Pleasant surprise. Review on Saathiya

Needless to say a Bollywood ruled by Kareena Kapoor has hardly captured too much of my attention over the years except for ofcourse the incomparable class acts like Dil Chahta Hai,Lagaan,etc.

What initially drew my interest to Saathiya was it's soundtrack which is quite a mix of rare melody and commercial catchiness. And i'm pleased to say the film itself was not disappointing. Perhaps it's not one of those jaw-droppingly-hey-let's-go-see-it-again kind of movies but it makes a pleasant watch and you don't need to go home cringing wishing you'd spent your money on kababs instead.

A fairly simple story, it has no real driving plot but more of an 'experience' movie, but with some nice shots and pleasant performances, you don't really miss the need for a unique story.

One wonders how they were able to shoot on bombay locals but it's an added pleasure to see that sense of realism and a true feeling of mumbai...however there is a little glitch in the continuity of a more humble bombay..this being most prominent in the two primary characters moving into a house that most new young upstarters in bombay could only dream about. I suppose the new boom of ostentatious living in Hindi cinema still isn't prepared for something as down market as a little hole in andheri, but then again when you look like Vivek Oberoi it's likely you might get a good broker..

Speaking of Vivek Oberoi, he gives a fairly impressive performance...Road was somewhat of a disappointment but he seems to have finally adjusted to smiling again and is far more natural in Saathiya. but his best performances ofcourse were all his angry, hurt and angst ridden scenes, which were not too many but heck, we miss that frown..

Rani Mukerjee too, looked less of a 'bubble-gum' as a friend of mine once put it and manages to do quite a good job but who catches your attention even more is Sandhya Mridul who plays rani's sister with ease, careful not to grab the spotlight from rani's character but adds a richness to it and makes an impact on you even when you are not fully concentrating on her.

What's especially nice about the film is it's slightly less conventional pattern. the time and space pattern is adopted relatively easily and the story flows back and forth using the present as the connecting line. You are neither too conscious of it yet it all falls into place with out any sense of being too forced. Little elements of coincidence and timing add real flavour and richness to what otherwise could have been just a straight forward approach, and these are things to really be appreciated. Unfortunately this could not be maintained right through to the end and you are left feeling that the director wasn't quite sure how to end his little piece on human character and out of pure fright that it might not work brings in some big names who effectively disorient you. Through the entire film, the director works to give you a sense of surroundings, a sense of understanding the world these characters are in and then suddenly you are jolted back into total awareness that you are watching a film made in Bollywood. It's not that these actors are bad actors ( although I have my doubts about one of them)..it's just that they...don't belong.

Never the less, Saathiya should be watched and appreciated with some of its good dialogue and impressive cinematography.I wouldn't go back to see it, but it's worth a one time watch.