Guzaarish Movie Reviews

GUZAARISH is an invigorating tale. Bhansali, as a film-maker, has scaled several notches above his past accomplishments to create a near-perfect cinematic experience. The highpoint of the motion picture is the magnificently penned story of an incapacitated and debilitated man who desires to end his being with dignity. The film seduces the viewer with a strong emotional quotient, soulful music and of course, the crackling and wonderful onscreen chemistry between Hrithik and Aishwarya. Without doubt, GUZAARISH is one of the most profound, insightful and enriching dramas of the year.

During a year when cacophonic crassness masquerading as comic entertainment has been sanctioned by critics and the masses, "Guzaarish" comes along to remind us that excellence is alive in our cinema. Ironically this wonderful work of art, nuanced and magical in its portrayal of an unstoppable spirit's quest to juice life to its fullest, is about dying. "Guzaarish" is Bhansali's most tender and evocative film to date. It layers the pain of a dying body with the passion of an unstoppable spirit as manifested in Hrithik's skilled and effortless performance as a quadriplegic who pledges to make every moment of his limited "sau gram zindagi" pleasurable for himself an those around him

Guzaarish is an unusual film in many respects. Firstly, because it follows a film craft that is akin to pure art. Film maker, Sanjay Leela Bhansali and his cinematographer (Sudeep Chatterjee) have created a collage of riveting paintings on screen, where both the interiors of a crumbling mansion and the outsides of an incandescent Goa landscape literally transport you to an art gallery. The exquisite detailing of Aishwarya's daily chores as she brushes her patient's teeth, shampoos his hair, scratches his nose, cleans his bed sores or simply draws the blinds to keep the sunlight out is mesmerising to watch, even as their rare outdoor soirees blind you with their exuberance.

Irrespective of how his films fare at the box-office, Bhansali's films have always been embellished with rich and cherished music. The songs continue to linger in the hearts of the listeners with their dulcet and soothing tunes. After legendary Satyajit Ray and Vishal Bhardwaj, Bhansali is the next accomplished film-maker who has himself created the music of his film.

Sanjay Leela Bhansali must remain eternally grateful to Hrithik. He has saved this pretentious film — by believing in his character completely, and investing it with real emotions and feelings. A man who is so body-beautiful, nimble and sharp, stretched and taut, goes limp and engages just his face to communicate anger, frustration and pain, often without uttering a word.Mr Roshan, take a bow. You have just earned your first National Award. And we are back in love with you again, Mori and other sorry affairs are all forgiven, forgotten.

Hrithik Roshan is outstanding. He spreads his magic and how! This can easily be termed as one of the finest performances of his career. Aishwarya Rai Bachchan delivers a good performance. She's completely dazzling in the Udi song. Shernaz Patel performs her role brilliantly. Watch out for the argument scene between Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and Shernaz Patel. Aditya Roy Kapoor plays his part well. Monikangana Dutta doesn't have any scope. Makrand Deshpande was not required. Suhel Seth is very good and so is Rajit Kapoor.

GUZAARISH is poignant, amazing and simply 'magical'. A sincere 'guzaarish', please go watch it.

First things first Guzaarish is not a remake of The Prestige. Sanjay Leela Bhasali’s latest offering explores Quadriplegia through the life of a magician and puts forth the long debate pertaining to whether euthanasia should be legally allowed in special cases. The movie was surrounded by a lot of hype because it sees the return of Hrithik Roshan and Aishwarya Rai who have earlier cooked up some amazing chemistry together in films like Dhoom

Here’s a crippled, helplessly defeated man asking for a final say in his own fate. The state, family or loved ones can never be better placed to figure an individual’s suffering, or his lost hope. You want to feel a lump in your throat. The effort’s in place. You’re almost there. But the distance is still annoying. Being mesmerised by the beauty of the big screen isn’t always such a great thing. You get overwhelmed at first; leave slightly under-whelmed, eventually. That's the story of this otherwise fine film.

Sanjay Leela Bhansali has positioned himself as Hindi cinema’s poet of pain. His movies are operatic and highly melodramatic. But over the course of six films, the worlds Bhansali creates have become increasingly sealed off and removed from any known reality. So even though the characters in Guzaarish ostensibly live in Goa, the milieu isn’t one that you would recognise. This fantasy would be effective if the writing was more organic and the emotions felt more authentic but Bhansali never gives us a chance to invest in these people.

Bhansali blurs the difference between pain, an unpleasant business that popular audiences shrink from, and melodrama, which is his forte. In a sense, of course, this is the problem with any Hindi film that attempts to tackle serious issues for a popular audience. But the difference here is a sense of regret felt, because the director of Guzaarish actually possesses interesting visual designs that could, if he collaborated well with an original writer, translate into fascinating cinema.

But what should have been a subtle tearjerker turns into over-the-top melodrama. Most of the times, you feel like Guzaarish is taking you for a ride – trying to lure you in with the emotions the characters portray, but you don’t always feel yourself, and making sure it tugs at your heartstrings. It succeeds at times. At others, it leaves you unmoved. Watch Guzaarish if you must. It’s not a bad film. But you know Bhansali can do better. Much better.

The film tries far too desperately to evoke what Bollywood calls the 'feelgood' factor, but ends up evoking more apathy than empathy. Guzaarish starts off slow and beautiful, but gradually, sadly congeals into a wet mess. The Sanjay Leela Bhansali circus whirrs on, but to what avail? It's like an old Disney musical -- just without the wit. Or, ironically given this film's subject, the magic. Here is a filmmaker who needs a playwright -- and, in equal measure, an occasional slap on the wrist.

Sanjay Leela Bhansali's recent films have famously existed in a world of his own creation, a world cut off from the one we inhabit, a world where logic is a hindrance. "Guzaarish", his latest offering, may be less esoteric than his last film, "Saawariya", but it's still an unsatisfying effort because the filmmaker continues to invest more in the appearance of every frame than in the emotional truth of his characters.

‘Guzaarish’ will be loved by the class audience in the big cities but will face rejection among the masses and...