What makes an average actor different from a great actor? A third eye!! An eye which sees things that other earthly couple can’t see. Why?? Because they are as good as of an average actor. Then what makes a director different from the regulars? Just a third eye??
No, it’s not good enough. A great director needs hundreds like those to compel magic on sixteen reels. It’s unfortunate that over the years directors of that species have come few and far in between in bollywood, as most were eluded by the formula that was once famously declared to be honed by the king of Masala Movies Man Mohan Deshai.
Movies are no x plus y whole square equals to x’s square plus two x y plus y’s square. Sanjay Leela Bhansali, who has always been a very pretentious director over the years with his extraordinarily extravagant sets and plagiarized storylines, finally proves with his latest offering “Guzaarish” that there might be a formula to a hit movie, but there’s nothing of such for a good movie.
Guzaarish’s storyline is pretty demoralizing and shockingly different from the rest of recent movies which dealt with rare diseases of human being. Why I say different, because from the very beginning of “Guzaarish”, life is at scarcity, the protagonist Ethan Macarena’s (Hrittik Roshan) is pleading for euthanasia, a process of mercy killing that Indian pinal code does not support. A man, who was once anointed as the best magician, called as Merlin, is no more interested in living, because there’s hardly any magic left in his life. A magician who is left to live a life of a radio jockey after being sabotaged to commit a terrible accident, has changed the life of many listeners through his show “radio Zindegi”, is now asking for their support in his mercy killing. Ethan can’t move, can’t scratch his nose, and cant even a remove a fly of his nose.
Do you remember that famous dialogue in the movie “Jerry Maguire” where Jerry says to Dorothy “I love you, you complete me”. Whatever Ethan lacks, Sophie (Aishwariya???), the nurse of his master, completes him. On hindsight a love story is developing between master and his servant, though no one is daring to break the shackle. Ethan, loves to tease Sophie, Sophie dedicates her all for her master’s well being, though she herself knows death will soon knock the doors, she will loose. She is no nonsense lady, she is a true fighter. So when Divyani Dutt (Shernaz Patel), Ethan’s lawyer friend supports Ethan is his plead for mercy killing, Sophie comes down like a house on fire, though she does not forget to prepare a cup of coffee for Divyani too.
Sophie becomes a model of restrained love, who is as wild as it gets. A person who is ready to take on any one for her love, even the judge. A person who in spite of being so beautiful cleans stools and urine of a handicap, a person a who has not taken a single day break in last 12 long years of duty, a person who is so wild in her love that she petitioned a file for her divorce, a person who always cared, when everybody sleeps.
Guzaarish has one more unique character in it; Ethan’s huge bungalow. Though it’s huge, though it’s artistically and atheistically decorated, but it’s crumbling down day after day, same as it is happening to its master who lives in it. Among many photographs of Ethan of his hay days, the center stage is taken by his helpless present.
On a rainy day, raindrops trickle down on Ethan’s forehead; Ethan fights like a child. Against Chinese torture, often called as “third degree” in Indian police terminology, Ethan shouts to give it back to the opponent water drops, but soon succumbs down to asking help. No boby listens as there’s no Sophia. SLB brilliantly differentiates between a love of Sophia and respect of a disciple Omar (Aditya Kapoor) who came here to learn magic from Ethan.
Then there’s this scene where Ethan tries desperately to remove a fly of his nose. The more he tries the more fly disturbs him. Ultimately he stops, so does the fly. Ethan learns in helplessness only one thing he can do, he can only give back love to his enemies.
Before leaving this world, Ethan gives away all his tricks to Omar, though he knew Omar is actually the son of Yaseer, who betrayed with him, and the reason behind his accident. The scene where he gives the final present to Omar as a magic, Omar drags the white bed cover; and keeps on dragging for ever, symbolizes the ocean of knowledge Ethan had about magic, and how he is passing it to his disciple. The magic will continue.
Collage of love, love of different shades and emotions, where friend supports her best friends death appeal, mother agrees to kill her son, Sophia desperate to save her master, “Guzaarish” is a magnum Opus of life as it hugs death. What can I say about Hrittik as a performer. I have lost words and am afraid too whether I would do injustice in doing so. It was a movie of the blue eyed boy only and he did it. I have always said before that till date his best was the “Masculity over love” phone call to Preity Zinta in “Lakshya”, but what ever he has pulled off in the last 30 minutes of “Guzaarish” it surpasses all of his big moments. When he speaks, his eyes, the face all seems to be a landscape of emotions.
I have never been a great fan of Aishwariya. In fact I hated her from the day one because of her stereotypical acting. She has done a pretty good job here. She has spoken it straight and loud, devoid any melodrama. Shernaz Patel as Divyani Dutt was brilliant. Aditya kapoor is not up to mark for me. He needs to sharpen his acting skill more to stay here.
Guzaarish is the best that I have seen from SLB, yes better than “HDCS”. You may say it’s a yawn fest for you, but who cares, as it’s hardly a movie, it’s a theatrical performance to be true and I know how many loves theatre. I have got no hassles if you disagree with me, because I liked “Sob choritro kalponik” also, which might feel even more boring than “Guzaarish”.
If you think its boring, just one tip for you, put you in Ethan’s shoe, you will feel it pretty well.
''Sob Choritro..'' is also loved by me.. waiting to catch Guzaarish !
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