BY JYOTHSNA HEGDE

Cast: Hrithik Roshan, Aishwarya Rai, Aditya Roy Kapoor, Monikangana Dutta, Suhel Seth; Director: Sanjay Leela Bhansali

Guzaarish is cinema that embraces life and death with a perspective that not many of us are familiar with. Often it is said that you never judge a man until you have walked a mile in his shoes. So when a paraplegic who lived with his condition seemingly bravely for 14 years requests his lawyer to file a petition in court to end his life, very few close to him can fathom the idea. Others simply don't understand, not completely anyway. Sanjay Leela Bhansali surely takes us on a unique ride few bollywood movies have attempted to.

Let it be said right away that Guzaarish has shades of 'The Sea Inside', ' The Presitige' and 'Whose life is it anyway'. Either because of it's western influences or as Bhansali mentioned in an interview about the exorbitant homes of his teachers he was occasionally invited to, some of his characters and the setting seem to have come to life out of a Spanish painting. Right from the get go, Bhansali transports us to his world of grandeur, where homes and characters are a Victorian extravagance. The most radiant of all however is the joyous, rapturous spirit of Ethan Mascarenhas (Hrithik Roshan), that shines through, despite his evident pain. 

Ethan, a former world class magician becomes a quadraplegic when his trick is sabotaged by his rival. He resides in Goa and hosts a radio show, Radio Zindagi from his home. Sofia (Aishwarya Rai), his nurse of 12 years takes care of his needs with a stern yet gentle attitude, making sure pity is out of the way. Their subtle, deep and profound expression of love for each other is a work of Bhansali art, unlike anything we have experienced in the recent past. There is an underlying sadness that comes from the knowledge that this love has no tomorrow and what makes it special is that neither cares and lives every day to the fullest, smiles, smirks, moans and all.

Devyani Dutta (Shernaz Patel), Ethan's friend and lawyer thinks he is joking as he usually does when he asks her to file a petition for mercy killing (Euthanasia) in court, to end his life. She wakes his sleeping physician, Dr. Nayak (Suhel Seth) who also refuses to take him seriously in the beginning only to realize later that Ethan is indeed ready to end his life with dignity, just the way he lived. Ethan's mother Isabel (Nafisa Ali) supports his decision, as do eventually everyone around him, with melancholy in their eyes and smile on their lips. 

Enter Omar Siddiqui (Aditya Roy Kapoor), the young lad who aspires to be a magician and wants none other than Ethan to train him. Ethan agrees to pass on his legacy to Omar. Even as Ethan pursues his request for death, he continues to live gloriously, affirming life, even managing to laugh at his predicament with distant, dispassionate humor. 

Bhansali said in an interview that he felt lonely after Saawariya and that sentiment surely is reflected in Guzaarish. In some of the most moving moments of the movie, you can feel Ethan's struggle, his pain and his loneliness in a crowded room filled with smiles. Over the years, Bhansali seems to have distanced himself from the real world, a little too much, so much so, that the setting, Ethan's home for instance feels more like a museum as one of the characters points out. As graceful as Sophia looks, her clothes seem so out of place that it is hard to ignore how out of touch with reality the characters and places seem to be. It is undeniable that Bhansali is probably one of our few directors who manages to extract the best of an actor and he does it here too. Hrithik, sheds his inhibitions and his Greek god image to embrace Ethan, confined to a wheel chair. He must express sorrow, joy, love, passion, helplessness, anger, frustration, a sense of dignity and dry humor through his dialogues and more significantly, his eyes and he delivers. Hrithik is a treat to watch as he emotes oh so naturally and effortlessly. He delightfully brings alive a dying character that glorifies life in the face of extraordinary tragedy. It is hard to miss the mischief in his eyes as he teases Sophia, asking to see her long legs. There are some aspects that are clear, such as Ethan's helplessness, when he is unable to get a fly off his nose because he cannot move his hands, or when he lies in bed as the rain water drips all night long on his face because no one can hear him. However, the character of Ethan seems to be under developed in some senses, because it is never clearly explained why Ethan wants to end his life and so it becomes difficult to relate to his problems on a more personal level.

Complete credit to Bhansali in presenting Aishwarya's grace and elegance through her character, which is sadly so often marred by her superficiality. Sophia is graceful as she is grumpy, restrained as she is spontaneous, strong as she is subdued. The famous Hrithik Aishwarya chemistry may have been sizzling in Dhoom but is far more deeper and meaningful in Guzaarish. Aditya Roy Kapoor as Omar Siddiqui is as effective as can be. The rest of the cast do complete justice to their roles. The climax of the movie leaves a lot more to be desired.

Music also composed by Bhansali is soulful, mirroring the sentiments of the characters and an incandescent spirit determined to find dignity in death. Sudeep Chatterjee's cinematography scores high with deep and subtle visuals that enrich the cinematic experience. 

Guzaarish is Bhansali's canvas all the way. There are some genius strokes that adorn the painting, but some could have used more nurture. There is a tenderness with which the movie is made that truly touch you. Guzaarish is magical and even momentous at times, my only Guzaarish would be for Bhansali to etch something that a common man can relate to, even if it is on grand or should we say Bhansali scale.