For all those movie critics going around criticising Saawariya, I would like to ask them all what were their expectations going into the movie? If they were of Saawariya being another Devdas or another HDDCS, then they were really mistaken. For those who had done their research and shared the slightest similarity with Sanjay Leela Bhansali's vision, then surely you would have expected the treat that was to appear on screen.
Saawariya is no epic, it is no melodramatic love saga, it is no action thriller, it is no Black, no Devdas, it is not a typical Bollywood love story where girl meets boy, both fall in love and it's a happy ever ending. Saawariya is a sweet fairy tale. It is a story of a dreamer. A story of 4 nights, told over 2.5 hours. The entire movie is a set, the movie is a complete portrayal of perfection, it is artistic in every little way, and the amount of detail gone into the non-acting portions of the movie is incredible. There is symmetry in the direction and the choreography - it is a visual treat for all those who have an eye for art.
Saawariya is love and innocence personified.
Monty Sharma's music is eloquent and beautiful; it fits the theme of the movie perfectly. For a debutant music director, Sanjay Leela Bhansali has been gifted with a golden offering.
Now to the two debutants: Ranbir Kapoor and Sonam Kapoor. Who stole the limelight?
For me, it was Ranbir Kapoor who stood out as the winner. He seemed to fit the role of the majnoo lover boy, though I do feel he overacted in a number of sequences, for example the boxing-dukhi scene and the phone calls he makes to Begum Para, all excited about his new found love. But being his debut movie I think he may have just tried a little too hard, just like Hrithik did in Kaho Naa Pyaar Hai. Ranbir will improve and he will rise.
Sonam Kapoor plays the shy Sakina - Ranbir's love interest. Comparing her to Deepika in Om Shanti Om, Sonam would be wiped away clean, but in her own right, she didn't have much to do in the movie - apart from laugh, shy and cry. Sonam will face the critics, but I feel that with experience she will improve. She certainly has talent; she is pretty and has the potential to become a big star.
Rani Mukherjee was tremendous. Not much can be said about Salman, he wasn't in there for long, but Rani's presence was definitely felt. She delivered an exceptional performance, especially in the chabeela song and in the scene in which Ranbir goes to her house.
Sanjay Leela Bhansali - there is no director who could have attempted to take on the risk of launching two of the biggest debutants in the Bollywood industry in such artistic style. Saawariya was a project close to SLB's heart, which he has done complete justice to. He has previously told the story of eternal love (Devdas), silent love (Black/Khamoshi), and now the story of innocent love (Saawariya).
The legend lives on.
Rating: 7/10