SonaBir- The Saawariya Jodi

Posted: 16 years ago

^Thanks Kruthi for the wonderful Banner! 😃

Welcome to the 17th

''Sonabir - The Saawariya Jodi'' FC


The meaning of Saawariya


Photobucket

Saawariya means "beloved." But he's not just any beloved. He's the dusky, blue tinged (savla) God Krishna who is adored as Saawariya. On a more sublime note, Saawariya is the beloved who is always in love. But not every lover can qualify as Saawariya. Only the lover who stands the test of time…who overcomes all obstacles…who doesn't care whether he gets the girl or not…as long as he's consumed by love…as long as he remains in a perpetual state of "being in love…"


That man, that rare lover, is Saawariya.

 

~ Her world was the wait for love. His was the wait for her love. And when the two met, what echoed was….Saawariya ~

Saawariya is a Sanjay Leela Bhansali movie,  It stars newcomers Ranbir Kapoor son of Rishi and Neetu Kapoor, and Sonam Kapoor daughter of Anil Kapoor with special appearance/supporting roles by Salman Khan and Rani Mukherjee, the film's soundtrack has been composed by Monty, with lyrics by Sameer.

 

Here is the official website of the movie

https://www.saawariyafilm.com/

The Promos of the Movie

First Official Promo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=stmKeMVN804

Saawariya- Title Song

https://youtube.com/watch?v=ir51I0UGsCI

Masha Allah

https://youtube.com/watch?v=BcrXfYi6EZs

Yoon Shabnami

https://youtube.com/watch?v=iK5N1f8YxqE

Jabse Tere Naina

https://youtube.com/watch?v=TqUwmOwVJoQ

Dialogue Promo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ceJi0yQeq18

O Re Chabeela

https://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=b-ZCV14e7EA&NR=1

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Name: SonamKapoor
Birthday: June, 9th,1985
Sun Sign: Gemini
Parents: Sunita and Anil Kapoor
Debut Film: Saawariya
Favorite Movie: Devdas
Favorite Actor: AnilKapoor
Favorite Actress: Rani Mukherjee
School: AryaVidyaMandhir, Mumbai
College: United World College Of East Asia (Majored in Theatre Arts and Chinese History)
Hobbies: Reading, shopping, writing, playing squash and basketball, video games and painting.

Though belonging to a family where an interest in cinema would not have been shocking for the youngster, Sonam grew up in a particularly "normal and disciplined" environment. Sonam, a trained classical Indian and Latino dancer, completed her high school years at the United World College Of East Asia in Singapore, where she studied Theatre Arts and Chinese History.

Today, at the young age of just 22 Anil Kapoor's daughter has formed an identity of her own. Her down-to-earth and genuine personality has won her many fans across the globe, even before her debut film has hit the theatres. And what's most beautiful is that even today she is prioritising her life beautifully and is continuing with her education via correspondence majoring in Economics and Political Science at Bombay University, making her parents even more proud. Expectations are sky high and there is no doubt that this girl is here to rock!

 

https://www.starscreenawards.in/article/sotr.aspx?flag=5& bid=2008/January/News_20080102_23

 

~*Video Mixes*~

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z-KOI6ieeP8  -by becky

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DD_atR035jA  -by aditi

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gCk-oNR8q7w&feature=relat ed-- by bluebreeze

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=la3ubHo-udM&feature=relat ed-- by bluebreeze

more will be added soon

Full Name: Ranbir Rishi Kapoor
Parents: Rishi Kapoor and Neetu Kapoor
Birth Date: 28 September 1982
Sun : Libra
School: Bombay Scottish
College: Le Strasberg Institute
Debut Film: Saawariya
Favorite Sports: Cricket, Soccer and Chess
Favorite Actor: Rishi Kapoor, Akshaye Khanna
Favorite Actress: Kajol
Favorite Movie: Shree 420, Life is Beautiful, Devdas
Book: 'Songs My Mother Taught Me' by Marlon Brando. 'The Kite Runner' by Khaled Hosseini.
Cuisine: Italian, Chinese and Mom's cooking.

The charismatic Ranbir Kapoor born on September 28, 1982 belongs to the fourth generation of the prestigious 'Kapoor Family' which is reckoned as the first family of Bollywood Film Industry. Great grandson of the bollywood pioneer Prithviraj Kapoor and grandson of legendry Raj Kapoor, Ranbir Kapoor is the son of actor Rishi Kapoor and Neetu Kapoor (Neetu Singh). Hailing from such a prestigious clan Ranbir is a born talent and a promising actor.

Interesting Facts about Ranbir Kapoor
 Never leaves home without his cell phone
 Has his mom on the speed dial
 Continues to take Rs 1,500 per week pocket money from Mom
 Cries often but not ashamed to admit

https://www.starscreenawards.in/article/sotr.aspx?flag=4& bid=2008/January/News_20080102_22

 

SANJAY LEELA BHANSALI

the magician of Saawariya :)

Official Website: https://www.sanjayleelabhansali.com/

Sanjay Leela Bhansali (Devanagari:???? ???? ??????) is a highly acclaimed Indian film director. He is an alumnus of the Film and Television Institute of India. Bhansali has adopted the middle name "Leela" as a tribute to his mother, Leela Bhansali.

 

His debut film Khamoshi: The Musical was the touching narration of a daughter's struggle to communicate with her deaf mute parents. Acclaimed by all the film garnered a bouquet of awards and Bhansali emerged as a director to watch. It proved to be a rewarding watch. His next film Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam showcased another facet of the director enveloping the simple story of relationship, with visual splendour and an aura of celebration and festivity which bore a very individualistic stamp. Stupendous success and awards came his way. His next film Devdas was Bhansali's ode to India's best known love story. This musical and visual extravaganza received a standing ovation at Cannes, where it premiered. It won many awards and was India's official entry to the Oscars. Then came Black, his most compelling film to date. Time Magazine (Europe) selected the film as one of the 10 Best Movies of the Year 2005 from across the globe. The movie was positioned at number five. His works include Khamoshi: The Musical (1996), starring Salman Khan, Nana Patekar, Seema Biswas and Manisha Koirala; Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam (1999) starring Salman Khan, Aishwarya Rai and Ajay Devgan; Devdas, starring Shahrukh Khan, Aishwarya Rai and Madhuri Dixit and Black (2005) starring Amitabh Bachchan, Rani Mukerji and child artiste Ayesha Kapoor.

His directing trademarks include lush visuals and loud melodrama.

He has won the Filmfare Best Director Award three times; for Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam, Devdas and most recently Black. Black broke a record at the 2006 Filmfare Awards winning eleven awards.

His next project was to be Bajirao Mastani (2006), starring Salman Khan and Kareena Kapoor in lead roles. He wanted to be the first to be able to cast Salman Khan and Kareena Kapoor together, however both stars appeared together first in Kyonki. According to reports, Bhansali has now signed Shivani Kapoor in the role of Mastani [1]. The film for now has been put off. The movie is planned to be completed in 2007 after Bhansali finishes work on Saawariya. [2].

His last project Saawariya, starring Salman Khan, Rani Mukerji and debutantes Ranbir Kapoor (son of actors Rishi Kapoor and Neetu Singh) and Sonam Kapoor (daughter of actor Anil Kapoor). Saawariya was released on 9th of November,2007. The film was panned by many critics, but did fairly well at the box office owing to a very aggressive pre-release marketing.

In July 2007 Sanjay Leela Bhansali bought the rights of a book written by Mayank Austen Soofi titled "A Sudden Visit to Pakistan: Heera Mandi The Dream Home of The Whores". The Times of India reports Bhansali is planning to make a film on Lahore's Heera Mandi, starring Rekha and Shabana Azmi.

 

NOTE:

Dear Mr. Bhansali,

 the whole Sonabir- Saawariya FC would like to thank you from the bottom of our hearts for giving us such a beautiful eleagant film along with two beautiful and eleagant people Sonam Kapoor and Ranbir Kapoor.

If it weret' for you, we would't have been blessed to experience such beauty and class on screen and offscreen as well. :)

You are are certainely what we would say the "magician" of Saawariya. We can't imagine anyone else making Saawariya. Only you could have done it, and you did.

No matter what anyone else says, we truly believe that Saawariya is a beautiful Story with such great depth and poetry. In todays age when people change their soulmates like clothes and also in a time where comedy and brainless masala's are the "in" things.

You have dared to step out of that, like you always have, and finally shown us pure love, true love, the kind of love that really only exists in an imaginary world.

You are a genuis, a master story teller, a magician, a great artist and above all a real senstive person who understands the deep spiritual emotions of humans.

We hope, that throught this FC we will able to keep the freshness and purity of Saawariya alive.

Once again thank you.

With Love,

- Sonabir Saawariya FC 😊


 

 

 

 

 

Our Wonderful Member list

(Sonam and Ranbir at the Saawariya Premiere)

Lennie

luv_huda

cool_subha2006

Angadz

brunobufoni

pinky no1

Rinkalp90

misselegent

raiinie

friskysam

Tiya_I

siumi

AbhiTulsi

cutykoo20

live_life

kaira

atlast14

Raj*

dazzlingdesi (Rashi)

crazymystery

eijaz_lover

rushvi99

tpam (Amuu)

titli_yuvi

Jaseeka

nkapoor

anvesha rulz

~*~sabz~*~

shefali_123

fizzwizz (Fary)

dreamgrl

CINDRELLA

Henna042

Day_Dreamer

rah_akki

living.doll

allure*

Uudee

tangina r

rani_v12

jinc118

rajeev_amnafan1

karol

starbellz_21

premanoj

maya_afreen (Maya)

 np-rox (Ashi )

nitica_82 (Niti)

*Kruthi* (Kru)

**Sanchita**

.:Ashi:.

laksh_ktfan

zanga

~Poonam~

smarie pants

Anusha

admail_bd (Aditi)

angel'sprincess

ainun

desi_baby07

donthavealife

komalash

Pentaminous

kritika k

rajeevzluvr

Rusul

sia<3

Tani91

coolsonu

srk_lover (Megha)

*~Anjali~*

sanaayuvi

*mansibhatia*

mz.jess (Jessi)

wierdo287

Iloveapu

desigrl27

xxS.Dxx

.::Kittu::.

zaara.khan

Nats

RanbirSonam

*laddu*

Innocent Ishita

skyblu (Pia)

sweta0193

neha_bbsr2005

parleen.sui_rul

Bubbly_Shelly

miss honest ( Hoor )

beckytower

angelic eyes

-Ouma *n* Eijaz-

Pretty_gurl_14

iram_16

starsgo

sarajee123

sanjana888

vertika

meena 818

rumu_06

sia<3

mz.jezz

*Eva*

ravina1994

amrita_1994

maria_srk

missgoody

 The links to the previous fanclubs

FC 1: https://www.india-forums.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=714726&T PN=1

FC 2 : https://www.indiaforums.com/forum/topic/755508

FC 3: https://india-forums.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=767386

FC 4: https://www.india-forums.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=771696&T PN=1

FC 5: https://www.india-forums.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=778064&T PN=1

FC 6: https://www.indiaforums.com/forum/topic/780721

FC 7: https://india-forums.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=783422&TPN=1

FC 8: https://www.india-forums.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=786075&T PN=1

FC 9: https://www.indiaforums.com/forum/topic/789451

FC10: https://www.indiaforums.com/forum/topic/791852

FC11: https://www.india-forums.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=797413&T PN=1

FC12: https://www.india-forums.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=809015&T PN=1

FC13: https://www.india-forums.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=815423&T PN=1

FC14: https://www.indiaforums.com/forum/topic/821750

FC15: https://www.india-forums.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=829125

FC 16: https://www.indiaforums.com/forum/topic/838682

this is the birthday calendar for our saawariya family if u think your's is not addedpm me with your DOB and username

Admail_bd/adity =7th oct

nitica_82/nitica=26th nov

fizzwizz/fary=23rd dec

CutiepieRani/Rani=8th oct

Raiinie/raiinie= 26th march

mz.jess/jessi= 7th july

rumu_06=27th july

tpam/amrita=1st jan

srk_lover/megha= 11 jan

zaara.khan/aditi= 11th may

*laddu*/Priya = 30th april

Meena818/Meena= 2nd march

beckytower/Becky = 29th april

shefali_123/Shefali = 15th august

tangina r/tangy= 17th june

khanrocks/zara=29th june

rajeev_amnafan/tara:13th September
 

Edited by beckytower - 16 years ago
Posted: 16 years ago

SonaBir Videos

( interviews, promos,performances, reports etc)

Ranbir and Sonam dance on JDJ

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6OWwoC_K838

Ranbir and Sonam get chatty videos

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1RMNAWoPN9w   Part 1

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O0f8l41yvBk&feature=relat ed   Part 2

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=76y2r4SJcxA&feature=relat ed  Part 3

Sonam Special on CNN-IBN

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fsEoRNJLA0E&feature=relat ed

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7brEU_-RYhE&feature=relat ed

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CKsVu68bIOA&feature=relat ed

Ranbir-Sonam on Aajtak

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O5eR7I4qU0c&feature=relat ed

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Az2avKhi7Z8&feature=relat ed

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q5VrgTl49kg&feature=relat ed

Ranbir and Sonam celebrating Children's day

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gPkEX-RIq_w

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ggvfMeQeT1o&feature=relat ed

Ranbir showing his house - Star news

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gtfvs_wCvM0&feature=relat ed

Ranbir & Sonam Kapoor's ADIS Awareness Advt.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hfHT0owPinc&feature=relat ed

Ranbir Kapoor - Channel [v] Interview

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t5xBXo-CMDs

Sonam Kapoor - Channel [v] Interview

Sonam Kapoor - Channel [v] Webcam Goddess

Ranbir & Sonam Kapoor  in the BigFm station
 
Ranbir Kapoor on Aaj Tak -
 
Ranbir Kapoor at Sabse Favourite Kaun Awards 2008
 
Ranbir and Sonam on CNN IBN
Edited by beckytower - 16 years ago
Posted: 16 years ago

A Bollywood musical romance that boasts extravagant sets and emotions.
Boxoffice.com by Amy Nicholson



"Saawariya" is a lush production featuring fabulous sets, an extravagant musical score, 10 new songs and two newcomers with much potential as the story's star-crossed lovers.
Hollywood Reporter by Kirk Honeycutt




Indian cinema's past meets its present in the lavish Saawariya. In a period when hip younger filmmakers are scrambling for American-style cool, discarding the songs and replacing sentiment with cynicism, directors like Bhansali remain determined to move popular Indian Cinema forward while preserving the unique conventions of the "Film Industry that is also a Genre."

LA Weekly by David Chute



"It's a love story taken to another level. Unrequited love never looked or felt so good. The film is spellbinding, heartwarming, and yes, heartbreaking as well."
And "Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Saawariya is an eternal film that transports the viewers across time and space into a world that exists just beyond our ordinary lives."
PlanetBollywood.com


Ranbir Kapoor displays the youthfulness of a boy in love and the maturity of a man who has lost his love and draws you into this make-believe world of Sanjay Leela Bhansali.
Harrow Observer,London by Devansh Patel


Bhansali's Saawariya inspired by Fyodor Dostoevsky's short story called White Night is like experiencing a refreshing love story off a picturesque fairy tale book. Yet, it is real and encapturing.
Saawariya is Bhansali's Diwali gift. Go on, indulge and rejoice in its extravagance.
Deccan Herald


Like an opera musical from broadway but...bollywood! Loved it!
M film tabloid, Indonesia


Moulin rouge ala India! Sweet dreams … I got carried on.. Beautiful cinematography
Blend magazine, Indonesia


It's a very impressive Indian movie
Sounds Up magazine, Indonesia


A Bollywood movie with the touch of Hollywood! A unique Indian movie.
What'up magazine, Indonesia


A good combination of Bollywood vs Hollywood!
Poros Magazine, Indonesia


"Awesome" -
Inland Empire Weekly





SOURCE:

www.saawariyafilm.com

Edited by beckytower - 16 years ago
Posted: 16 years ago

Sanjay Leela Bhansali's SAAWARIYA Movie Review





On the weekend I had the opportunity to watch one of the two new Diwali Releases, Sanjay Leela Bhansali's SAAWARIYA. For those of you that do know me, I am a fine lover of the arts and off-beat style cinema - from my adventures at the Toronto Film Festival and other such movies.


As such, while the other indian film viewers preferred to watch and hoot about Shah Rukh Khan's 6-pack in his latest saga OM SHANTI OM, I knew when I watched SAAWARIYA I would have a quality product on my hands. I didn't believe a man that can make movies such as KHAMOSHI, DEVDAS and his most recent BLACK would falter with a script based on Fyodor Dostoevsky's short story, "White Nights".

SAAWARIYA is a film but more like a stage play, and as such - I would suggest, a viewer should approach the film as a theatrical production. The sets, the environment, and the overall cinematography are all setup a mini world - but the actors within them act like they are on a stage. Perhaps a parallel from Shirish Kunder's JAAN-E-MANN can be drawn in this sense, which is a very innovative and different style of filmmaking in Indian Cinema which has not been utilized fully. Why am I saying this as such? Bhansali's previous movie - BLACK- starring Rani Mukherji and Amitabh Bachchan - used its silences, the rhythms in each others voices - as the main musical soundtrack. And in the case of this movie, the viewer is literally bombarded with songs at even the slightest notice. (I digress: It does help each song is a beautiful creation of the environment, but it is as if Bhansali has created the songs himself, rather than appointed new Music Director Monty. Regardless however, the songs are a very strong part of the entire enterprise. More on this later…)


Getting back to point - if it was another director at the helm of SAAWARIYA would one believe that they have utterly lost it. However, the bigger picture is that after creating BLACK or a KHAMOSHI, which can be considered art-house cinema, Bhansali perhaps put a little bit too much emphasis on the "intelligent" audience - because in a year filled with unintelligent and non-thinking films scaling new heights at the Indian Box Office - nobody would be in the mindset to actually "THINK"! Shame on Bhansali for remarking on the "THINKING" indian audience - for they're all out in hiding, until Shahrukh's obscenely mainstream "OM SHANTI OM" disappears, and audiences can start thinking again for themselves.

It is a relief however to see the film is doing well. But perhaps overall it's a fault of Bhansali's to release his film on Diwali. Diwali releases were traditionally easy-thinking films, and Shahrukh (Producer and Star of Diwali's other release - OM SHANTI OM) took advantage of this, and released his film, much after Bhansali set his date. However, Bhansali will get over this setback.

It is my intention to point out, however, that Bhansali uses theatrical styles of filmmaking and to showcase his environment and his two new stars (Ranbir Kapoor - Grandson of Raj Kapoor, son of Rishi Kapoor - and Sonam Kapoor, daughter of Anil Kapoor). So even though from our perspective it looks like Bhansali has gone mad, throwing songs in at the drop of a hat - it is more of Bhansali's point to showcase that this is a stage theatrical production - at least in my own perspective. The dances even showcase this extravagance, such as the grand "Eid" song that Ranbir sings at the mosque while Sonam looks at the sky to see the moon, or the dance performed by Rani and the other Prostitutes around the town towards Ranbir, who is hurting. And may I not forget the title song, which introduces Ranbir and is the theme of the entire film. The way each of these songs take place is opulent in nature, and extremely theatrical.

Another point to consider in this angle is the blue-green feel of the film, with light coming in at various instances in the film - showcasing a metaphor of "darkness" versus "light" - another point to take in consideration of the filmmaking style of Bhansali. Even Black showcased the lighting and "snow" in such a way that allowed for viewers to understand the message of the filmmaker through these scenes.

As introduced at the beginning of the production by Rani Mukherji, this film takes place in an environment which cannot be placed on a map, nor having been understood as any one time era. One could argue that one doesn't know "where" this place happens, or "when" does it happen - but to be frank, such comparisons are trivial, and almost child-like in nature - given the bigger picture that the film is a stage production.

For one with knowledge of the older ages of Indian Cinema - viewers will remember Raj Kapoor standing underneath an umbrella with Nargis from Shree 420. Perhaps the following picture, which has become part of Indian Cinema history, will re-jog some memories - upon taking consideration of the poster at the beginning of this post.


So what really is SAAWARIYA? Is it a film about Innocence in love? Is it a film about Ranbir Kapoor receiving a legendary launch, with many characteristics of his being recognized as part of Raj Kapoor's persona in previous films? Is it Bhansali trying to tip his hat to the Kapoors and their contributions to the industry? Is it Bhansali trying to put too much into one production? Yes, its all of these.


Bhansali's faltering, in my eyes, with this film is trying to bring together too much at one time. While Ranbir does have the energy, acting skill and charisma that will make him a legend of indian cinema - and his character showcases all of that. carrying the film entirely on his shoulders - it is not a film that Mainstream audiences will be able to digest quickly.

In fact - it took me time to look at the film and put everything together before writing this critique. One can tell Bhansali wants a viewer that can look deeper than just what's on the surface. The fact that audiences were remarking "what's with all the darkness", "why so much blue", "too many songs" or "Why, oh why, is the ending with Sonam the way it is?" just shows me that the audience was introduced to too much, too quickly - and required to THINK too much. Plus, a pre-requisite of the film could be that one has to understand a bit of the past of Indian Cinema. Perhaps I can understand what exactly this film is about because there's an appeal in this film that I didn't want to let go of - and refused to until I understood exactly what Bhansali was trying to accomplish here.

And now that I have - I've come to the realization that this film is completely different from all of SLB's previous works. It is of international standards, but really does reach a very select group of viewers. To Bhansali's credit, he has got enough of a mainstream approach to the film. As with Kunder's JAAN-E-MANN, the songs of this film are a highlight, and can very much appeal to the mainstream viewer. But not with a Shahrukh Khan film releasing opposite of it. The best of the bunch are the title song "Saawariya….Saawariya…", the Eid song "Yoon Shabnami", "Pari" which takes place on the streets, and "Jaan-E-Jaan" - the tribute song to Raj Kapoor and his style of cinema.

I don't expect a lot of people to agree with this next statement, but I will offer it in any case - Bhansali's film is more likely than ANY of his other films - to do well on an international standard, such as at the Oscars. He has taken his filmmaking to the next level, which many people will not understand, but for the folks that will understand - it is a gallant effort, and has achieved his cinematic crescendo.

The best part of the enterprise? Besides Bhansali's direction and the environment created, it is Ranbir Kapoor's performance. As stated earlier, his acting ability astounds the viewer - with his energy, charisma and overall appeal. SAAWARIYA is his performance, as he carries the film on his shoulders - and carries the hearts of every viewer with him. And yes, the final scene in the movie is a very happy and satisfying one, but only for the folks that can understand the film again.

I will not remark on Sonam Kapoor's debut for a few reasons - first, she is in every scene that Ranbir is in, and he steals each and every scene with his performance. Secondly, I don't believe we have seen her true acting ability. I feel she can do much, much more - than what was given to her in this movie. I would attribute her role to bad writing.

Rani Mukherji adds another trump to her already brilliant film resume, as the narrator and Rulab, the prostitute. I have heard many people remarking "why, in her last scene in the movie, turn against Ranbir?" Think - the movie asked the same question, and if you actually think about the answer, you will see why. It's helped him on his journey towards becoming WHO he is.

Salman Khan is not only a terrible actor but also in need of a very, very long sleep. In every scene of the movie he is a part of - everyone is on the edge of their seat - to see if he will close his eyes and start snoring. He has also aged considerably, and does not look the part at all.

In conclusion, SAAWARIYA is a good film that perhaps tries to do too much - without giving viewers a chance to really understand what's going on. A pre-requisite of this film, to truly appreciate it, should be to understand Indian Cinema's past, especially it's first family, the Kapoors - and the types of films its family has been a part of. The film, thankfully enough, has recovered its investment and is on its way to a hit. And perhaps it is a good thing that audiences continue to watch the film - perhaps establishing that the audience is thinking. However, based on Indian Film Critics and their bias towards mainstreamc inema - this film is an excellent film. And Bhansali has cemented his status, in my mind, as a director who makes meaningful films and presents them as such.

Rating: 4/5

SOURCE:http://www.theoriginalconcept.ca/?p=75

Edited by beckytower - 16 years ago
Posted: 16 years ago


Photobucket


BHANSALI'S IS A VISUAL MASTERPIECE


By Satyajit

Critic's I-view


Sanjay Leela Bhansali, the name itself epitomizes the pinnacle of immaculate style in modern Indian cinema with an unparallel exuberance that one can anticipate on big screen. Besides his immaculately pristine visual perception, his films have always been high on emotional quotient and have often forayed into human relationships with great emotional depth in a backdrop of aesthetically sketched out cultural embellishments.


Exotic and platonic to the core, 'Saawariya' foretells the tale of two lovers in a backdrop of larger than life scintillating surroundings. It has been set in a palette of blues and greens in all its frames and scenes with the reflection of the shades on the paved floors, pavements, streets, bars and rooftops in making it a desired dream world to aspire. Like all his previous visual spectacles, it's a story of a lonesome man who fades away in the moonlight on the deserted streets that reflect the poetry in motion? Despite all its lavish spectacles in all frames, Bhansali dares pitch in a realistically painful and sad love story to conservative Indian audiences with two unknown faces in author backed lead roles.

Bhansali being an ardent "literature aficionado" inspires this four nights love saga from the famous works of Fyodor Dostoevsky's short story - "White Nights". After 'Devdas' (inspired from Sarat Chandra Chatterjee's famous novel "Devdas") and 'Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam' (inspired from Bernard Shaw's "Candida"), this stunning sentimental is a great inspirational lift from Fyodor. "White Nights" was first adapted to film by the acclaimed Italian director Luchino Visconti and later by French director Robert Bresson as 'Four Nights of a Dreamer'.

This eighteenth century heartwarming story is about love, dreams, happiness, and loss. The main character of 'Saawariya' (Ranbir Kapoor) is a dreamer and romantic to the core, much like Dostoevsky's lead character. Bhansali's well crafted narration makes him fall in love with the mystical charm of depressed and isolated girl (Sonam Kapoor), much like Dostoevsky's "Natenska", with great visual aplomb.

First, let's get straight into theatricals before looking at its technical finesse and musical brilliance. Bhansali's 'Saawariya', an artistically sketched sad love story, opens up in a fairy tale town where narrator (Rani Mukherjee playing prostitute "Gulab") correlates her heart-felt sentiments about his beloved "Saawariya". This "Saawariya" is a happy go lucky bar singer Ranbir Raj (Ranbir Kapoor). It is on this special evening when he sings his most beloved track to her, showcasing his zest for real love and optimism in life. The film now swivels into an opera styled narration where Raj meets isolated young girl Sakina (Sonam Kapoor) in the night. It was a delightful night where he meets her on the bridge and then follows her.


The friendship blossoms and finally they exchange their identities and experiences with each other. Raj has disciplinarian landlady - Miss Lillian (Zohra Sehgal) while Sakina lives in the shadow of her old grand mother (Begum Para). Sakina's painful experience of meeting with her tenant Imaan (Salman Khan) and then facing isolation proves to be a shocking occurrence to Raj. Initially, Raj thinks that's it's a crafted story but finally realizes its authenticity. It ends up on a distressing note where Sakina chooses her love interest (Salman Khan) over her best soul-mate (Ranbir Kapoor). In between, there are episodes where Ranbir burns Sonam's letter, Sonam falls in love with Salman and Ranbir takes refuge into Rani's home. The striking feature of the film is its beautiful cinematic depiction rather than its conventionally placed author backed narration lifting the standards of contemporary commercial Indian cinema.





'Saawariya' has great aces up its sleeves and the film can simply be adjudged as one of the finest visual treats that have ever visited Indian cinema. The film has picturesque backdrop of blue and green color palettes in which the delightfully vibrant town is painted. The creation of larger than life Buddha on the lake side, buzzing streets with colorful neon signs, walls painted with peacocks and lotuses, RK logo featuring on bar, silent bridge to silence water where it rained and snowed as the seasons changed were breathtaking visuals that make it big on-screen visual treat.


The significant bell and the town facing visuals where girl (Sonam) correlates her estranged love saga are visuals of international standards. The film has rich Mughal cultural impact where moist walls, crystal chandelier, pink and purple lotuses and a mirror mosaic staircase picture magical spells. Finally, the last visual frame has deepening of attractive blue and green shades where snow falls over the bridge with the beautifully carved boat below, hooked to the bank, depicting the innermost sentiments of a distressed beloved. It speaks out volumes about the painful suffering of dreamer "Saawariya" when her love falls into his beloved's arms. It was an impeccable experience as the sentimental hues of Monty's brilliant music were infused in such beautiful surroundings as to evoke sympathy for this lovable dreamer. Bhansali is a winner! Art directors - Omung Kumar and Vanita - deserve to be applauded for conceptualizing Bhansali's visionary outlooks into such a magnanimous town with all vibrant colors and shades.


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Ravi K Chandran (Cinematographer) proves to be another big ace for this dreamer's lost paradise saga. His crafted lightening effects made actors into artistic shades in their physical appearances during changing phases of the story and situations. 'Saawariya' has exclusively been shot indoors and is the story of four nights and every night carries distinctive appeal in its breathtaking visuals. It was first time in Hindi cinema that there was usage of space lights that gel well with CT Blue to deliver a cool night feel to give the feel of "sanvla" color of "Saawariya" (synonym of Lord Krishna). On the contrary, the film has dark unlit quality for the night that every scene looks like a silent painting rather than a regular visual. It's indeed a big leap in technical section of Hindi cinema and it's a rare occasion when the style has superseded substance in a big way.


Costumes (Rajesh Pratap Singh, Reza Shariffi, and Anuradha Vakil - Costume Designer) have lived up to the occasion in almost every frame of the film. From designing Mughal costumes for (Sonam Kapoor, Salman Khan, Begum Para), Anglo Indian (Ranbir Kapoor), Colonial British (Zohra Sehgal ) and Hindu costumes (Rani Mukherjee) in different colorful shades and designs, it has been perfect indeed.





Monty Sharma's music and background score is soulful visual melody and poetry that works logically with the pace of the film. The complete musical show was spectacular, both in harmony as well as in visuals. The soundtracks like "Saawariya", "Jab Se Tere Naina" and "Yoon Shabnami" have already been big chartbusters and there is much to follow in coming days. Dialogues and screenplay (Prakash Kapadia and Sanjay Leela Bhansali) are modest, gratifying and fulfill the emotional quotient of the film.

Debutante Ranbir Kapoor and Sonam Kapoor prove to be worthy newcomers and can be counted for awards in the best newcomer's category this year. Ranbir shows flair of being a good actor and emotes appreciably in depicting all sentiments of his character. His flashy costumes coupled with his alluring physical appearance make him perfect choice for the role. Sonam Kapoor delivers a modestly scripted charming role of a demure girl that requires loads of perseverance, determination and flair. She delivers a perfect look and matches well with Ranbir's spontaneity in every frame. Rani Mukherjee is brilliant once again and lives up to the high standards. Salman Khan essays a brief but pivotal role and maintains his perfect track record with the director Bhansali. Zohra Sehgal is a revelation again after her impressive performance in 'Cheeni Kum' while Begum Para lives up to her character with desired dexterity.

Commercially speaking, Bhansali's 'Saawariya' will be opening to modest houses as compared to SRK's 'Om Shanti Om' but will positively be going up in coming weekends. It's likely to be one of the biggest grosser of this year but will have to battle out for supremacy at the box office with 'Om Shanti Om'.

All credits to Sanjay Leela Bhansali and his cast and crew for showcasing their consistency and precision in conceiving another visual spectacle with an unconventional theme! After soulfully conceived 'Black', this film promises to be another winner in all segments of cinema, so have a nice weekend with a film that boasts high standards of quality work in Indian cinema.

Great Job!!


SOURCE:


http://ww.smashits.com/news/bollywood/movie-review/6433/sawa riya.html

Edited by beckytower - 16 years ago
Posted: 16 years ago



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Saawariya Movie Review

By glamsham

Monday Nov 12 2:30 PM

By Martin D'Souza, Bollywood Trade News Network

Saawariya is an Indian cinematic experience of rare brilliance. Either consciously, or unconsciously, director Sanjay Leela Bhansali has let the influence of Baz Luhrmann's Award winning movie, Moulin Rouge take over his being. The sets are top class, the lighting absolutely brilliant and there is a prop in every frame that never looks out of place. The music is simply scintillating complemented with heart touching lyrics. The choreography is of international standard. Never have I seen such poetry in motion on Indian screen. Every dancer is in sync. Every movement matches the mood of the music and every expression complements the lyrics. The costumes have to be seen to be believed. Top it with performances worthy of applause and you leave the theatre humming the title track. Yes, the end too is not what was expected. There's also a loser in love. But Saawariya is a winner.

Full marks to Sanjay Leela Bhansali for treading the musical path to weave a sincere love story. Like an excellent music conductor, Bhansali waves his baton, to squeeze up a fine performance from his cast. Absolutely flawless. The actors follow the flow of the baton and the master conductor must be pleased with his symphony. My fear is that his movie will sweep up a number of awards in the coming year.

The freshness of Ranbir Kapoor and Sonam Kapoor takes this symphony to another level and keeps it there. Both actors give of a splendid performance. Ranbir is a great dancer and an excellent actor. He comes across very confident of himself in whatever he does. If you look intently, one can see a streak of his grandfather, the legendary Raj Kapoor, in his mannerisms.

As for Sonam, she matches Ranbir, step for step. A gorgeous looker, she carries off her role with aplomb as the one who is looking for her love to return. Her huge eyes portray her emotions and her confidence is personified in every frame; whether she is playfully fooling around with Ranbir or anxiously looking out for her Imaan (Salman Khan) to return. It looks like these two were born to act. The chemistry between the two is awesome.

Rani Mukherjee as Gulab the prostitute is very good; better than her Laaga Chunari Mein Daag act. It's a small but meaningful role, central to the theme of the movie. Zohra Sehgal is simply adorable. You just want to reach out and hug her! Cinematographer Ravi Chandran freezes the frames to give moving, picture perfect images. Only a master craftsman could have dreamt of a film like this and worked towards putting it together exactly as he saw it in his mind's eye. Take a bow, Sanjay Leela Bhansali. Like Rani Mukherjee keeps saying in the movie, 'I likes it'!

Ratings : 4 / 5


Source:


http://in.movies.yahoo.com/movies/Saawariya/reviewdetails-31 6.html

Edited by beckytower - 16 years ago
Posted: 16 years ago

Other Big-name people's say on Saawariya :

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Q)Last week you saw Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Saawariya. What did you think of your Black director's efforts this time?

A)"Saawariya was poetry celuloid. An exquisitely presented Broadway-style musical set within Indian sentiments. It boldly defied the routine format of escapist commercial fare, a malaise that all our films have come to be so doggedly accused of. It's daring and original and with such a high quotient of aesthetics, beauty and form!"


Source:
http://www.hindustantimes.com/StoryPage/StoryPage.aspx?id=59 efe0b9-960f-4383-8e0f-680663cc813d&&Headline=EMSaawa riya%2fEM+was+poetry%2c+EMOSO%2fEM+well+researched%3a+Amitab h+Bachchan

 

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"Sanjay Leela Bhansali understands heartbreak and beauty. His critics don't",

says KARAN JOHAR on a director who moves him much
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OPERATIC. INTENSELY, consummately operatic. That is what best describes Sanjay Leela Bhansali's cinema for me. He combines the visual and the emotional in a way that few contemporary Indian directors do. He is opulent, he is theatrical, he has scale, yet he has gut. He has emotional heart. It is immensely difficult to balance and connect these qualities the way Sanjay does without keeling over, and I have been blown by his work ever since I saw his first film Khamoshi. Like mine, Sanjay's films are often criticised for being too dressed and over opulent. But the truth is Sanjay is unafraid to visit the past. His aesthetic draws hugely both from his formal training at the Film and Television Institute of India and his exposure to European cinema — Fellini, Baz Luhrmann — and from the golden era of Hindi cinema — Raj Kapoor, Guru Dutt, Bimal Roy. To that, he brings his own individual sensibility. This combination is rare in directors in India today.

Take Devdas. The industry buzz behind the scenes on that film was dismal. In this sappy age, who's interested in a drunk loser who can't get his love and dies in the end? And to use Shah Rukh, Madhuri and Aishwarya for such a story? People thought it was suicidal! But Sanjay took the original simple story and gave it a big screen tadka. He kept the pain but gave it magnitude and scale. The song sequence in which Shah Rukh carries Aishwarya's doli had me sobbing.


The climactic scene where she runs with her 9-yard sari trailing behind her, and the red spills in stark contrast against the white marble floor… it was exquisite. The transformation amazed me. I could never have imagined the original story like that. What Sanjay did with Devdas is akin to taking an intimate little family drama like Masoom and turning it into a monstrous family saga like Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham. To pull that off requires great passion, vision and skill, and Sanjay has all of that.


In many ways, I have been influenced as a director by Sanjay. I never knew love could have such ebullient energy till I saw Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam — my favourite Bhansali film. Such energy, such beauty, such heartbreak, such pain. And such a soundtrack. I loved the scene where Ajay Devgan gets drunk. And Aishwarya's introductory sequence. My technique improved watching this film. I learnt the thrill of the wide angle and the top shot — both of which are apparent in K3G.


Sanjay's decision to switch gear and make a character intensive film like Black after the mass hysteria that surrounded Devdas also moved me. Subconsciously, it gave me the courage to move beyond K3G and work on a small, two-character film like My Name is Khan. Black was criticised for drawing too heavily on The Miracle Worker but I think Sanjay drew out one of Rani Mukherjee's best performances in this film: her phone call to her mother towards the end of the film still gives me a catch in my throat.


CINEMA CONSUMES Sanjay. He lives from one film to the next. They are his lifeline, his single driving force. Apart from his mother who he is extremely close to, he seems to have no friends or family other than the cast and crew of the film he's working on. Unrequited love is a major strand in his work — I'm not sure if that is merely an aesthetic fascination or it springs from his personal life. The curious thing is that though he is highly intense and reclusive, unlike the persona his films suggest, Sanjay is also a very fun-loving and entertaining person. Humour is his undiscovered gift.


Over a long a career, every director makes lesser and greater films. But despite the criticism he faces, I believe Sanjay's work will breathe for a long time.
Art can never have unanimous takers, and hindsight is often more generous in its recognition. Many of the films we call cinematic gems today — Awara, Pyaasa, Chaudhvi Ka Chand, Do Bigha Zameen — were released to mixed reception in their time. Karz was not a universal hit; Kaagaz ki Phool was a resounding disaster and almost killed a part of Guru Dutt. In the same way, the real assessment of Sanjay's work will be in the future.


Source:
[www.tehelka.com]

 

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"I'm very Jealous of Saawariya"


The feeling that Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Saawariya has not been appreciated within the film industry is more than amply dispelled by a host of topnotch filmmakers and actors who have fallen in love with the film.

Rakeysh Mehra can't stop raving about Saawariya. "We've a very special film in Saawariya. Some films have shelf life. Others have boxoffice life.The really lucky ones have both. Saawariya is a film that will be looked back on as a turning point in our cinema.

I was on location in Jaipur during the premiere of Saawariya but I caught it later. It is one of its kind. I was simply blown away by the film. My first reaction was of jealousy. Followed by admiration and respect for its maker."

He dismisses the critical backlash as predictable.

"Saawariya opens up a new genre. For long we've made films on suspended reality. Now new genres are opening up.

Saawariya goes with full-on lip-sync songs from characters who look like they'd like to sing to each other. Suddenly we no longer have a cop in uniform bursting into a song to his girlfriend. I think the musical has matured with Saawariya.My Rang De Basanti is again part of the transition.

Like Saawariya it re-defines the musical genre.Some of us who take giant steps ahead in cinema are bound to get hurt, " he says about the savage criticism of the film.

However having fallen in love with Bhansali's tapestry of artistry, Mehra thinks the film's length may perhaps have gone against it.

"I think it's half an hour too long for the story that it has to tell. I'd consider that a structural flaw. Otherwise I'm completely enamoured of the film."

SOURCE:
http://www.vinfoindia.com/im-very-jealous-of-saawariya-t4252 .html?s=77e26494faf9d861711602c3046175ce&amp ;

 

 

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Spoiler Ahead


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***an audience review*** ***http://www.sandyi.blogspot.com/***

Having read Fyodor Dostoevsky's White Nights, I thought seeing Saawariya from a literary perspective might be an addition to the varied reviews we've had on the film.
I've noted below a few points that occurred to me when I saw the film earlier this week.

It's not difficult to see why Bhansali was enamored by Dostoevsky and White Nights. Given that the latter's writings are generally characterized by an emotional frenzy, a nervous excitability where words seem to tumble on to each other, Bhansali possibly felt a kindred spirit with the Russian literature.
Additionally, White Nights deals at least partially with the theme of love and separation ie virah, the filmmaker's favorite rasa (among the nav-rasas), one that runs prominently in at least two of the filmmaker's previous works.

The problem with Saawariya is not that it is badly made film. No, not by a far stretch. Compared to the obscenely overrated Black, this one comes nowhere close to being the hammy, pretentious film that some self-assured reviews are making it out to be. If anything, the filmmaker has doggedly stuck to Dostoevsky's vision, though one must hastily add that the latter's preoccupations are much larger than what Bhansali manages to convey cinematic ally.
Which is why, if the film disappoints in the end, it is less to do with the director's abilities (or lack of it) and more to do with making a questionable literary choice for screen adaptation.

Gulabo (a superlative Rani Mukherjee), as the frisky and warm-hearted prostitute and Miss Lolipop (Zohra Sehgal), as the forlorn landlady are two stock characters which are Bhansali's own creations —- they aren't present in the original. But thankfully, both these characters work faithfully at projecting further Dostoevsky's profound theme of the alienation of the human soul and the yearning for love. So in that sense, Bhansali does not stray while attempting to flesh out White Nights, a novella which doesn't try to offer much in terms of story and primarily works on a certain abstract level only.

Dostoevsky's idea through the story is a deeply affecting one, one that alludes to the loneliness of mankind— the horrific silences that descend upon us once noises around die down, the romantic spirit's desperate urge to find love and then to hold on to it, even if it is a delusional one. Or weaving dreams around it and then desperately hoping it will turn true. Oh, haven't we all gone through this!
The author's setting is a simple one, entirely a two-character narrative with the boy and girl sitting together and pouring out their feelings in the comfort of a night and a stranger. The recounting comes close to being a stream-of-consciousness one, managing to wrench out a great deal of emotional intensity as it proceeds.
Dostoevsky's story is anything by a plot-driven one. What he conveys among other things is an idea of chronic romanticism, and this he does effectively within a small literary scale. The narrative itself is quite verbose, the sentences are long-winding and there's hardly any action happening here. It touches some very high emotional peaks but there very few external conflicts.

Now, this is exactly where Bhansali's problem lies. A short story, by its very nature has a distinct trajectory, one that can be quite unidimensional without too many plot points. Also, my understanding is that not all short stories can be treated in a stand-alone manner, because most of them are just nuggets intricately tied to the author's extended theme spread across his works.

This is fine when one is making a film like The Blue Umbrella (derived from Ruskin Bond's short story),which is mounted on a relatively smaller scale. (In any case, The Blue Umbrella covers a larger physical spectrum than Saawariya).
But here, the story is so thinly laid, it is almost slight, but that doesn't stop Bhansali from giving his film a grand operatic treatment or creating enough room for himself to satiate his artistic indulges.
The problem here is that the film severely lacks in action and mere artistic showmanship was never going to enable it to touch the pathos or emotional intensity of White Nights. Taking an idea is one thing but adapting a literary piece of work without grasping the limitations it poses for a cinematic adaptation, is quite another.
For example Metro deals with almost the same ideas in many ways but it handles the theme in its own contemporary manner, which is why it succeeds in engaging an audience.

Yet, Saawariya is worth a watch, given that Bhansali makes it a visually sumptuous experience and his handling of the story (whatever its worth), is mature. There are some huge pluses to take home from the film. Ranbir is quite candidly, the find of the decade. Along with Rani Mukherjee, Ranbir delivers a knock-out performance in a film that offers him very little support in terms of script. Sonam is one of the prettiest girls I've seen on screen in a while now but she does have a long way to go as an actress.
Rani is, well, Rani. The screenplay throbs back to life each time she appears. And was it just me, but I thought she greatly resembled Sharmila Tagore here.

Finally Saawariya is a film, which I suspect, will age quite well in spite of its languorous pace and a non-existent plot (Some portions are a big yawn!)
Also, there is something in Ranbir's character that captures beautifully the spirit of Dostoevsky and for that alone, Saawariya, is watchable.

-Sandhya Iyer


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Saawariya is sheer poetry
Sreesha Belakvaadi
November 14, 2007 13:04 IST

It is very easy for anyone to miss the strengths of Saawariya. I am aware that most of the reviews are negative, which is fair enough as everyone is entitled to their opinion. And here is mine.
The first and the foremost important factor to understand about Saawariya is that it is not a movie with a story; it doesn't carry a definite structure like prose. It is sheer poetry, and with poetry, abstractness becomes all the more personified. Poems cannot be judged, they can only be felt. It's like seeing a rosebud bloom into a rose.
And judging poetry as prose is a gross mistake; and this is precisely what happened with Saawariya. Reviewers or the so-called connoisseurs are not able to see the poetic nature of the Saawariya, which I think is the very pivot on which the movie has been made. Unfortunately, the visual-poem is over-shadowed partly due to lack of understanding art and partly due to unwarranted comparison with Om Shanti Om.
Saawariya doesn't have a strong subject; it has a very ordinary storyline. And yes, direction is not strong enough to carry the emotions to the common man. However, one can watch Saawariya in an altogether different dimension, which was what I did. The visuals are so poetic and painting-like, that I am sure an artist would melt witnessing the shades of blue and green in the film.
In fact, the movie gives you a feel of the musicals -- like a poem sung and expressed through the medium of flamboyant sets and paintings. There is an innate subconscious soul to the entire movie -- the soothing bluish-green tints and neon lights, the lovers' bridge around which all emotions are poured and the poetic surrealism of the paradise like city having tones of ancient Venice.
Omung Kumar, who worked on the sets deserves applause. If not for him, Saawariya would have been the worst film of the year. Omung has taken a quantum leap in creating a city that has the feel of extreme surrealism, completely unconventional to what we have seen before, extravagantly rich in aesthetics, vividly blended with shades of grey and bluish green.
Mellow lighting infiltrates throughout the city through streamers, blinkers and vintage-styled lamp posts. The statue of a magnanimously etched Buddha illuminated with natural fire-sticks and diyas takes a central recognition amidst several intricate objects of art that encapsulate the magical city. The entire movie is shot in darkness to give it a dreamy and mesmerizing effect. The character of Rani Mukerji as a call girl only personifies the night-feel and gives strength to the overall soothing dream the audience can witness. Monty's musical score too adds to the whole mesmerizing experience.
There are many noteworthy scenes from the film. For example, the one where Ranbir Kapoor and Sonam Kapoor are floating in love and ecstasy below the mammoth statue of Buddha. Cinematographer Ravi K Chandran cuts this situation through the top shot of Buddha, and for a moment you are lost in that world.
Then there is a wide-angle shot of the city at night where Ranbir introduces Sonam to look at the melting silence of the night. A train hoots with smoke billowing from its chimney, and that is indeed a classic shot.
But the one which launches you into a world of absolute bliss is the scene where an emotional Sonam is seen running through the dark alleys of the magical kingdom with bluish-green pebble lights flashing around the corners. The music is so powerful, that for a moment it forces you to change the opinion of the whole film to be a classic of its own kind. Then the camera dissolves, fades and cuts to the semi-lit caves literally floating.
To sum up, Omung Kumar, Monty and Ravi K Chandran are the real pillars of Saawariya. As for Sanjay Leela Bhansali, he deserves to be neglected.

http://www.rediff.com/movies/2007/nov/14rrsaa.htm

 

 


Review of Fari of sonam-kapoor.net:

Oh. As you all know, I was DYING to see the movie. I had declared Sonam to be the next big superstar right from the start. I was expecting Saawariya to be an instant hit with everyone falling head over heels in love with Sonam and Ranbir just like how many of us have. I was expecting a grand movie from SLB like Devdas and HDDCS. I had very high expectations from the movie and esp. Sonam.

After reading all the reviews, and spending two sleepless night worried that I might end up hating the movie and Sonam (yes its that important to me that I lost my sleep over it, murder me), I went to watch the show early on Friday morning. I was about 10 minutes early and in those 10 minutes, I thought about just getting up and leaving a 100 times cause I was so freakin nervous. When the movie started, I was totally confused. What is this? Do I love it? Do I hate it? Arrrgg why are all these hookers lady dancing randomly? Arrrggg maybe I don't like this movie. Then comes Sonam. Please Sonam, don't have a cringe worthy moment, please please be good. Right from the second Sonam came till the movie ended, I was waiting to hate the movie. I was waiting to cringe at Sonam and Ranbir (I did cringe at Ranbir a few times ), I was just waiting to go "WHAT THE F***".....after the movie ended, I sat there trying to take in all that I've seen. It was really different from anything I've seen before. I wasn't expecting this all. I really didn't know what I thought about it. Maybe I hated it? I got out and I started to talk to this Indian girl called Divya and pretended I loved the movie and Sonam and Ranbir just cause I felt like I had to. I waited for the bus and then waiting in the train for an hour going home and all I could think about was what I really feel about the movie. By the time I got home, I figured I loved it. I liked Sonam, I liked Ranbir. They were awesome. Maybe Sonam's character was weak but otherwise she was brilliant.

I went to watch the movie again that night with a friend (it was planned three weeks before but I had to go watch it that morning ALONE haha). This time when I watched the movie, I was madly in love with it. From every scene to every frame to every character. My main focus was on Sonam since she's the reason I was watching the movie again. Her character did seem weak to me a bit but Sonam. What can I say about Sonam? She was born a superstar. I looooooved everything about her and her character. She wasn't Sonam Kapoor in the movie, she was Sakina . She made you laugh with her, she made you cry with her, when Ranbir Raj falls in love with her, you really understand why, because you will too. Her every expressions, her every emotion, the way she showed emotions with her eyes, her body language, her dialog delivery, her voice control, her hair, her face, her outfits, her little dance, everything about her was perfect. This time around, I was in so much awe of her. I really couldn't understand what the critics were talking about. Is this the same girl we are talking about? Because the girl I was watching on screen could give some senior actresses a run for their money. I never had such high expectations from anyone like I had for Sonam and did she live up to them? No. She went far and beyond. She was better then I ever expected.

I did have a slight problem with her character being a bit weak in the beginning. I felt and I still feel like SLB put all his energy in launching Raj Kapoor's grandson that he sorta sidelined Sonam. After watching the movie about 6 times, I don't think Sonam's character is really that weak. She's complicated. She has so many gray shades and maybe I put too much of my energy in trying to figure her out, but obv. most people wont so SLB should have explored her more....explained her more. SLB needed to show why Sakina behaved the way she did. Why she was so madly in love with Imaan that she waited for him religiously for a year. SLB had to show more of her. Maybe people were confused by her? Saying that, whatever Sonam was given, she was BRILLIANT in it.

From the first time I watched it till now, I can see why people would hate the movie. It's not going to appeal to everyone. It is a simple story yes but at the same there is so much depth in the movie that one might get confused. I personally think this is SLB's best work yet. I simply adore it and its on its way in taking over Lamhe which has been my most favorite movie for like 15 years. I do believe that in a few years, people would look back and they won't remember OSO because there are a gazillion OSOs but they would look and remember Saawariya because there's nothing like Saawariya and people would look at it with much fondness and claim how they always knew it's a living classic. If you didn't know, when Sholay was made, it was one of the biggest flops ever. After weeks and months, then it became the GREATEST movie ever. Kagaz Ke Phool was the same. Hell, Lamhe was one of Yash Chopra's biggest flops yet there is no other movie for me that can match the greatness of Lamhe and now many people call it a classic. Saawariya will get its due in its given time. Ranbir and Sonam couldn't ask for a better debut. They are not superstars in making, they already are superstars and on their way to become legends and thats evident from their first movie alone.

Edited by beckytower - 16 years ago
Posted: 16 years ago






















Edited by beckytower - 16 years ago
Posted: 16 years ago
wow guys congo to the new fc 🥳
Posted: 16 years ago
congrats!! another one!! we rock!!

btw...i was expecting ranbir to say sona's name in his acceptance speech but i think it would just make things complicated for the guy...as it is he is supposed to be dating every other lady in tinsel town and now he takes her name boing! ppl are gonna make that a headline. he has thanked sona before the movie released...so many times. we all know what he feels for her. but ya it would have been nice of him to say her name. maybe filmfare! let's see! or maybe none. some things some times are meant to be private :)

kareena & shahid are opne chapters. but sonam and ranbir are still blossoming or in the making.

and ya nitica bir will not date nandita. neetu will kill him! lol! just don't like her name around bir. ok later.Edited by admail_bd - 16 years ago

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