Guzaarish

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. Combining euthanasia with song-and-dance is a tough, tough feat and despite his prodigious talent, Bhansali can't pull it off. Since we don't have a two and three-quarter rating, I'm going with three stars.

It is, then, heartbreaking to watch such a defiantly ostentatious director borrow plot-points from foreign films, stultify his characters with ridiculous dialogue, and fall for painfully mainstream trappings, like a hackneyed, obligatory revenge/redemption subplot that makes a most unnecessary appearance towards the film's end.

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 often 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.

A film like Guzaarish isn't made for the box office. It's made for the gratification of the senses. And that it does, in ample measure.

GUZAARISH is not an abstract and ambiguous film. It's a simply narrated film made with a lot of heart. Although it's sensitive, it never gets dukhi. Sanjay Leela Bhansali has treated the grave issue of mercy killing with maturity. Although it's about a suffering person who wants to end his life, its message is about celebrating life.

Despite the inconsistencies, the best part of the film is the relationship between Ethan and Sophia. Their interactions with each other, the fights, arguments and the banter touch the right chords. In terms of setting, the film is spectacular -- the music and dialogues serve as perfect embellishments.