Saathiya 
Director: Shaad Ali Starring: Vivek Oberoi, Rani
Mukherjee, Sandhya Mridul, Tanuja, Satish Shah, Sharat Saxena, Shahrukh Khan
(s.a), Tabu (s.a) Music: A.R. Rahman Lyrics: Gulzar Saathiya is a love story that defies all routine formula of a love story in Indian screen. For a change, we have a movie that sees love as an issue based on reality. Saathiya, a remake of Tamil hit Alaipaayuthey, (by Manirathnam) comes as a fresh air in Bollywood.
What went wrong in this paradise? Saathiya explores the status of the mutual love before and after marriage. The love is still there but in a different form with different equations. It needs a lot of passion and maturity to coup up with the challenges posed by the reality of life. The couple struggles to coup up with the new environment, which is filled with small fights, ego clashes, and, most of all, the expectations for everything to be as beautiful and dreamy as it was before marriage. How they manage to develop a new equation in their relationship without loosing the mutual affection forms the rest of the film. It is a fantastic opportunity that a debut director could get and Shaad Ali has utilized it outstandingly. Shaad Ali might have enjoyed the neat work of Manirathnam, who arguably one of the best directors alive. But he brings a lot more youthful energy to the Hindi version compared to the original. He has also adapted the original script according to the North Indian environment. His casting is perfect as the chemistry between Vivek Oberoi and Rani Mukherjee is amazing. Both of them bring out the various moods that accompany the earlier life of a young couple. Sandhya Mridul, Tanuja, and Sharat Saxena have done their job well. A.R. Rahman’s music is excellent as usual. Though he has re-created the original songs except for a couple of songs. Cinematography [Anil Mehta] is pleasant. Sreekar Prasad’s editing ensures a free flow and pacing of the film. Though Shaad Ali’s has made a remarkable debut he fails in re-creating small characteristic nuances, seemingly insignificant lines, and scenes from the original script. Some of the deviations for the original do not go well with the overall tone of the film (for example, he denies the definitions of Shahrukh Khan and Tabu’s relationship with regard to the couple). Had he just followed what Mani Ratnam had done, he would have certainly painted a more complete and fulfilling picture. Despite some flaws like this, one cannot deny that Saathiya is a high quality film that could strike a chord or two among romantic youngsters. A combination of good direction, neat screenplay, excellent performances, youthful music and marvelous cinematography makes the film worth watching.
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Songs
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Producer:
Mani Ratnam
and Bobby Bedi
The
film starts as Aditya Sehgal (Vivek Oberoi) awaits his wife Suhani Sharma (Rani
Mukherjee) at the railway station. She does not turn up. The scene moves on to
recall what happened a year ago. The usual love story begins as they meet each
other and fall in love with each other. The parents oppose their marriage and
the lovers have to start a new life together, mutually agreeing to shun their
parents. They live happily… but the
happiness does not last long.
