Saawariya

About the film

Saawariya (transl. Beloved) is a 2007 Indian Hindi-language musical romance film directed and produced by Sanjay Leela Bhansali, based on Fyodor Dostoevsky's 1848 short story White Nights. The film marked the debuts of Ranbir Kapoor and Sonam Kapoor. It was the last film appearance of both Zohra Sehgal and Begum Para before their deaths. Co-produced by Sony Pictures Entertainment, it is the first Indian film to receive a North American release by a Hollywood studio and is one of the first Indian films to be released on Blu-ray Disc.

Saawariya was released on 9 November 2007, and emerged as a commercial disaster. It received mixed-to-negative reviews upon release, with praise towards its soundtrack, production design, grand artistic approach and performances of the cast; however criticism towards its story, screenplay and pacing.

Plot

The narrative is framed through the recollections of Gulabji, a courtesan who frequents the town’s primary nightclub, the RK Bar. The establishment's lead singer, Ranbir Raj, whom Gulabji affectionately nicknames "Saawariya" ("beloved"), is an idealistic and kindhearted man who treats the local sex workers with genuine respect. When Raj mentions he needs employment and lodging, Gulabji directs him to Lillian, a stern but lonely landlady. Lillian agrees to rent a room to Raj because his gentle demeanor reminds her of her own son, who left years prior to join the army and never returned.

On his way home one night, Raj notices a mysterious young woman standing alone on a footbridge. He tries to strike up a conversation, but she initially reacts with suspicion and dismisses him. However, after Raj intervenes and protects her from a nearby drunkard, she allows him to escort her home safely. Raj discovers her name is Sakina and quickly falls in love with her.

Determined to express his feelings, Raj meets Sakina the following evening and takes her to his favorite spot atop the town's clock tower. Before he can confess, Sakina reveals that her heart already belongs to a man named Imaan. She explains that Imaan had rented a room in her house a year ago and, upon departing for an unspecified journey, promised to return and reunite with her on the night of Eid. Despite his prolonged absence, she continues to wait for him faithfully. Devastated by the revelation but skeptical of Imaan's existence, Raj seeks counsel from Gulabji. Secretly harboring her own unrequited love for Raj, Gulabji suppresses her pain and encourages him to confess his feelings to Sakina.

Production

Bhansali initially wanted Rani Mukerji and Salman Khan's extended guest appearances to be hidden from the public, but later announced that they would appear in the film in supporting roles.

Elaborate sets for the film's imaginary city, complete with lakes, streets, shops, signages and a clock tower, were designed by the production designer Omung Kumar, who had previously worked with Bhansali on Black (2005).

Release

The first official teaser of the film was accessed by New York Times on 25 August 2007. The first screening was held on 28 October 2007, though only for those associated with the film.

This film was released on 9 November 2007, clashing with Om Shanti Om, starring Shahrukh Khan, and Deepika Padukone.

Soundtrack

The soundtrack album of the film is composed by Monty Sharma with lyrics written by Sameer. The soundtrack was released to mixed reviews on 19 September 2007. Indiafm gave the album 3 out of 5 stars, saying, "The title song would be remembered for months to come, if not years, the others do not really go that extra distance." According to the Indian trade website Box Office India, with around 10,00,000 units sold, the film's soundtrack album was the year's fourteenth highest-selling.

Reception

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 38% of 21 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 5/10. The website's consensus reads: "It's pleasing to the eye, but Saawariya struggles to fill its runtime with a story whose clichés unfortunately outnumber its points of interest." Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 44 out of 100, based on 6 critics, indicating "mixed or average" reviews.

Shubhra Gupta of The Indian Express criticized the screenplay of the film calling it "static", adding that "Saawariya is an act of supreme self-indulgence". Jaspreet Pandohar of BBC rated the film 2 out of 5 writing, "It's a clear case of self-indulgence and theatrical style over substance; with the director paying little attention to fleshing out the skeletal screenplay, preferring instead to focus on coaxing 'good-looking' performances from his young muses."

Key details