Saawariya (2007)

After you've seen this Sanjay Leela Bhansali movie; you'll probably forget how to say the title of the movie without singing it. I feel ashamed that following an over-flooding of my head with bad reviews on this movie, I actually watched it only when I was dragged to the cinema by a friend who believes in SLB more than me. And now I cannot thank the friend more for showing what I think is the best cinematic production in Bollywood ever. Don't hesitate to have high expectations since this one is made to beat them.

This movie is not a comedy- so comparing it with the parallel-released movie for the amount of laughs it gives you is hardly a fair evaluation. It's a musical based on the story by Fyodor Dostoevsky's "White Nights". It's the story of love- not the Soni-Mahiwal and Veer-Zaara type of love but just love. It's the love that just happens in a snap and sweeps you off your feet. It's definitely the type of love story that Bollywood has never narrated before. There's no family rivalry; no social drama; no unrealistic action; nothing except the love of Saawariya.

The debutant actors Ranbir and Sonam couldn't have started their career with better performances. While we'll have to wait and see how the newbies fair on the spectrum of acting when they do other films with hopefully varying roles; but for a start they completely make you believe in their characters in Saawariya. Sonam is a beauty- the type that you don't lust for because it's so pure- the type you fall in love with. And Ranbir has a disarming smile and a style that will easily get him inside every girl's dream. And with the first-time-ever portrayal of male sensuality in Bollywood in a song with him barely in the towel; Ranbir might be more than smiling in the ladies' dreams.

The movie boasts of a powerful cast besides the lead actors too. We have yet another jaw-dropping performance by Rani Mukherjee – her choreography in the song 'Chabeela' is amazing. Salmaan is playing a tough guy with little dialogues but fitting in this role perfectly. Zohra Sehgal is shining through remarkably as well. Most importantly, no body is dominating the screen over the others with a clichéd acting; the characters seem to gel together and you watch every scene believing in them and believing in the magic that the director is pulling in front of your eyes with many deeply thought over dialogues; subtle appearances; through the character's eyes; through the water and the weather and even the street lights.

The music score of the movie was great. Some of the songs that have accompanying dances are beautiful and the lyrics by Sameer are touching. Playback singers really draw your heart close into the sentiment of the song with their melodious voice with emotions and rhythm. Kudos to the two new singers Shail and Parthiv! The best of everything is still the dream-world like sets. When I saw the trailers; I felt it was too unrealistic to be good. But with the story that's meant to be a tale-of-love narrated by Rani herself; the sets were perfect to create the atmosphere of a delightful small town far away somewhere love has it's own magical dimension.

I give the movie an 8/10 for the new standard it has established in Bollywood; for the acting of every single actor in it; for the music; for the dances; for the picturesque sets; for the direction; for this movie being really good cinema. If the entertainment you are looking for is more than a few skin-deep smiles; this will be a treat! A treat not just for your eyes but for your ears too and it will even leave you with a warm thought when the credits roll at the end.