Review-”Saawariya” (Blu-ray)

Release Date: May 6, 2008
Price: $38.96
Rated: PG (thematic elements, brief nudity, some language, and incidental smoking)
Run Time: 138 Minutes
Publisher: Sony Pictures
Starring: Ranbir Kapoor, Sonam Kapoor, Salman Khan, Zohra Sehgal, Rani Mukherjee
Director: Sanjay Leela Bhansali
Writers: Prakash Kapadia, Sanjay Leela Bhansali
Genre: Bollywood, Romance
Special Features: “Making the Music” featurette, premiere night footage
Buy It On Amazon.com

“Saawariya” was my first Bollywood experience. While I won’t be seeking out every Bollywood film I can find, “Saawariya” definitely showed me enough to prove that Indian films can compete with those made in America. Bollywood films are made much differently that our films but those that enjoy slower-moving romantic movies should give them a try.

Like most Bollywood films, “Saawariya” is a romantic drama that features colorful sets and costumes and elaborate song-and-dance numbers. The film is about a shy musician who by chance meets a beautiful young woman. The two spend four nights filled with music and romance. Obviously this isn’t the most original concept ever made but the movie is worth watching to see the differences between the American and Indian filmmaking styles.

The two highlights of the film are the gorgeous sets that take full advantage of the Blu-ray technology and the eye-popping song-and-dance numbers. I like most musicals and while the song style is different in “Saawariya,” I thought many of the songs were very catchy. The colors are beautiful and make the film worthy of an upgrade to Blu-ray if you really care about picture quality.

Most of the other elements of the film are solid but unspectacular. The acting is just average and the writing is unoriginal. There are only two bonus features, a decent “making the music” featurette and some rather pointless premiere night footage. My biggest gripe about the film is its length. At 138 minutes, “Saawariya” is at least a good thirty minutes too long. If you can’t stand slow-moving films, this movie definitely isn’t for you.

Overall, if you are willing to experiment and like romantic films or musicals, “Saawariya” is worth a look. Just be warned that Bollywood films are much different than American ones. Recommended.

Rating: (My Rating/Average Viewer)