Saawariya DVD Review

Bollywood extravaganza Saawariya is finally here on DVD with its tail between its legs. The first Indian film to be produced and released by a Hollywood production company, it rode a mountain of hype for worldwide distribution, just in time for Diwali last november. Then it crashed and burned internationally. The film, which was once thought to be the potential breakthrough for Bollywood product in the U.S. market fell flat on his face. How did this happen? The answer is quite simple. "Saawariya" is not a bad movie. It is just a ploddingly paced.

The film's title, which translates to "Oh, my love" is a tragic story set in a small town in India, where everyone is in love with someone who does not love them back. The Center is Raj (Ranbir Kapoor), a goofy young musician who dream of Sakina (Sonam Kapoor), a shy girl he meets at the city's bridges. Too bad Sakina's too busy pining away for her lost love Imaan (Salman Khan), which may or may not be dead / gone forever. Then there are Gulabji (Rani Mukherjee), Courtesan in love with Raj but banned by the society to follow through. We see the story from her point of view.

"Saawariya" is the career launching pad for Ranbir and Sonam Kapoor (no relation). Both are doing a good job here. Ranbir is particularly effective as the charming and seriousness of heroes. He also has a swoon-worthy shirtless dance number. Khan and Mukherjee fill the well-known roles that are probably too old to at this point.

The real star in the movie is the production design. It is as if "Moulin Rouge" was filmed during Picasso's Blue Period. Everything in the movie is a fanciful fleet or a resplendent sapphire or a passionate indigo. There's even a lit-up rotating turbine in the back of many of the scenes. Each shot is over is believed to maximum dramatic effect and design. It actually slows down plot and makes the film more difficult to see.

Still, music and the stars is fun enough, and in two hours and twenty minutes, it is relatively short for a Bollywood musical. Additional features catch the hype around the movie without discussing any of the aftermath. "Saawariya" is a love story in need of a little energy. Unfortunately, the movie is too blue to still light up.