic liberty which is not an ornament for a serious film like Guzaarish. Many important situations are not explained. How the nurse got attached to the patient on the first place was the first major missing link. Where was the loving caring mother all those years of struggle and from where she accidentally arrives to give a speach and die? Introduction of a girlfriend in the end didn’t help considering the turn comes after that. The villain factor too didn’t work well where the boy keeps the same family name which strips the suspense before it is due. The financial report was a joke. Many more is part of the film.
2. A film based on mercy killing should pass the pain a patient suffers to the audience, but the film fails to pass the pain which let down the cause. In Guzaarish, even in the worst situation the patient is jovial and feels romance, enjoy music and dance.
3. The movie got an entire western look. The makers didn’t make an attempt to present it as an Indian film.
4. Slow pacing. The first half is ok in pacing, but the second half drag from the beginning and when climax arrive it is a relief.
Having said all negatives, it is not an easy job even to make such a good cause attempt in style and even when the movie fails to reach the heights it could have reached it is a good attempt which has to be applauded.
Overall, it is a good attempt to make a movie for a cause and yes, I do support the cause. The movie got a good look and some impressive style and performance. Substance wise it could have been better and a lot more effort was needed to create the impact intended out of such a serious endure.
My rating: 3.25 stars