When Bollywood filmmakers attempt to make a film on a serious subject with a commercial packaging, they end up producing what seems like a long drawn farce with a thorough lack of verisimilitude. Sanjay Leela Bhansali attempts to manufacture poetic sagas that will pull at your heart strings. He is an emotional director with no investment in the realism of the film, no matter how serious and deep the subject. Here the protagonist played by Hrithik Roshan is a paraplegic who has a seemingly full life but has never ventured out of his home. When he finally does go out, it is to the Indian court with an appeal for euthanasia. He used to be a magician and now feels suffocated because of his paralysis and he tries proving this point to the court by locking the opposing counsel in a small box. He has lived like this for 12 years, written an inspiring book and delivered motivational speeches to other quadriplegics and yet now he suddenly wants to die. One cannot not empathize with the protagonist simply because his death wish seems unjustified. The subject of euthanasia is such a debated one--but the director treats the theme with the self-indulgent neglect of a drunk poet wallowing in depression. I do not understand why the man insists on taking such weighty subjects which deserve more research and reduces them to superficial melodramatic musicals.
Hrithik Roshan, bless him, portrays the body language and posture expected of a paraplegic & does his best to bring credibility to a poorly developed character. Aishwarya Rai on the other hand is a superlatively poor choice for playing the role of a temperamental, pouty nurse. Her character seems self-absorbed, eccentric and very testy for a nurse who you expect to be an epitome of compassion especially for a paraplegic. The scene where she forcibly injects the patient with sedative when he insists on being allowed to think makes one wonder if this nurse trained with Dr.Kevorkian. Neither the court, nor the doctors request a psych-consultation which would be absolutely necessary for a patient requesting euthanasia.
But what confused me most is the detail of each scene...none of it was believable. The magic did not evoke awe and the supposed tragedy did not evoke grief. Secondly, where are these people living---in Bhansali's imaginary city which has palatial museum-like homes with leaky roofs and cities with retro-night clubs and flamenco dancers? Why is Aishwarya Rai, the nurse, wearing a flamenco dancer's costume throughout the film? I commend and pity that poor cinematographer who had to fit scenic Goa and an imaginary fantasy home into one film. Alas, his picturesque and poetic attempt still could not hold this film together. As an audience it is very hard to connect with a story and feel for the characters without the necessary depth or realism that such a sad story deserves. The film sits between a fantasy tale and a Bollywood saga infused with Ms.Rai's histrionics and a Broadway musical-like ambiance. It is like a really bad play that might have been better if Bhansali had taken his anti-depressants.
Here is what bugs me most: The Indian film industry---which is basically now a family business---that Karan Johar keeps referring to as a "fraternity" is all praise for this film. The film has now received the Presidential Guild Apsara Award. I am just appalled. This year there were some glorious films that came out unexpectedly from this industry: Udaan, Peepli Live, Well Done Abba, Ishqiya, to name a few. Even Dabangg was a well-done parody, a quirky Bihari western that finally showcased Salman Khan's comic timing without making him seem like a mentally unstable person. The two award shows that I watched did give these films some recognition but also made sure that the Khans and Queen Rai were also awarded. If everyone is going to receive a medal why have a race...just give them out. Or even better: send the trophies to Yash Chopra and he will distribute them to his favorite "puttars" and "putris".
