Guzaarish - Review

The much anticipated flick from the Sanjay Leela Bhansali stable hits the screens this weekend. With Hrithik-Ash at the helm of affairs, does it make you forget the questionable Saawariya?
While not the best film, its got some beautiful visuals, heart-warming moments and astounding performances.

Ethan Mascarenhas(Hrithik) was a star magician till one day a freak accident confines him to his bed and thus he faces the difficulties of life as a quadriplegic. His caretaker Sofia D'Souza(Aishwariya) has dedicated her life in looking after Ethan and cares deeply for him. Tired with his obscure illness, Ethan files a plea for Euthanasia(mercy killing), as he wants to end his suffering. The film deals with the problems he faces, his approach to life and the eventual outcome of his prayer.

At just about 2 hrs, the film is crisp. Furthermore, it is a visually stunning film, almost like art on a canvas. The cinematography by Sudeep Chatterjee leaves you with a smile on your face.
The area where the film suffers is the rather mediocre screenplay and plot-line that borrows from other films (The Prestige). The music, by SLB himself, is simply ok, leave alone a couple of melodious tracks.

What this film shows us though is the powerhouse that is Hrithik Roshan. He delivers what can arguably be called as one of his finest performances ever. Emotional, witty or downright angry, he displays every emotion that one would imagine. Aishwariya too springs up her most real & believable performance in years. She looks stunning, in character and not plastic. Aditya Roy Kapoor is good, rest satisfactory.

SLB tries but fails on a few counts. The lack of a positive message being one and the extremely dark tone of the film the other. His attempt is genuine but the outcome is half-baked.

At the end of it, Guzaarish truly defines arthouse/alternative cinema and is a far cry from the commercial jungle. A genuine effort with some soul, certain scenes (like the one where water drops on his head, or when hes angry) are just brilliant. Other than that, its a lot of heavy emotion and some exemplary acting. Watch this if you want to sample some Hrithik genius.

Rating: 2.5/5