What’s the first thing you think of when someone says “Bollywood”? Degrading film quality, out of pitch singing, over the top acting, and general craziness sprinkled throughout. Well, me too! However, this movie proves me wrong in quite a few ways. Don’t get me wrong, this is definitely a bollywood film with awkwardness aplenty. I usually don’t watch these sorts of movies, but this one stood out because well…it didn’t look like it fit that usual bollywood mold that I’ve experienced.
Taking its story from Dostoevsky’s “White Nights” Saawariya is actually a very beautiful film that breaks a lot of the stereotypes you’d think about when you see most bollywood movies. Yes, there’s weird singing, weird body movements, and all that usual stuff. But damn! Is this movie very well-made. Everything just falls into place. Unfortunately, I did not get a chance to see the blu-ray version of this film although I can imagine this would look absolutely stellar on that particular medium.
From a Western standpoint, it’s definitely different. If you’re into musicals, and you can handle some cultural differences involved mostly with the film-making I’m sure you’ll find some enjoyment out of this film. It’s not one of those typical bollywood flicks that you’d watch only to laugh at. This can be a pretty serious film, and has quite a bit of merit.
