Reported By:
| Edited By: Renuka Rao |Source: DNA |Updated: Nov 21, 2013, 01:44 PM IST
Film: Guzaarish (U/A)
Director: Sanjay Leela Bhansali
Cast: Aishwarya Rai, Hrithik Roshan, Aditya Roy Kapoor, Shernaz Patel, Monikangana Dutta, and others
Rating: ***
Guzaarish is one of those films that are not meant to entertain so much as to shake you by the intensity of their content and the force of their performances.
Like Bhansali’s award-winning Black, Guzaarish strives to survive on the spirit of a central character — in this case a quadriplegic whose life depends more on machines than oxygen.
Ethan Mascarenhas (Hrithik), a thriving magician in Goa, is condemned to life as a vegetable when a jealous rival causes him to meet with a terrible accident. For 14 years, Sophiya (Rai) has been dutifully nursing him day and night as his caretaker, friend, confidante and lover. Ethan is almost a celebrity in his hometown, what with his programme called Radio Zindagi — inspiring bouts of optimism among his listeners — and his motivational book for other quadriplegics.
Everyone is in for a rude shock, therefore, when, one day, Ethan expresses his desire to die. This issue of euthanasia, or mercy killing, takes up most of the film's time after the interval. When a local court dismisses Ethan's plea for euthanasia, Sophiya, unable to bear his suffering any more, agrees to take his life even at the cost of being jailed. Ethan proposes marriage to her and both live as man and wife for the last night of his life when he celebrates his long-awaited death.
Quite surprisingly, Guzaarish comes across more as a documentary on the life of a quadriplegic with little shots of glamour, fiction and aesthetics thrown in now and then. Yet, it tugs at your heartstrings because you can’t help but feel compassion for Ethan and his lifeless life.
Though the man himself is brimming with humour and optimism, the film suggests in an agreeable manner that he is entitled to his right to live, and die, with dignity. The story is predictable, but the dialogues blow you away and deserve a round of applause.
Predictably, Hrithik is terrific with his performance as a character who does not want to live any more. His emotions, expressions and dialogue delivery strike the right notes throughout the film. Rai, for a change, delivers a commendable performance as the affectionate yet stern caretaker; but her peculiar costumes and garish make-up act as a downside. Kapur as Ethan’s eager-to-learn student is just fine and provides the necessary comic relief.
Bhansali deserves as much credit for the splendid direction as Sudeep Chatterjee for the breathtaking cinematography. The music, again by Bhansali, and the artistic visual imagery that the film evokes act as lifesavers when the screenplay gets a bit monotonous.
Guzaarish, thus, is a simple story woven in a fascinating net of fervent sentiments, alluring photography, and stimulating dialogues. Definitely worth a one-time watch at least!
