Mercy Killing
A film that was supposed to make us cry oddly turns out to be a conflict-less tale
Fans of SLB will immediately recognize the jaw dropping art-design, the bird’s eye view of the elaborate sets and the use of lighting to convey the moods of various characters. Ethan Mascarenhas(Hrithik Roshan) is a quadriplegic confined to his wheel chair and his house that is falling apart like him. In his life before a debilitating accident, he was a magician. He is now attended to by his spunky nurse Sofia (Aishwarya) and supported by his lawyer friend Devyani(Shenaz Patel) and to whom he one day petitions of his wish to die by euthanasia. That forms the central idea of the film.
The film’s strength lies in the way the narrative juxtaposes the limp present of the illusionist with his more agile past. Be it his photographs scattered around his bedside which is now his permanent residence or the discussions between the two women in his past that incessantly touch on the topic of his glory days or in the vignettes from his own memory that are flashed from time to time. The appositeness of the sequences can’t be doubted. A signature Bhansali moment arrives in the form of Ethan’s mom’s funeral when he breaks into a song. Very well done and we have located the eccentric in Bhansali.
However, the film in these moments is devoid of the melodrama that would have us crying our heart out for the hero.Yes we know he used to be a great magician, yes we know his close relationship with his mother ( a constant premise of all Bhansali films of the hero being close to the mother) But the peripheral characters never evolve from where they began. Who is the nurse? Why does she do what she does? Who is the lawyer, what role has she played in his life? Then there is the apprentice who just appears out of nowhere serving no particular purpose to the main theme of the movie. And because of these factors, the entire setup feels hollow despite being mesmerizing to look at.
Another drawback of the film is its highly functional soundtrack(composed by SLB himself), a serious letdown after the track record in Khamoshi, HDDCS, Devdas and Saawariya. Also the sequences in the latter half stick out like a sore thumb. Even the boy Omar who comes to learn magic, is not shown learning let alone mastering the art. .
While not exactly a revelation, Aishwarya is utilized well for this role with the plucky tight-lipped, heavily lipsticked but caring nurse and her little jig at the club shows that while her looks might be on the wane but her dancing skills remain as good as ever. Shenaz Patel is excellent as the lawyer-friend. Aditya Roy Kapoor who shouldn’t even be there is just about adequate.
Most producers only want to show his brawn but there lies a very capable performer in Roshan Jr. Hrithik, as the immoveable hero proves to be the savior of this film. (The symbolism exists in the constant references to God, the statue inside his house, his unshaven face and hair that make him look like Jesus. He delivers one of his finest performances and keeps us thoroughly engaged with his eye expressions and tongue in cheek comments.
Guzaarish is inspired and in some scenes downright lifted from a variety of foreign films, but after a slew of loud and clunky movies this year, Bhansali’s effort is a welcome relief, if only it had more thump to it and was not paralyzed to its chair like the crumbling protagonist……..
For a hilarious review on the film please see Guzaarish from the Vigil Idiot.
Rating : 2.5/5
A film that was supposed to make us cry oddly turns out to be a conflict-less tale
Fans of SLB will immediately recognize the jaw dropping art-design, the bird’s eye view of the elaborate sets and the use of lighting to convey the moods of various characters. Ethan Mascarenhas(Hrithik Roshan) is a quadriplegic confined to his wheel chair and his house that is falling apart like him. In his life before a debilitating accident, he was a magician. He is now attended to by his spunky nurse Sofia (Aishwarya) and supported by his lawyer friend Devyani(Shenaz Patel) and to whom he one day petitions of his wish to die by euthanasia. That forms the central idea of the film.
The film’s strength lies in the way the narrative juxtaposes the limp present of the illusionist with his more agile past. Be it his photographs scattered around his bedside which is now his permanent residence or the discussions between the two women in his past that incessantly touch on the topic of his glory days or in the vignettes from his own memory that are flashed from time to time. The appositeness of the sequences can’t be doubted. A signature Bhansali moment arrives in the form of Ethan’s mom’s funeral when he breaks into a song. Very well done and we have located the eccentric in Bhansali.
However, the film in these moments is devoid of the melodrama that would have us crying our heart out for the hero.Yes we know he used to be a great magician, yes we know his close relationship with his mother ( a constant premise of all Bhansali films of the hero being close to the mother) But the peripheral characters never evolve from where they began. Who is the nurse? Why does she do what she does? Who is the lawyer, what role has she played in his life? Then there is the apprentice who just appears out of nowhere serving no particular purpose to the main theme of the movie. And because of these factors, the entire setup feels hollow despite being mesmerizing to look at.
Another drawback of the film is its highly functional soundtrack(composed by SLB himself), a serious letdown after the track record in Khamoshi, HDDCS, Devdas and Saawariya. Also the sequences in the latter half stick out like a sore thumb. Even the boy Omar who comes to learn magic, is not shown learning let alone mastering the art. .
While not exactly a revelation, Aishwarya is utilized well for this role with the plucky tight-lipped, heavily lipsticked but caring nurse and her little jig at the club shows that while her looks might be on the wane but her dancing skills remain as good as ever. Shenaz Patel is excellent as the lawyer-friend. Aditya Roy Kapoor who shouldn’t even be there is just about adequate.
Most producers only want to show his brawn but there lies a very capable performer in Roshan Jr. Hrithik, as the immoveable hero proves to be the savior of this film. (The symbolism exists in the constant references to God, the statue inside his house, his unshaven face and hair that make him look like Jesus. He delivers one of his finest performances and keeps us thoroughly engaged with his eye expressions and tongue in cheek comments.
Guzaarish is inspired and in some scenes downright lifted from a variety of foreign films, but after a slew of loud and clunky movies this year, Bhansali’s effort is a welcome relief, if only it had more thump to it and was not paralyzed to its chair like the crumbling protagonist……..
For a hilarious review on the film please see Guzaarish from the Vigil Idiot.
Rating : 2.5/5
