User Reviews

Well, the movie was really engaging and brilliantly made. Haven't seen an Indian movie with so much depth and purpose, and believe me I mean it. I loved it.

I was reading some reviews, while 90% of reviews were positive, the remaining 10% reviews were truly conspiring against this movie. And would you believe when I say that many teenage girls have actually questioned Bansali's lack of use of Colors, Dancing and Singing. Well, they are teenagers and what can you expect from teenage girls other than singing-dancing romantic moods which they expect to be reality.

Reality, my friends, is quite different from the nutty gritty rom-coms like Dilwale Dulhaniya Lejanyenge, where a hero(no pun intended) comes flying, singing, dancing and just takes away the girl with him. This is not what reality is like. Reality is painful and we better open up our eyes and face it.

This movie is all about Reality, how a Guy faces all odds and decides to die with dignity. This is what is Guzarish. This is what Bansali has created--A Grayish World full of colors of human emotions and magic. Hats Off. Nuff said.

Sanjay Leela Bhansali returns with Guzaarish, a dramatic musical feature which tells the story Ethan Mascarenhas, a former successful magician who has been entirely paralysed since a tragic stage accident. After 14 years of immobility, a highly cynical and humorous Ethan, who has found success as a radio anchor and as an author, is exhausted and he willingly files an appeal to the court for mercy killing, also known as euthanasia. There begins a true moral dilemma which provokes many contradicting thoughts among those who surround Ethan, which include his devoted nurse for the last 14 years, Sofia D'Souza, a beautiful, serious and yet caring woman who first takes Ethan's decision as an insult to her long-standing selflessness, and of course among the viewers themselves.

Guzaarish is without a doubt an interesting film to watch, it is generally restrained in its portrayal of emotions, but at times -- the complete opposite. In a way it is a lot like Bhansali's pre-previous venture Black. It revolves around Anglo-Indian people, it is mostly in English, it is aided by lavish sets and costumes, the cinematography is stupendous, and the entire atmosphere is dark, dim and beautiful, filled with fantastic songs and a wonderful background score. In that sense, the movie is a true visual and musical treat. With the exception of Khamoshi, all of Bhansali's films have been glossy and extravagant, a style which was very appreciated by some, but many have considered it pretentious, snobbish, and a little hard to get into and relate to.

Guzaarish can be looked at from different angles. From one side, it can be accused of supporting mercy killing, which is unacceptable, but from the other, it's deeply devastating to know that a person cannot even move to end his life when he wants to. Both sides give the film a rather depressing feel despite the fact that Bhansali tries hard to lift the viewers' spirit by building a narrative that is full of positive and hopeful songs about the beauty of life and some breathtaking nature landscapes. The courtroom scenes are well portrayed, with one scene in which Ethan tries to illustrate the level of his agony through one 60-second "trick", being one of the film's most impressive. At the same time, the film's final scene is extremely manipulative, long and over-dramatised, being one of the film's biggest flaws.

Where the film scores big time except for its artistic portrayal of the rich cultural lifestyle of Portuguese-influenced Goa, it is definitely in the acting department. Though not perfect, a sincere Hrithik Roshan plays Ethan's hidden pain, his sense of irony, his great good-humour, and his love for those surrounding him, exceedingly well. Bhansali has once said that he is the only director who knows how to use Aishwarya Rai's beauty in his films and the one capable of extracting the best out of her acting skills. He once again proves to be right, as Rai delivers what in my book is the performance of the film. Through a brilliant, elegant and graceful portrayal of Sofia, she effectively creates a rather tough screen persona, and yet consistently lets the viewer sense her very soft inside, her love, goodwill and kindness. Those of you looking for the pick of her artistic expression, watch her "Udi" dance performance - it is simply astonishing.

The supporting cast includes the fantastic Shernaz Patel, who once again delivers an impressive act after her performance as a loving mother in Black. Nafisa Ali is still beautiful as Ethan's mother, and her monologue in court in support of her son is very touching. Rajit Kapoor is good as the prosecutor and boy has he changed since his appearances in Shyam Benegal's movies such as Mammo and The Making of The Mahatma. Aditya Roy Kapur is okay as Ethan's fan. All said and done, Guzaarish is a watchable movie which is generally moving, well scripted and very well acted. It is an extremely eye and ear-pleasing picture thanks to its cinematographic excellence and great musical numbers composed by Bhansali himself, but it has its share of minuses, and the film's final scene is example to that.

With GUZAARISH, Bhansali returns with his own colourful world painted on the celluloid which sadly never rises above mere being a beautiful painting throughout.

Firstly I would like to discuss it as an inspired movie, which doesn't allow me to write about its director with a great amount of praise.

This time the gifted director makes up a story mixing more than one movie from the West. A man suffering from a complete Paralysis of the body other than his face, asking for merci death is taken from Spanish Award Winning movie MAR ADENTRO or THE SEA INSIDE (2004) and WHOSE LIFE IS IT ANYWAY (1981). The idea of magic and the plot of rivalry between two famous magicians leading to a serious conspiracy is taken from THE PRESTIGE (2006).

For instance the accident scene of Hrithik leading to the life changing injury is striking similar to the one in THE SEA INSIDE. Further, the whistling act done by Hrithik to call a help, a female lawyer friend of the deceased, the scene where the court verdict is announced on the TV and Aishwarya's final offer to help Hrihtik in the end………everything is as it is taken from the same film.

Moreover, moving on a completely different path from the ORIGINALS, Bhansali very unacceptably tries to glamorize the subject of MERCI DEATH with all that magic and love angles thrown in which fail miserably running along the emotional subject of the film.

In addition to the above, very amateurishly, the director shies away from showing the real death of the main character in the end and just decides to fade away into the dark with his smiling face on the screen. In my opinion, if you have decided to make a film on the subject of Wishful DEATH, then you should at least have the guts to depict the ACTUAL DEATH of the character on the wide screen. But Bhansali decides not to show a dying Hrithik in the end and tries to give a happy ending to his viewers, which is not all effective as it should have been.

Now secondly I would like to discuss it as an audience, who is not aware of its inspirational angles at all. Unfortunately from this viewpoint too, I didn't find GUZAARISH a very emotional or touching movie not to be missed. You may watch it as a piece of art with very fine colourful sets made with complete detailing, good costume designing or for a soothing background score. You may watch it for some well directed sequences dealing with a leaking roof or caressing nurse. And you may watch it if you are die-hard fan of Hrithik Roshan. But don't expect anything great which will make you think about DEATH or about the people who wish to die willfully against the law.

As I see it, the movie is not an exceptional thought provoking venture from Bhansali since it lacks the much required emotional depth and feel. It starts off brilliantly but is not able to impress a lot till its intermission. In the second half too, the characters never sinks deep inside your soul and make you cry. In other words, you keep watching their sufferings and pain but still don't feel moved enough to cry along with them.

Besides this I really couldn't understand the MOTHER angle in the script which was completely unbelievable. Even if the son strongly insists, still how can a mother live far away from her young son suffering from an almost full body paralysis being looked after by a paid nurse for 12 long years. In fact this motherly expression of the director raised many questions in my mind since I simply couldn't accept that a mother can ever think of living away from his deceased son in the given circumstances.

Musically, GUZAARISH has few good numbers with some meaningful lyrics. But the tracks are not catchy enough to bowl you over in only one listening. The best one is the title track which is melodiously composed and sung. But considering the fact that Bhansali has himself given the music for this film, I would only like to say that having a keen sense of music and musical ear is quite different to being a music director having immense knowledge of music and musical arrangements. Apart from its brilliant cinematography, the other winners in the film are its soothing background score and sensitive dialogues, which keep you engrossed in an otherwise offbeat kind of subject revolving around merci killing.

Performance wise, I may have a different opinion than many. Hrithik no doubt has worked hard with his utmost sincerity. But frankly I was not moved emotionally by his pure act. At times I even felt his smile, laugh and dialogue delivery style as seen before somewhere (may be in KOI MIL GAYA only). Aishwarya too for me was just fine with a far better performance in the second half than the first. Particularly I found her doing a little overacting in the air drumming scene before the song sequence in the club. But both Hrithik and Aishwarya are at their best towards the climax. Here Hrithik indeed deserves a praise to accept such kind of role which had nothing for his millions of children fans. Aditya Roy Kapur is even better than his previous films and has got a great talent to look for. Shernaz Patel impresses as always in a Bhansali movie. Suhel Seth and Nafisa Ali are fine in their small roles. But Moni Kangana Dutta shows no sparks as publicized in the press before the release of the movie.

In all, for me GUZAARISH is just an above average movie with some good performances but weak treatment of a serious subject. It may work for many but truly speaking I have seen much better movies from this so am not impressed.

Hrithik Roshan didn't have much luck at the box office with Kites earlier this year (curiously some attested to Kites containing a lot of English which turned the local Indian audiences off, but this film also featured a fair bit of dialogue in the English language), but I still reckon that he's an actor of his generation to look out for. Ethan Mascarenhas is perhaps his most challenging role to date, as we know Hrithik for his physicality and his gracefulness in dance, but his obvious character condition here limits the former as we see how slight his frame is, clearly allowing his built to be slimmed down to portray the role more convincingly as a man whose muscles are wasted through inaction and atrophy. As for the prerequisite dances, the film allowed some moments in flashbacks where he shows off some graceful moves as a magician with a class act in presentation and packaging his brand of magic, further cementing Hrithik's reputation as one of the heroes of Bollywood who can actually dance.

But what he aced in his role is how he convincingly portrays his immobility, relying very much on his facial expressions to bring across a wide spectrum of emotions. There's an added air of eccentricity and mood swings as expected of a man who gets handed lemons by Fate, so what best than to try and make lemonade from the situation, sharpening his wits in the process, since quick fire repertoire is something he can do, other times the scenarios constantly remind him how helpless he is without his caretaker by his side, and Hrithik shows this vulnerable side of him best. Not only that, Hrithik Roshan too lends his vocals to What a Wonderful World, which will probably delight his legion of fans.

Aishwarya Rai Bachchan also has Guzaarish to thank in bringing out her best performance for this year, peppered by films such as Raavan, Endhiran and Action Replayy. While Endhiran was essentially Superstar Rajnikanth's starrer and didn't really challenge Aishwarya with the role she had to play, Raavan and Action Replayy were roles that were pushing those boundaries but the box office responses didn't quite match to expectations. I'll put my hand up to say she's back at her best as Sofia De Souza, the nurse who makes tremendous sacrifices in order to ease the suffering of Ethan, who got taken aback by his decision that will of course mean an end to her services and that notion of being emotionally slighted. There's always a touch of tenderness in her care of her patient, and that romantic tension constantly underneath.

Sofia De Souza is typically prim and proper, and has a rather curious, lush wardrobe for a nurse - a point brought up later on by the public prosecutor Vipin Patel (Rajit Kapoor), though Aishwarya provided that tell tale spunk in Sofia with her (also much talked about) experiment with the cigarette, and the letting of her hair down in the song number Udi, sung by Sunidhi Chauhan and Shaul Hada, which stands out as one of my favourites in the film for that unmistakable Spanish influence. Joining her in the film is fellow Action Replayy alumni and Bollywood rookie Aditya Roy Kapoor (lucky him, to have made two debut films side by side with Aishwarya) whose Omar Siddique aspires to be Ethan's protégé, and goes to great lengths to being accepted and inevitably becoming a part of the extended family, which includes Ethan's mom Isabel (Nafisa Ali) and Dr Nayak (Suhei Seth).

But the real hero of the production, has got to be writer director Sanjay Leela Bhansali, who has bounced back from what many thought was a disappointment with Saawariya (which I begged to differ), weaving such a beautiful, sensitive tale without relying on melodrama or sensationalizing its main topic of Euthanasia. Flashbacks are used to effectively tell of Ethan's entire backstory leading up to and including a cringe inducing accident scene, and the pacing well done with the non-intrusive use of musical numbers to add to the narrative, without feeling forced. Bhansali has a keen eye to exploit the beautiful sets and through wonderful framing, light and shadow play, elevated Guzaarish into a film that's aesthetically pleasing to the eye.

As the adage goes, it's easier to ask for forgiveness than to seek permission, and the main crux of the plot deals with Ethan and friends trying to push through the legal system to allow him to die at his own will. If there's a blip in the film it will be the treatment of the courtroom scenes, which was necessary to allow Ethan outside the confines of his physical prison, but addressed issues more so on the surface and rarely scratched the content deep down. It piques your interest to evaluate circumstances if you were to put yourself in Ethan's shoes, but rarely goes beyond that fleeting thought in the mind.

But as mentioned, at least it didn't degenerate into over the top silliness, keeping itself in check most of the time in seriousness, and allowing the top notch performances to continue to engage, with a number of side characters appearing to reinforce certain aspects of Ethan's life and add an expanded dimension to a man unfortunately cut down at his prime. It reminds us again to live life for what it is and to appreciate it to the max, and Sanjay Leela Bhansali has this beautifully crafted film to tell us just that. Highly recommended, and it goes into my shortlist as a possible addition amongst the best this year has to offer. It looks like the Hrithik-Aishwarya partnership continues its success.

GUZAARISH Once again, and after a long time according to my standards, we got an opportunity to be amongst the first few to have watched the first public screening of Sanjay Leela Bhansali's newest venture, GUZAARISH. And two hours later, when I came out of the theatre with a lump in the throat, I couldn't but marvel at this outstanding creation on celluloid. Co-produced by UTV along with Sanjay Leela Bhansali, this clearly is Bhansali's best directorial effort till date. The theme is novel, at least in the Indian film scene and beautifully portrays a wide range of emotions. Love and caring; frustration and angst; helplessness and joy; anger and exhilaration are all presented with such finesse and perfection that it is difficult, well, nigh impossible to visualize as to how these emotions could have been better depicted on the screen. The other primary reason for the movie's powerful impact is that the ensembles of actors deliver their finest performances. Hritik Roshan, excels in his role of the magician performer turned quadriplegic and his eyes speak tomes of his inner feelings. Aishwarya Rai reveals that she can act, and wonderfully well, provided the script calls for it and if she has an able director to direct her efforts. The rest of the cast including the versatile Shernaz Patel, the debutante Aditya Roy Kapoor, the theatre personality Vijay Crishna (who is an Executive Director in one of the Godrej companies) and the graceful Nafisa Ali put in stellar performances. I will be most surprised if the cast members do not pick up more than a handful of awards. The music is also by Bhansali and while the few songs may not be chart busters, the background score is operatic in its expanse and adds to the mood of the various scenes. The dialogues are pithy and meaningful and couched in them are a number of philosophical statements. Bhansali's skill lies in making these not sound like drab monologues. I was reminded of the Hrishikesh Mukherjee directed and Amitabh-Rajesh Khanna starrer Anand whenever there were pathos tainted expressions of philosophy being mouthed on the screen. And just like it happened to me when I first saw Anand about three decades back, I was moved to tears in a few scenes; tears of a kind which do not cause uncontrollable sobbing, but which moisten one's eyes and leave you with a feeling of restrained, and quietly dignified expressions which speak louder than a thousand words. Bhansali's treatment of Euthanasia is without any melodrama whatsoever and this heightens the impact. Even the last scene is reminiscent of another Hrishikesh Mukerjee film: MILI; you know what is to follow, but still are left with the faint trickle of wishful optimism. Bhansali has proved that he can recover and recover well from his earlier blue themed disaster Saawariya, although the abundance of blue hues in a few scenes leave us with no doubt about the director's favourite color. Aishwarya looks stunning as well, and although her low cut dress is not what I have seen any nurse wearing, perhaps Bhansali intended it so as to provide some relief to the bed-chained hero! Ram Gopal Verma, who apparently has commented about his not liking her washing Hritik's hair needs to be reminded that Aishwarya looks more sensuous than all his pouting and pelvic thrusting heroines! Although GUZAARISH in the movie refers to the hero's deep desire to be freed from his state, it could also convey the GUZAARISH of every sick person to be nursed by a person like Aishwarya!!

This is one of the best performance by Hrithik, wonderfully woven, every frame by frame, by Sanjay. Aishwarya is good, much better than her previous performances this year, Shernaz Patel and Suhel Seth performed brilliantly in their roles. Aditya Roy Kapoor needs special mention too. He is also outstanding and shows good promises as a forthcoming good actor to watch out for. Overall the movie is excellent. Hrithik once again proves why he is in the top league of actors today, excelling in all fields, be it acting, dancing emoting....just about everything. I am just too amazed by the movie and especially by the performance of Hrithik. He is totally a magician, both in the movie as well as in his acting.....My GUZAARISH.........please go and watch this movie guys and gals.....u will love it.

guzaarish cant be just described as a movie....its something much more than that...something i personally felt only while watching Sanjay Leela Bhansali's black.....the emotions are pure...the scenes created have a magic to them.....the cinematography is excellent...and the film is like watching sheer poetry on screen....music is created by sanjay Leela bhansali and it clearly shows as each song is so high on melody...........its an unbelievable cinematic experience that must be cherished by all......................... its for the joy and pleasure of watching movies like these that cinema halls were made......

its outstanding.....:D..:)....

Yes, "Guzaarish" is THAT good.

"Guzaarish" will not just upgrade your expectation of what is possible to achieve through the medium of film. "Guzaarish" will change your life.

Easily the best film of 2010 -- anywhere -- "Guzaarish" joins the ten or so truly seminal movies throughout cinema history that are so groundbreaking and perfectly executed that we leave the experience seeing the world, even our own lives, in some fundamentally different way.

SEE THIS FILM.

"Guzaarish" is the masterpiece of famed director Sanjay Leela Bhansali ("Black", "Devdas", etc.) who here not only directed but wrote the script, co-produced the film, and composed the music.

The core storyline is borrowed from the 1981 classic "Whose Life Is It Anyway?", in turn adapted from the Broadway and West End multi-award-winning play of the same title: an artist (originally a sculptor, here a great magician), quadriplegic after an accident, when his internal organs start failing petitions a court for the right to end his own life, inciting a whirlwind of controversy in the lives of all those who love and care for him. But do not be deterred by the bleak-sounding premise. Through the genius of Bhansali -- and actors Hrithik Roshan and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan -- "Guzaarish" transcends any and all preconceptions. "Guzaarish" becomes a joyous celebration of Life, of living every moment to the full and living with dignity.

Mr Bhansali stated at the music launch that unless both Mr Roshan and Ms Rai signed for the project, he would not have attempted this film.

The resulting film proves Bhansali's point: no other actors but the individually so-gifted Mr Roshan and Ms Rai -- AND their matchless on screen synergy together -- could have brought "Guzaarish" its power and magic.

But in the safe hands of Bhansali, Roshan, and Rai you really will 'come fall back in love with life'.

"Guzaarish" joins my personal list of the 10 Best Films Ever Made.

Guzaarish (2010) (Urdu, meaning Request) Director: Sanjay Leela Bhansali Watched: 8/2/18 Rating: 7/10

Ornate costumes/sets, Magical realism aced- Stunning visual treat.

Mixed acting merit- Compelling but overdone; Works for song/dance acts.

Too long/clashing themes- Drama/laughs/musical? Comedic slant fails.

Deft narrative shows Both sides to euthanasia- But "Hinglish" hinders.

Less than the sum of its parts, But plus dazzling magic shows!

Haiku Sonnets are comprised of 4 3-line haiku plus a couplet of either 5 or 7 syllables, adding up to 14 lines, the same number of lines found in a sonnet. (5-7-5, 5-7-5, 5-7-5, 5-7-5, 7-7/5-5) Notes: Bhansali has been accused of borrowing or even plagiarizing from the unpublished novel "Summer Snow" (by Indian writer Dayanand Rajan) and the films "The Prestige" and "Mar Adentro". I personally agree with this last one; having noticed similarities that are almost eerie, making it difficult to believe that it is coincidental. "Mar Adentro" ("The Sea Inside") is a 2004 Spanish film starring Javier Bardem. A far superior film for a multitude of reasons, I highly recommended it as an alternative. #HaikuSonnet #PoemReview #Controversy #Euthanasia #Indian #MagicalRealism #Magician #Quadriplegic

Finally, we have a movie to appreciate by heart. I was so much satisfied when i came out of the cinema hall. With no unpractical things happening out there, the movie deserves only one word, marvelous..!! By Heart i would like to thank Sanjay Bhansali For delivering a movie like this, and Hritik and aishwarya For their delightful work, which deserves standing applause..!! the movie is so well crafted that you cannot take your eyes of the screen,and in case you do,you gotta be missing something.. With superb cinematography, songs, story and every thing related, this film is simply a class apart..! if you are in a habit of watching class movies, go just watch it... full thumbs up to the movie!!!!

It is something different & have created a magical attraction all around the movie. Acting was undoubtly good. A film which makes us to realise the feelings & pains of the special peoples. From my side I don't like the matter Euthanasia. But, that doesn't matter. The film is successful to express that in some condition it is may be better! :-(

For those who really like Movies with Good Story and acting. I will recommend them to watch "Guzarish". Its a Excellent piece of work by Sanjay Leela Bansali, with a Brilliant acting by "Ritik Roshan" and "Ashwariya Rai", with a great story line.

The story line is great and contain human touch for the plot created for a paralyzed person. I can say it cannot be more better to synchronized with the flow of the story and is very very well acted by both Ritik Roshan and Ashwariya Rai.

Again the dance by Ritik Roshan was amazing and there is no doubts about his dancing in the Indian Film Industry at this movement.

cinematography-9/10 acting-8/10 music-7/10 main characters were nicely drawn with good dialogue. plot was unique in its sense. direction was completely fabulous for whole movie in a small place.

only thing that was missing was script. the script was really really weak for such a subject and screenplay as well. the whole subject was explained in starting 5 min. than the movie dragged for complete 2 hrs( exceptions are music and some splendid visual appearances). it was full of boredom.

i don't believe the director like sanjay forgot to depict some of the characters such as (co magician of Ethan and Sophia's husband). they hardly appeared and why they appeared is also a mystery??

only thing was to watch was Ethan(hritik) the character was really well done a blend of frustration and never dieing spirit (which depicts from his sarcastic comments). And Sophia was joy to watch a blend of goan culture and beauty. both aish and hritik was perfect cast. aditya roy kapoor again stood out after his debut. he did well and as again his acting was quite fresh.

music really stood out it was quite unique from typical Bollywood chart busters. overall movie has its own feel. but honestly script is too weak. which makes it unbearable for 2 hours!!!

I watched Guzarish a good 24 hours back and I am still not able to think anything else except the movie. This is a rare piece of art.

Hrithik has raised the bar for himself after this performance.His eyes does all the talking and he has completely gone under the skin of the character. Aishwarya, as usual, does justice to her talent.

Bhansali has woven some wonderful moments together in this rare piece of art, which deserves appreciation. Every frame is beautifully presented and it works like a visual treat to the audience.

Thank you Mr.Bhansali for giving a film which will be remembered for its quality and not the numbers on the box office chart.

I highly recommend this movie to everyone who adores the magic of sensitive cinema.

I was not hoping much from Sanjay Leela Bhansali since Saawariya but i was wrong. When the trailer first came out i said that i will only watch the movie because i am a fan of both Hrithik Roshan and Aishwarya Rai B. When the first few images came out i was like wow, looks good. And than, when the film came out i was first in line to buy the tickets... When the movie began, i was feeling weird but that weirdness just ran away... The movie is excellent.

Hrithik Roshan gave a life-time performance in this film and he looked very handsome. Aishwarya Rai B was looking beautiful as ever. All her costumes,make-up and hair was really nice. I love the flower on her hair. Made her looks like a lovely Red Rose. SLB did an amazing job.

Guaarish is a must see movie of the year. Go see now...

My review: 9/10

A memorable movie that follows the daily emotional, and mental, anguishes of a quadriplegic dealing with the deterioration of his internal organs. With the love of his mother, he inspired to strive above all else, just by being content that he survived an awful accident ten years before. Now, after several years, the state of his body is declining and Ethan is no longer feeling the contentment of being alive, or of being free from all restraints (physical or otherwise). He seeks the assistance of his best friend, Devyani, to petition the courts for the rights of euthanasia. Due to cultural beliefs, he is denied that individual basic right. With the love of friends and his beloved Sofia, he continues to battle the struggles. Directed by Sanjay Leela Bhansali (whom once again excels in a highly compelling film). Brilliant portrayal of a character that is dealing with not only moral, and social, issues and aspects, but is dealing with a human being's right to his own free choices, and own will power. Powerful story plot that follows with an array of amazing character performances. Hrithik Roshan, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Shernaz Patel, Suhel Seth, Aditya Roy Kapoor, and Nafisa Ali. Definitely worthy! "Break the rules. Forgive quickly. Kiss slowly. Love deeply. Laugh uncontrollably. And never regret anything that made you smile." ~Ethan Mascarenhas

"Guzaarish" is a very surprising and unexpected film from director Sanjay Leela Bhansali. Although he has done similar fare before, this is a very personal film for him and everyone involved because of the subject matter it deals with. Ethan (Hrithik Roshan) is a former magician who is now confined to a bed because he is paralyzed from the neck down. He lives his life by making other people happy through a radio show he hosts. Hrithik nails his performance. I actually tried to find if any other part of his body moved in any of the scenes, I couldn't, he was perfect. It's refreshing to see him restrained and what he can do with limited movements; we are so used to seeing him gyrating his body with his incredible dancing. He loses himself in the character completely. He is desperate, angry, enthusiastic and even a little bit insane and he communicates all this very well even with what little he has to work with. Aishwarya Rai gives a very controlled and strong performance as his Nurse Sophia. There are wonderful unknown supporting actors in this as well who give commendable performances. This is not Bhansali's best but it's definitely worth checking out for the great performances and the subject matter it deals with, which is Euthanasia. After years of struggling with no hope for a cure Ethan wants to end his life but the courts of Goa won't let him. Much of the film is spent on his case while his lawyer and doctor both try to convince the judge to grant Ethan his wish. The conclusion is surprising, sad and uplifting at the same time. It really gives the audience a lot to think about. The one thing I would have liked to see is more scenes of Ethan as a magician and his past life, I was very curious to see what that was like. What the film shows is almost a tease. Like all of SLB films, "Guzaarish" is beautiful and touches you in unexpected ways. There is one heartbreaking scene when Ethan's mother passes away and he sings "What a wonderful world" at her funeral. It is Hrithik himself singing and it's poignant and genuine. Unlike "Devdas" and "Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam" this film is not for everyone, but it's certainly an important one for both Bollywood and SLB himself. Give it chance, you just might like it.

This movie needs no reviews. If IMDb allowed less words or a single one even, I would have wrote just "AWSOME".. and this one word explain everything.

To my surprise I was reading the box office reviews and found that the movie has badly flopped. And the only thing I could figure out that people doesn't have even mind to understand movies or to be precise, Cinema. This movie is an art in every direction, a complete movie i would say after a long time from bollywood. Be it the story, acting, music, message or direction. All the team has done a great job done and very well done.

I was never a fan of H. Roshan before this movie (even now) but the acting of this actor has proved something out of the box. It's just the face expressions in the whole movie and a very difficult job to do. Mr. Roshan if you are somehow reading this I would like to tell you that SRK doesn't even match your performance (as to my knowledge that SRK won the best actor award for My name is Khan), honestly not a bit. But awards doesn't matter or even the box office revenues too, as you have done a job that would be remembered for a long time. I hardly watch movies twice but for guzarish that's not the case. I watched it once and enjoyed the movie as a whole and on the second next day I watched it again only for roshan's acting.

I still can't believe how this movie could be a flop?? Man!! I feel sorry for the team but they should must read the critic and viewer's reviews.

Great Movie!

Sanjay Leela Bhansali's sense of Cinema has never really attracted me. 'Khamoshi - The Musical' was the only film I truly adored of his. 'Devdas', 'Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam' and 'Black' had strong performances, while 'Saawariya' was an absolute letdown. However, his latest outing, 'Guzaarish' is a decent flick.

First and foremost I'd like to inform you is that:- 'Guzaarish' is heavily inspired by two films:- 'Mar Adrento' aka 'The Sea Inside' and 'Whose life Is It Anyway'. So in terms of novelty, Bhansali has less to credit himself. But what he manages to pull off with complete sincerity, is a superb first hour and wonderful performances by it's lead cast.

'Guzaarish' tells the story of a magician, who in a fatal accident turns quadriplegic, who is confined in his own wheelchair. After living 14-long years as a quadriplegic, he appeals for Mercy Killing, so that he gets the right to give his final salute, with dignity and respect.

Despite Bhansali's Screenplay being inspirational, the award-winning filmmaker manages to deliver a superb first hour. But, his writing falters in the latter hour. Even the climax, comes out depressing. As a director, he has indeed managed to bring out wonderful performances by its lead cast, for which he deserves kudos.

Music by Bhansali himself, is gentle. Cinematography is fine, while the Art-Direction is weird. Performance-Wise: Hrithik Roshan & Aishwarya Rai deliver like never before. Hrithik is simply flawless as a quadriplegic, while Aishwarya is effortless as his nurse. They both deliver one of their finest and most detailed performances in here. In the supporting cast, Shernaz Patel leaves the strongest impression.

On the whole, 'Guzaarish' had the potential to become an outstanding film, but what is eventually served is strictly above-average. One Expected & Deserved Much more!

"I love God, father. That's why I am 'dying' to meet him", says Ethan Mascerenhas (endearing Hrithik) once a celebrated magician, presently a quadriplegic RJ who inspires thousands through his show also penned a book titled 'learning to fly' in his conditions; now seeking grant from the court about appeal of his own mercy-killing. He is on dialysis, his liver is malfunctioning, his condition is only worsening and so his suffering. He wants it to end, with dignity. He even launches a radio- show calling 'Project Ethanacia' for votes from his audience gathering public support so that court will have to listen to his plea.

He is looked after by Sophia (Aishwarya holding her end fiercely) who is more than his nurse, gets heart-broken when she reads about the plea from newspapers, expresses her disturbance overtly. Her duty is more of devotion while he is more connected to her than dependent. Unspoken intimacy we know. Despite him paralyzed neck-down her presence adds strong sexual undercurrent to the film. Their odd romance takes up only a portion of story which I wished would have been sizable later.

Amongst other smaller characters populate Ethan's life are a lawyer friend Devyani (Shernaz Patel), a caring doctor (Suhel Seth) and an aspiring magician Omar Siddiqui (Aditya Roy Kapoor) whom Ethan agrees to mentor shares a wonderful scene with Hrithik where he teaches him to create paper-snowfall by rubbing palms together out of wet tissue. Ethan once a master perfomer watching this with wide smile and content eyes in the moment confesses, "It's the applause I miss the most Sophie." I wish there were more of such deeper side of his. There are other beautifully shot magical acts we witness through flashbacks from Ethan's glory days also playing foils to his now crippled state.

Its director Bhansali is known for working on grand scale where I had my reservation in case of Devdas or Saawariya getting lost with overdoing but here he paints vast canvas with broad stokes and aesthetic mania which takes most of our awe where you sense the grandeur of imagery in nearly every frame. Blue and black dominates the palate with stark contrast of red whether in Sophia's lips or scarf. Location is Goa where Ethan lives in mansion like house which will allow director for adding more touches like Italian sculptural art. But the euthanasia case which is movie's subject is the weakest part making most of the later half of film, fails to convince you any which way. I was disappointed when film stopped being sensitive and got sentimental. Still their is enough magic in this to pay you a visit.

Just watched the film "Guzaarish" today.. I have to admit it met my expectations n delivered much more. It is a wonderfully told story which is artistic at heart. It will be more liked by the true good-story-acting-experience loving spectators. But everyone will be mesmerized by this beauty of a film. The songs though neither full in the film except 'udi', perfectlly matched the emotions of the film. Specially 'tera zikr hai', 'sau gram zindagi' n 'its a beautiful world' sung by Hrithik himself stands out.. Now for the acting part, i really don't have a proper adjective to describe Hrithik Roshan.. He is amazing,stunning,brilliant,mindblowing to name a few. He will make u laugh n cry at same time. Aishwarya Rai Bachhan also shines n enacts her role with brilliance n grace. Overall, its a true cinematic experience, with an amazing finale.. still visualising the last scene.. Don't miss this masterpiece by Sanjay Leela Bhansali.. Its a 10/10!

I admit that I have not seen a single movie made by Mr. Sanjay Leela Bhansali in theaters. I always brought them home to watch on PC or DVD. After Sawariya, which I have not seen at all, I never saw any movie from the guy. Yesterday I was forced to accompany my friends to see Guzarish. I admit that I was skeptical.

Mr. Bhansali is a kind of painter, art of whom I'd admire. I close my eyes and I still see the beautiful landscape he created in front of me yesterday. The colors faded in each other, to create a flowing charisma. May it be the scene where he shows the magic, may it be when they show his accident, may it be when there is a clean focus on his mother's face at the time of petition, may it be the time when he comes out of his house to go to the court; every color is there, and each one makes its presence felt. He has a knack of using such bright colors, this adds to beauty of his art. I fell for the presentation he did, the emotions he captured, so subtle, so surreal.

It's a director's job to make sure the cast acts the way he intends to present it on screen, and he has done the job splendidly. All the actors have justified the roles they are in. The whole movie has an air of melancholy. But at the same time, the movie is never a complete tearjerker. It touches you when it's sad, you'd never know how softly a tear rolled out of your eye, involuntarily. Aha, but at the same time there would be bursts of occasional laughter to keep the mood alight and flowing. Maintenance of decorum is part of actors' job description and he does it well, so well that you can not imagine any other actors of the industry performing those roles.

Having acknowledged the beautiful positivity of it, let me also say that the movie has several things which are unnecessary. It seems to have added just to make the length near 2 hours 30 minutes. This movie appears too slow at points and it does not go ahead at all. Also we could have expected an intellectual debate in the case filed for euthanasia, but that does not happen. In fact the case was the most disappointing aspect of it. Mr. Bhansali had the chance to exploit the possibility but I guess he chose not to. The songs are not so catchy to be remembered after a day or two. What I'm pointing out here are not deal breakers; just hindrances in the complete feel of the movie.

As I had said earlier on FB, I'd say this was a Beautiful Poem, verses of which seemed to have extended a little