Sanjay Shah
What does a love story need? A storyline that can grab attention, a pair of actors who can hold it together, and music that enchants and entertains. Mohit Suri, known for romantic films with a touch of thrill and tension, is back with SAIYAARA. It is his first collaboration with Yashraj Films, known for its love triangles. Let us see how SAIYAARA fares.`
Set in Mumbai, the film revolves around the lives of upcoming singer Krish (Ahaan Panday) and budding writer-lyricist Vaani (Aneet Padda). They meet and fall in love. Soon, the girl learns that she is suffering from Alzheimer’s. Her memory is weakening and becoming irregular with each passing day. To add to her agony, her past, in the form of ex-lover Mahesh (Shaan Groverr), lands back in her life. All this happens when her writings start bringing success to Krish. And one fine morning, she vanishes from a Goa sojourn, only to add to Krish’s worry. How the story unfolds from here on is what SAIYAARA is about.
With an oft-attempted narrative and nothing extraordinary to tell, especially post-interval, Suri’s film relies heavily on his expertise to deliver an enjoyable tale using his experience and usual traits. So, you get to see a beautiful and capable lead pair of Ahaan and Aneet shouldering the responsibility of carrying the entire movie on their shoulders. And they do it quite remarkably. Then there are songs, composed by seven music directors, including Mithoon. And you have beaches, kisses, smooches, two-pieces, madness, fights, escapes, and more!
What you don’t have are superbly in-sync supporting characters. Vaani’s parents (Geeta Agrawal Sharma, Rajesh Kumar), Krish’s buddy Ritwik (Alam Khan) and father (Varun Badola), and singer Prince (Shaad Randhawa) are part of the story. Yet, they are mostly seen doing only momentarily useful acts. The film lacks elements, beyond Krish and Vaani’s scenes, that can captivate you throughout.
Yet, SAIYAARA shines thanks to a few things. The first is that it’s really worth watching the lead pair. Ahaan and Aneet, in that order, are star material. They look beautiful together and individually too. You rarely feel that it is their first-ever movie. The music is another plus, although it is not as soulful as Mohit’s past films like ZEHER, AASHIQUI 2, EK VILLAIN, or HAMARI ADHURI KAHANI, to name a few. Suri knows very well who his target audience is and how to entertain them, even when a strong story is missing. So, he comes up with some interesting tricks and a repeatedly used dialogue, “Abhi bhi kuchh pal hain mere paas”. He lets Krish cry in places. He ensures his hero has an appealing attitude. And his heroine has grace and composure that are loved.
From a beginning in a marriage registrar’s office to the climax revolving around Manali and other locations, SAIYAARA draws you into the world of love with pathos, music, and pain. No matter how effective it is for rural viewers or elders, SAIYAARA has its heart in the right place as far as the urban youth is concerned. With less substance and more style, and less meat and lots of dard bhari mohabbat, SAIYAARA should be loved by millions of youngsters.
Technically, the cinematography by Vikas Sivaraman is up to the mark. The editing by Rohit Makwana and Devendra Murdeshwar is proper. The screenplay by Sankalp Sadanah has flaws, while the dialogues by Rohan Shankar lack punch. The title song, “Humsafar”, and “Dhun” are pleasant.
In a nutshell, SAIYAARA is a movie that gifts Bollywood two of its most promising actors. And it’s a movie that has Mohit Suri and Yashraj Films written all over it. Go watch it if you are young or, at least, young at heart!
Rating: 3 stars out of 5
Cast: Ahaan Panday, Aneet Padda, Shaan Groverr, Geeta Agrawal Sharma, Rajesh Kumar, Alam Khan, Varun Badola, Shaad Randhawa
Presented by: Aditya Chopra
Director: Mohit Suri
Producer: Akshaye Widhani
Director of Photography: Vikas Sivaraman
Story, Screenplay: Sankalp Sadanah
Dialogues: Rohan Shankar
Music: Mithoon, Sachet-Parampara, Rishabh Kant, Vishal Mishra, Tanishk Bagchi, Faheem Abdullah, Arslan Nizami
Lyrics: Irshad Kamil, Mithoon, Rishabh Kant, Raj Shekhar
Editors: Devendra Murdeshwar, Rohit Makwana
Director of Choreography: Vijay A Ganguly
Costume Designer: Sheetal Sharma
Background Music: John Stewart Eduri
Action Director: Aejaz Gulab
Visual Effects Studio: yFX
