No, I can’t carry on with the expected lyrics further. I cannot say, ‘Then I’m not so blue.’ Because as you watch Saawariya, the blue becomes more indigo with the progress of the motion picture.
I wish to enlist the adjectives that came to mind as I watched this SLB production on cable despite warnings that it was a potty piece of work.
Blue. Languorous. Dreamy. Whimsical. Dark. Surreal. Lingering. Meandering. Picturesque. Sleepy. Haunting. Heart-tugging.
And last of all – a victim of unfair criticism and poor timing or SRK’s newfound bitchiness. (Sorry you SRK fans, but that was the only word that came to mind. It seems there had been some informal pact between SLB and SRK that OSO shall not be allowed to clash with Saawariya. Arz kiya hai… ‘Wo jo hum me tum me qarar tha tumhe yaad ho ki na yaad ho!’).
I wish to enlist the adjectives that came to mind as I watched this SLB production on cable despite warnings that it was a potty piece of work.
Blue. Languorous. Dreamy. Whimsical. Dark. Surreal. Lingering. Meandering. Picturesque. Sleepy. Haunting. Heart-tugging.
And last of all – a victim of unfair criticism and poor timing or SRK’s newfound bitchiness. (Sorry you SRK fans, but that was the only word that came to mind. It seems there had been some informal pact between SLB and SRK that OSO shall not be allowed to clash with Saawariya. Arz kiya hai… ‘Wo jo hum me tum me qarar tha tumhe yaad ho ki na yaad ho!’).
The mistake SLB made was to promote and release this venture as commercial cinema. This is art -and as such, meant not for the masses but for a mere handful who end up getting at the same wavelength as the director.
Coming back to the movie.
A movie that reminded me of those slow art cinematic productions like ‘Lekin…’, ‘Maya Memsaab' and 'Suraj ka Saatwa Ghoda.’ A movie that makes a celebration of Raj Kapoor hits and Mughal-e-azam. A movie that showcases that gem called Zohra Sehgel in an ‘Anari’s’ Lalita Pawar avatar for too short a time. A movie with a near naked sculptured Ranbir Kapoor (winks, whistles).
A movie that an average Indian youth will never like because it will be called crazy, senseless and a venture secretly funded by analgesic-selling pharma companies.
My one message to them – have a heart! In this commerce-crazy industry an attempt to create art should not be asphyxiated so. In this commerce-crazy world a raw emotion-fuelled story should not be pooh-poohed so.
Useless message, I know! No one shall listen to it…but it gave me some satisfaction to write it. See this movie if you have heard and liked the matla of that one ghazal of Ghalib’s – ‘Ishq mujhko nahin, vehshat hi sahi.’
By the way, the music is no less grand than Om Shanti Om’s. In fact it is purer and more melodious and thankfully, a total no-no for the remix industry. And Sonam is no less eye candysome than Deepika. I am afraid few guys would have noticed that since only her face had been put on show. Men will turn me cynical one of these days!
Coming back to the movie.
A movie that reminded me of those slow art cinematic productions like ‘Lekin…’, ‘Maya Memsaab' and 'Suraj ka Saatwa Ghoda.’ A movie that makes a celebration of Raj Kapoor hits and Mughal-e-azam. A movie that showcases that gem called Zohra Sehgel in an ‘Anari’s’ Lalita Pawar avatar for too short a time. A movie with a near naked sculptured Ranbir Kapoor (winks, whistles).
A movie that an average Indian youth will never like because it will be called crazy, senseless and a venture secretly funded by analgesic-selling pharma companies.
My one message to them – have a heart! In this commerce-crazy industry an attempt to create art should not be asphyxiated so. In this commerce-crazy world a raw emotion-fuelled story should not be pooh-poohed so.
Useless message, I know! No one shall listen to it…but it gave me some satisfaction to write it. See this movie if you have heard and liked the matla of that one ghazal of Ghalib’s – ‘Ishq mujhko nahin, vehshat hi sahi.’
By the way, the music is no less grand than Om Shanti Om’s. In fact it is purer and more melodious and thankfully, a total no-no for the remix industry. And Sonam is no less eye candysome than Deepika. I am afraid few guys would have noticed that since only her face had been put on show. Men will turn me cynical one of these days!
19 comments:
Now,I would try to watch Sawariya.
Gar Nahin Vasl To Hasrat Hi Sahi...I could very well relate myself to these lines.
After reading this, I actually am looking forward to watch it.
So here's my "Quarar" with you,jo hamein yaad rahega.
Thanks, that someone actually take pains to write on the Oldies goldies.
Let the SLB tribe flourish and keep alive the blues and the romance.
and let analgesic co's be there financers.. what a win win combo..!!
"My one message to them – have a heart! In this commerce-crazy industry an attempt to create art should not be asphyxiated so."
yeah right .. all you need to create non commercial art are puerile actors, overarching and gaudily expensive sets, a self indulgent director and all these at the expense of the plot, which, by all accounts doesn't even pretend to be anything more than a collection of absurd events.
Oh yes .. lest i forget .. throw in Ranbir Kapoor's two-packs ..
Thank God Dostoevsky wasn't in the audience ..
@Kabir, June and Viv - Smiles :)
@ Dumb - was awaiting some such comment..See, I think people are looking at the movie from a wrong angle. If you look at it like a surreal dream, and not reality, the absence of the plot becomes a necessity! Expensive sets destroyed Devdas - diluted its tragedy and made it a failure in my eyes - I shed not a single tear in Devdas! But once again here, in Saawaariya, expensive and almost absurd sets is not a no-no, because surreal dreams can be extravagant. Okay, your next complaint was puerile actors - I suppose you meant only the newcomers? Because calling Salman, Rani, Zohra Sehegel et al as puerile would be a bit too much. Coming to the newcomers, Sonam cannot be called puerile. Her expressions reach her eyes - unlike so many other actresses of today. And the same can be said about Ranbir. See, liking or disliking a movie is all about how the movie makes one feel - its a very ambiguous thing and that is why most professional film critics get into the line of fire!
The mistake SLB made was to promote and release this venture as commercial cinema. This is art -and as such, meant not for the masses but for a mere handful who end up getting at the same wavelength as the director.
@cooldeeptea
"was awaiting some such comment..."
thank you ma'm .. and i was awaiting some such review.
"If you look at it like a surreal dream, and not reality, the absence of the plot becomes a necessity"
and who is dreaming again ... SLB? Were is the loneliness where is the longing and where is the deep sinking feeling you get at the end of white nights (you have read it right .. if not u may consider borrowing it from the nearest library)?
"But once again here, in Saawaariya, expensive and almost absurd sets is not a no-no, because surreal dreams can be extravagant."
and can be not .. SLB is masking the weakness of the story thru set .. and ma'm story telling is as much an art as making pimped up sets..
"Okay, your next complaint was puerile actors - I suppose you meant only the newcomers?"
yes right you are. Rani and Salman did justice to their roles, Zohra was likable. Sonam did what SLB's heroines do best .... no more comments on her .. and hats off to Ranbir for beating Kajol in towel dance .. just waiting for the his next installment .. desi brokeback mountain .. to offset the imbalance caused by karan razdan's 'girlfriend' .. any guess who would be his love interest?
"This is art -and as such, meant not for the masses but for a mere handful who end up getting at the same wavelength as the director"
yes i agree ... just like 'no smoking'
"thank you ma'm .. and i was awaiting some such review."
My wait for a comment like yours was justified by the statistics that Saawariya has not been appreciated as a whole at all. I was hence awaiting a negativ comment.
Interesting that you should 'await such a review'as mine, which is unexpectedly positive!
"and who is dreaming again ... SLB?"
And why not? If he is making the movie who else should do the dreaming?
"you have read it right .. if not u may consider borrowing it from the nearest library)?"
No, I hVave not read it and perhaps that is the reason why the movie appealed to me but not to you who has read it (I presume?). Because it is a very rare reader that can appreciate a movie adaptation of a well-liked book. I have, myself, undergone that feeling about every time I watched a rendition of a few of my favourite books, until I learnt to separate the book and the movie. There was no other way I could give justice to the celluloid versions. But tell me, honestly, how many viewers who went to watch the movie knew Dstoevsky's name? That can hardly be the reason for the movie's failure.
"and can be not .. SLB is masking the weakness of the story thru set .. and ma'm story telling is as much an art as making pimped up sets."
The can be not scenario would have made the film black instead of blue.As it is, the visuals were a treat even on cable. Story telling is an art - but, at the risk of repeating myself, dreaming and re-telling that dream is not the same kind of art as story-telling.
"hats off to Ranbir"
So your problem is with Ranbir and his towel? I wonder why, honestly!
"yes i agree ... just like 'no smoking'"
True, absolutely.
@cooldeeptea
"Interesting that you should 'await such a review'as mine, which is unexpectedly positive!"
yes .. statistically most reviews were negative...very few were positive ... I never said i didnt like your review .. instead i didnt like the film .. and here we have agreed to disagree ..
"No, I hVave not read it and perhaps that is the reason why the movie appealed to me but not to you who has read it (I presume?) "
no not just that .. it wasnt well made ..lack of plot could not be compensated by gaudy sets .. but agreed that reading it will make it look worse ...
"But tell me, honestly, how many viewers who went to watch the movie knew Dstoevsky's name? That can hardly be the reason for the movie's failure."
Agreed .. btw did it do that bad? i thought it did average .. you can safely read the book now.
"Story telling is an art - but, at the risk of repeating myself, dreaming and re-telling that dream is not the same kind of art as story-telling"
agreed. it was too much to expect from SLB.
"So your problem is with Ranbir and his towel? I wonder why, honestly!"
When did i say that I have one. I said any guess for his brokeback avatar...? I would respect him more if he can do that ..
"I never said i didnt like your review .."
And I never commented on whether you liked my review or not...since I am down to splitting hairs, my response was to your comment that you were 'awaiting some such review', viz. for you or anyone to await a positive review was interesting.
"lack of plot could not be compensated by gaudy sets"
You know its funny the way we are brick-backing over 'lack of plot'. You keep saying there's no plot and I keep reiterating that dreams don't have plots...a dream with a plot would be a bit unswalloable! The gaudy sets are not compensating for the lack of plot -they are not nearly as indispensable as you seem to think, so that the movie does not become outright dark like Suraj ka Saatwa Ghoda or No Smoking. A black Saawariya wouldn't have hurt much, in fact would have perhaps intesififed the tragedy, but as it is, a blue one is a nice sight for an art-concsious viewer.
"btw did it do that bad?"
By failure, I meant not commercial success but the failure to touch hearts, in which department it unarguably failed badly. See these days, with overseas release and stuff big banner movies generally regain their cost.
"it was too much to expect from SLB."
Unfair comment, when directed at someone who gave Black. Even Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam was a good one. So was Khamoshi.
"and hats off to Ranbir for beating Kajol in towel dance .. just waiting for the his next installment .. desi brokeback mountain .. to offset the imbalance caused by karan razdan's 'girlfriend' .. any guess who would be his love interest?"
Followed by
"When did i say that I have one. I said any guess for his brokeback avatar...? I would respect him more if he can do that .."
Sarcasm is generally not lost on me, but I am willing to give you the benefit of doubt..so you actually admired Ranbir for his towel act? Want to see him as a gay now? Hmmm.
And I got myself a copy of the book soon after watching the movie..so Dostoevsky will have nothing to complain about, so to say!
@COOLDEEPTEA
"And I never commented on whether you liked my review or not."
i apologize ... i think i got it wrong
"A black Saawariya wouldn't have hurt much, in fact would have perhaps intesififed the tragedy"
agreed.
"Even Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam was a good one. So was Khamoshi."
agreed.
Note that there is a definite downward spiral from khamoshi onwards to (i know you will disagree with me on Black but Khamoshi is way better according to me ....) and his increased megalomanias (you must read his interviews after the release of Sawariya ... humility is a virtue he needs to be retaught .. )
"but I am willing to give you the benefit of doubt"
thank you
"Want to see him as a gay now? Hmmm."
yes ... he has the potential ..
"And I got myself a copy of the book soon after watching the movie.."
Nice :)
This was an interesting piece of discussion between Dumb and Cooldeeptea.All what I can say is SLB is a pseudo-intellectual.
Just go through the links below and think about your Friends/Net-Friends/Relatives/Cousins. You will definitely find a lot of them.
http://www.everything2.com/index.pl?node_id=153151
http://www.ehow.com/how_2000106_become-pseudo-intellectual.html
@ Dumb
In my eyes, SRK and Karan Johar make the best gay couple in the industry currently. And surprisingly, I do not disagree with you that Khamoshi was a better venture than Black - though I liked Black immensely. And megalomania? Every next big banner film has one in this industry my friend! And comes up with bigger 'duds' than Saawariya! And escapes notice by doing what? Paying the professional critics? I don't know!
@Chirag - SLB's pseudo-intellectualism is currently not under the microscope. I was reviewing Saawariya here and how it made me feel. I shall go through the links you have provided. The world is full of such things, I agree.
You forgot to appreciate the writer. Dostoevsky.
You are right about Sonam Kapoor being underexposed. She needed a towel scene too :).
True, I did not mention him in the review - but that is because I didn't read White Nights before watching the movie. Soon as I finish the book, I shall be in a position to judge actually how much of the movie is based on the book - some reviewers have called it a loose adaptation and most reviewers have not mentioned the author at all.
If you leave the movie apart, Dostoevsky stands apart - what some readers would call slow, and I'd call lingering :)
Oh yeah. An 'exposed' Sonam in a towel would have caused the analgesic companies secretly funding the movie run into some losses.
@chirag sharma
"All what I can say is SLB is a pseudo-intellectual."
agreed. all he needed in this movie was a little thought away from trying to be SLB.
@cooldeeptea
"If you leave the movie apart, Dostoevsky stands apart - what some readers would call slow, and I'd call lingering :)"
hmmm...
"And megalomania? Every next big banner film has one in this industry my friend! And comes up with bigger 'duds' than Saawariya"
and ... that doesnt justify SLB's either ..
and as far as duds are considered...did he really expect the nation to be touched by utterly ludicrous lines of contrived innocence like these ?
"doodh milega yehan .."
"aisa hai na ji .. mein football pe sota hun ..."
"In my eyes, SRK and Karan Johar make the best gay couple in the industry currently."
agreed :)
@cooldeeptea
"Oh yeah. An 'exposed' Sonam in a towel would have caused the analgesic companies secretly funding the movie run into some losses."
that was a good one :)
"and ... that doesnt justify SLB's either .."
I do not consider Saawariya a dud...that is precisely why I put that word within inverted commas. And since I don't consider it as a dud, there is no justification required for SLB. The comment was an additive.
3-4 single line dialogues neither make nor break a movie - its the over all effect of how that movie made me feel is what matters to me.
"that was a good one :)"
Thanx :)
I am adding this now, for I watched it recently.
Firstly, SLB is impotent as a director, I think.
I liked Khamoshi, like everyone, but that could not achieve greatness, it was a good movie.
Hum Dil de chuke sanam...
Another good try, expensive sets, famous actors, good music, grand story.
The story was borrowed from a book, Na Hanyate/ La nui bengali.
I think SLB utterly misunderstood the story, or he was not courageous enough to present it. Whichever it is, it proves that he is impotent as an intellectual.
Devdas is disaster, and SRK adds the finishing touch there. So loud, that I could not watch after 45 minutes.
Black, has most of its scenes copied from an old movie on Hellene Keller, like the scene when the girl touches water, and speaks. I think using the same plot is agreeable, but using the same sequences is not. That wht SLB did
Finally
Ths, Ths ws a dream, as Deepti says, A dream which should have never ne disclosed
The dialogues are drags, The costume, the set, everything is how a dream should be, and not really in the colours of a dream.
Lastly, I donot like SLB, and I am not going to watch any more of his pseudo movies
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