Guzaarish (2010 film)

Guzaarish
Film poster
Directed by	Sanjay Leela Bhansali
Produced by	Sanjay Leela Bhansali Ronnie Screwvala
Screenplay by	Sanjay Leela Bhansali Bhai Iyer
Starring	Hrithik Roshan Aishwarya Rai Aditya Roy Kapur
Music by	Songs: Sanjay Leela Bhansali Background Score: Tubby-Parik
Cinematography	Sudeep Chatterjee
Edited by	Hemal Kothari
Production company	SLB Films
Distributed by	UTV Motion Pictures
Release dates	19 November 2010 (2010-11-19)
Running time	116 minutes
Country	India
Language	Hindi
Budget	₹500 million (US$7.4 million)[1]
Box office	₹695 million (US$10 million)[2]

Guzaarish (English: Request) is a 2010 Indian drama film directed by Sanjay Leela Bhansali, starring Hrithik Roshan and Aishwarya Rai. The film was produced by Sanjay Leela Bhansali and Ronnie Screwvala and released on 19 November 2010.

Plot

The story, which is set in Goa, is about a quadriplegic magician and radio jockey, Ethan Mascarenhas (Hrithik Roshan). Sofia D'Souza (Aishwarya Rai) has been his nurse for the past twelve years. On the fourteenth anniversary of his accident, Ethan decides to file an appeal to the court for euthanasia (mercy killing) with the help of his best friend and lawyer Devyani Dutta (Shernaz Patel). Ethan's mother, Isabel Mascarenhas (Nafisa Ali), also supports him in his petition, backing her son's demand. A young man named Omar Siddiqui (Aditya Roy Kapoor) enters Ethan's life to learn magic from him.

Judge Rajhansmoni (Vijay Crishna) dismisses the case immediately when it is presented in the court. Devyani asks Ethan to garner public support through a vote on the issue through his radio programme, which Ethan names "Project Euthanasia". The issue comes into limelight through news features in television and other media. An appeal is once again submitted to the court. Meanwhile, Ethan's mother passes away and Sofia is dragged away by her alcoholic husband, Neville D'Souza (Makarand Deshpande), against whom she had filed a divorce case.

On the day of verdict, the court cites the law doesn't permit euthanasia and rejects Ethan's plea. A disheartened Ethan spends his time alone in his empty home when Sofia returns. She reveals to Ethan that she got the divorce, and also tells him that she will help with his mercy-killing, whatever the consequences. On hearing her words, Ethan realizes Sofia's love for him. He proposes to her and Sofia agrees.

Ethan throws a farewell party for his friends and guests, where he speaks about everyone who is very dear to him and also tells everyone about the relationship between him and Sofia. Ethan says that he will die a happy man with no regrets and bids goodbye to all. At these words, all the guests come and hug him. The film ends with Ethan laughing heartily.

Cast

• Aishwarya Rai Bachchan as Sofia D'Souza/Mascarenhase
• Hrithik Roshan as Ethan Mascarenhas
• Shernaz Patel as Devyani Dutta
• Suhel Seth as Dr. Nayak
• Makrand Deshpande as Neville D'Souza
• Rajit Kapur as Public Prosecutor, Vipin Patel
• Aditya Roy Kapoor as Omar Siddiqui
• Monikangana Dutta as Estella Francis
• Swara Bhaskar as Radhika Talwar
• Nafisa Ali as Ethan's Mother/Isabelle
• Priyanka Bose as singer at the bar
• Achint Kaur as news reader

Production

Development

After completing Saawariya, Sanjay Leela Bhansali had decided to focus more on his film production house, SLB Films Pvt. Ltd. Chenab Gandhi a film starring Amitabh Bachchan, Vidya Balan, and John Abraham was being talked about in the Bollywood film industry.^[3] Meanwhile, he was also focusing on his sister Bela Sehgal's directorial venture, earlier titled, Hadippa.^[4] A few news reports suggested that Bhansali had confirmed his next project - a young love story called Hamari Jaan Ho Tum, starring Udit Narayan's son Aditya Narayan and Mahesh Bhatt's daughter. However, he had denied the rumors stating he was not into any such project.^[5]

Other reports stated he had begun work on a film called Heer Mandi. Bhansali had two male actors and one female actress flown in from Pakistan to train them in acting. The crew ran into casting problems with the death of Begum Para, one of his actors in Saawariya, who was also supposed to star in Heera Mandi'. Bhansali started working on an untitled film starring Aishwarya Rai and Hrithik Roshan, instead.^[6] Later Bhansali himself cleared the air in an interview stating he had met a Pakistani actor called Imran Abbas Naqvi on the insistence of the writer of Heera Mandi, Moin Beg, around the end of 2007. However, the actor did not fit Bhansali's needs. He confirmed that he would definitely make Heera Mandi much later and would think of casting then.^[7]

Bhansali first told media about his next directorial venture, when he gave an interview to the Indo-Asian News Service (IANS). In the interview he said that he had decided to call his film, Guzaarish, which is set to be shot in Goa. Bhansali stated that Guzaarish is his tribute to the legendary singer Lata Mangeshkar; "I learnt direction from her voice. 'Guzaarish' is my tribute to Lata-ji's artistry," Bhansali told IANS. He added that the screenplay of the movie is also inspired by Lata's passion for excellence.^[8] He said that Lata's songs and their lyrics had been used "...to fuel the intense love story. For instance, the song Hai tere saath meri wafaa, main nahin to kya? forms an important part of the film..."When queried on why he chose a topic which explored the life of a quadriplegic, the filmmaker said he likes taking up subjects that are closer to life and not very much talked about. He added that the movie makes one "...aware about the beauty of life and what we have and how we should cherish what we have.. I have learnt so much about living a good life, of becoming a better human being and of evolving as a person".^[9]

Later in an interview Sanjay Leela Bhansali opened up and said that "I've lived the pain of facing the isolation of failure after Saawariya. it was the toughest time of my life. Suddenly everyone disappeared, and that included the people who had worked with me on Saawariya for two years. Because of the suffering I began to get seriously interested in the subject of mercy killing. I began to read up as much as possible on the subject. My research showed that mercy killing was prohibited by law in many countries including India . Almost a year of studying the super-sensitive subject, I concluded that every human being should have the right to die with dignity. The pain and suffering and the dignity with which I bore them prompted me to make a film on mercy killing."^[10]

Casting

Bhansali was on the lookout for a mature couple for the portrayal of his lead roles in Guzaarish.^[11] His admiration for his muse Aishwarya Rai was a very well known fact.^[12] After watching her films Dhoom 2 and Jodhaa Akbar, both of which had starred both herself and Hrithik Roshan, Bhansali decided that the pair exuded a dignity and elegance much needed for his film. He also told IANS that Hrithik and Aishwarya had been chosen to play the passionate lovers in 'Guzaarish' because to Bhansali, they epitomized the physical and spiritual beauty of Lata Mangeshkar's voice."

When the stars had been signed on, Hrithik Roshan was filming Kites, while Aishwarya Rai was shooting in Kerala for the bilingual Raavan/Raavanan. As a result, though Bhansali wanted to start the shooting of the movie by early 2009, the start got delayed since the lead actor suggested postponing the film until he wrapped up his home production Kites." He added that the project was "..definitely going into a different territory, in more ways than one," hinting at a unique shooting location. Later, sources from the movie said that bulk dates of the two actors had been taken and for the following four months, the film would be shot in Mumbai and two other outdoor locations, which were not disclosed then. It was reported that Roshan would start shooting from July 2009.^[13]

For her part, Aishwarya Rai said that both Bhansali and herself had evolved together and were both similar – totally driven and passionate. She stated that the director ".. was so excited when he found the right script for us to work together in". She had similar views about her co-star Hrithik Roshan with whom, she said, she shared an amazing rapport.^[14]

Hrithik Roshan said in an interview that Bhansali's film is the only film "....that I've accepted after Kites. I just jumped at it. We're both very passionate film persons. Though there's one other script that I'm looking at, nothing touched my soul except Bhansali's script."Apart from the two big stars, Bhansali had also signed model Monikangana Dutta to play Hrithik's former love interest in the film. Sources had revealed then that Dutta would be playing the role of Hrithik's estranged lover. It was announced that Dutta had been signed for a two-movie deal and that "...Guzaarish would be the first and the second might be a solo launch for her. Monika is obviously very excited about winning the role. She is not allowed to make many public appearances and remains discreet about the film deal..." Bhansali was very tight-lipped when asked about Dutta and gave a very brief response saying that her role was pivotal to the film.^[15]

During the music release of Guzaarish, it was revealed that Hrithik Roshan and Aishwarya Rai were the first choices of the director. Though Rai had agreed to the script without even reading it, Roshan was all set to say no to Sanjay's next. According to Hrithik Roshan "... five minutes into the story narration, I knew that I just couldn't say no". Hrithik felt that though he had "..played superheroes before. But I feel my character in 'Guzaarish' is the biggest superhero. I learnt how to live life after playing this role. This film will make you smile and give you courage".^[16] Bhansali said that he had always wanted to work together with Roshan for a very long time as he was impressed by his sincerity as an actor. He added that the script of Guzaarish gave him the right opportunity to sign him. About the leading lady, Aishwarya Rai, he said that the role suited her to perfection and though she would have accepted his offer, it was important for an actor to be convinced of what he or she is doing. Bhansali stated that if any of the leading cast had refused to sign, he wouldn't have made Guzaarish. According to him "..the film was only possible if Hrithik and Aishwarya had acted in it".^[16]

Amita Sehgal, Casting Director, roped in other actors including Shernaz Patel who was last seen in Bhansali's Black as Michelle McNally's mother, Catherine McNally. Vijay Crishna who was seen in Devdas as the authoritarian father made a comeback in Bhansali's cast ensemble. There were rumors initially that Suhel Seth who was last seen in Pooja Bhatt's Rog had been engaged to play Hrithik's doctor, which were later confirmed. Further, inclusion of Nafisa Ali cemented Bhansali's penchant for picking up his cast from off the beaten track.^[17] Another inclusion was Aditya Roy Kapoor, brother of UTV Executive Producer, Siddharth Roy Kapur, who also was working simultaneously in another of Aishwarya Rai's films, Action Replayy.^[18] It was reported that yesteryear actor couple Dharmendra and Hema Malini's younger daughter Ahana Deol and Aditya Pancholi and Zarina Wahab's son, Sooraj Pancholi served Bhansali as Assistant Directors (AD) on the sets of Guzaarish.^[19][20] While Sooraj Pancholi did work as an Assistant Director for the first 2 schedules, Ahana Deol never worked as an AD.

Theater actor Makrand Deshpande was recruited to play an important three-minute cameo in the film on Hrithik Roshan's suggestion.^[21] Dileep Subramaniam is the sound designer of the film. He has years of experience as sound designer in films like 'My Name is Khan' and currently on floor Imtiaz Ali's 'Rockstar'. That film won best film on the ZigZag awards.

Pre-production works

Before starting the filming of Guzaarish, Bhansali visited Ajmer Dargah in Rajasthan for seeking blessings.^[22] Bhansali also met the singing legend Lata Mangeshkar, whom he had revealed to be the source of inspiration to him, to seek her blessings before he fully embarked on filming Guzaarish.During the meeting, Mangeshkar told that she was a big fan of Bhansali's films and that she was fortunate to be the source of inspiration behind such a talented director's film. She told the media members that "..Even I had heard that he makes his singers hear my songs over and over again before making them sing. I've always been a big fan of Sanjay's films, specially Black. I remember watching the Filmfare Awards in the year of Black. Every time the nominations were announced I prayed for Black to win. And it did. If I'm a source of inspiration to him then I count myself fortunate".Bhansali candidly admitted that he was very much afraid of meeting Lata since "..one doesn't hobnob with one's god". He added that once he reached her home, he "... just wanted to sit and gaze at her. I realized in person she's as magical as she is in her singing. There's something other-worldly about her, a quality I haven't encountered in anyone else in my life". Like all his other films, Bhansali preferred shooting at a studio. Bhansali says, "I like to construct sets and then light it up. It is a part of my story telling. My story needs a setting and I like to create that ambiance." Hence he chose Filmcity, Mumbai to shoot the movie.^[23] Before the actual filming started, Hrithik Roshan spent time with a lot of patients to understand his role better and get into the skin of his character. He revealed that he used to ".. spend six hours with the patients, initially once a week and then once a month. I used to go to understand what they go through, what they think, what their needs are. They have taught me a lot of things. So if I have benefited from this experience so much, I am sure that when people see the film and understand the character, they will get a lot to learn".

Since Roshan's character was a paraplegic, Bhansali wanted to give him a natural look. Hence he was instructed by the director not to indulge in his regular workouts since he cannot look fit and trim in the film. He was also asked by the director to spot an original beard unlike the artificial one in his previous film, Kites, so as to give touches of authenticity to his character.^[24] The movie is set in Goa, and hence, Bhansali wanted to give a Portuguese touch to his frames. Sumit Basu, the Art Director, created Ethan's House in Mehboob Studio with a very Spanish/Portuguese flavour and the auditorium for magic acts, the court room, Martin's Bar in Yash Raj Studio. Also keeping in mind the costumes Bhansali hired Sabhyasachi Mukerjee as the costume designer, who had worked Bhansali in Black. Mukherjee had earlier worked in the film Raavan with Aishwarya Rai the same year.^[25][26]

Filming

The film's shooting started on 29 July 2009 at Mehboob Studio, Mumbai. It was announced that the first schedule would be shot in July and August to capture the monsoon melody and romance of the place.^[27] It is notable that Bhansali came back to Goa after his first film, Khamoshi: The Musical for filming a movie. During the first day of shooting, he made sure that his mother was present on the sets. Sources revealed that his mother was his reason for making films and ".. it is imperative that she be present."^[22] Hrithik Roshan joined the crew on 22 July.^[28] Aishwarya Rai joined the crew during the initial part of August after wrapping up the shoot for Raavan / Raavanan. A specially made to order remote-controlled modernized wheelchair was used in the movie for the role of Ethan Mascarenhas.^[29]

The next outdoor session of the film was done in Panjim. The lead actors had stayed at the Taj, Goa. During the day shoot at Divar, the unit's base camp was at an Englishman Jan Bostock's home in Divar island, just off Panjim for 4–5 days.^[30] Apparently, the film-maker, who is known for his hot-tempered nature, threw away the continuity sheets of one of the scenes being shot while shooting in the outskirts of Goa when one of his assistant directors made the same mistake twice.^[31] Hrithik Roshan sang a Hindi song in the film, after attempting playback singing in his previous movie Kites, in which he had rendered an English song. Bhansali himself personally trained Roshan for the song. Though the director had got the track recorded by another singer so that shooting in Goa could go on uninterrupted, in case Roshan could not complete his recording, his version was finally recorded after four or five takes. Roshan later said in an interview that "Bhansali was really surprised on hearing it."^[32]

During the filming of the movie, Bhansali also choreographed some of the songs. He used to dance on the sets of Guzaarish at times to make the moves clear to his actors. Many times he broke into a dance himself to convey the steps that he had in mind. This took most of his crew by surprise.^[33] Pony Verma, who was the choreographer for most of the songs in the film, revealed that as soon as Bhansali conceived a song, he would send it to her and then sing it to her as well. During the shooting of the song, a singer and a guitarist were on the sets. The choreography took place to the accompaniment of live guitar strings and song. According to Verma, this novel way of functioning had enhanced the appeal of the song. She added that when "... the song is playing live, you pick up a lot of nuances on the spot, which really helps the song". Verma was in full praises for Bhansali who gave her complete freedom over the choreography; she also acknowledged the efforts put in by the lead actress Aishwarya Rai, with whom she had frequent discussion about the feel of the song.^[34]

The third schedule of the film began on 30 October 2009. The grueling schedule lasted till January 2010, at the city's Mehboob Studios.^[35] Rumours had it that during the filming of the movie, Bhansali and Roshan got into a tiff over the excessive use of English in the movie. Roshan, whose previous film Kites was also blamed for having non-Hindi dialogues, did not want to take a risk and lessen Guzaarish's appeal. Though there were no comments from either of them, it was learned that the issue was finally sorted out.^[36] Bhansali himself put all speculation to rest saying that ".. we (Hrithik Roshan and himself) were actually singing along quite happily."^[37] Later, towards the completion of the film, both the director and the producers, who realized the need to give the film a mass appeal, reworked certain dialogues in English, which were then dubbed in Hindi.^[38]

The final schedule of the movie was shot in Yashraj Studios from 21 February 2010.^[39] Bhansali found that on the other sets where he had shot the film, he was being frequently disturbed by guests, which prevented him from providing the full concentration which the movie demanded. According to the crew "..Yash Raj Studios was not only classy and had all the facilities but it also doesn't allow guests to come in." Taking these factors into consideration Bhansali decided to bury the hatchet with Aditya Chopra over a film title and started shooting in the studios. The schedule included a spontaneous dance song with Aishwarya Rai, choreographed by Bhansali himself.^[40]

The song "Udi" was pictured during this session which was choreographed by Longinus Fernandes, whom Bhansali had judged in Jhalak Dikhla Jaa, a popular dance based reality show. Fernandes was already known for his works in Slumdog Millionaire and Jaane Tu... Ya Jaane Na. According to him Bhansali "..wanted to make the song different and unique. I asked him if we can add a little bit of Spanish to it and give it a raw, earthy feel. He liked the idea, so we gave the whole dance a very rustic look in order to make it look as natural as possible". The choreographer added that the dance sequence was very distinct in that the audience had never seen Rai doing such steps. He went gaga over the lead actress saying that she danced like a dream. Longinus said in an interview that it ".. did not take her long to learn the dance but it did take her some time to perfect it and to get into the mood of the character".^[41] In an interview Sanjay Leela Bhansali said that in the song Udi, "..with such few words Sofia manages to say so much. It was my tribute to Waheeda Rahman's character in Guide."In a sequence from the film, Ethan explains Omar, that the first magic he had performed was for his mother. Bhansali said that it is inspired from his childhood days. He said, "I remember my grandmother selling off the last of her silver and storing chillar in large Johnson baby powder tin. Every afternoon she would count that money and put it back. That kurr-kurr of the coins being bought out, counted and put back had to be heard again. The value of those coins doesn't exist anymore but it was an important part of my growing up."^[42] Since Roshan's character, Ethan, plays a magician in the initial portion of the film, a Ukrainian magician was hired for teaching him magic tricks, after a long search for a professional magician. The magic stunts performed by Roshan and Monikangana Dutta formed the major portion of the film shot in the last schedule.^[43]

Among the many stunts shot there was a particular sequence in which Roshan had to dance using a large transparent ball as a property. The actor said that he had trained the hardest to practice spin in one of the dance sequence. Roshan said, "I trained for a month. It was not a long piece of dance but there was lot of jazz ballet where I was required to spin as there is a ball in my hand and I am playing with it as well as dancing. None of my songs up till now have spin because I am very bad at it."^[44] The cinematographer of the movie Sudeep Chatterjee was asked to interpret the script completely so that Bhansali could understand his perception too. Praising his director to be very open and cooperative Chatterjee acknowledged in an interview about Bhansali's penchant for closed spaces. He said that his main challenge was to make the scenes look different though the protagonist is locked in a single room. To make these differences the lighting was adjusted such that one sees the room in twilight, at night, during the day, in early morning. The camera was made always mobile to counter Ethan's stillness. Slightly mobile things were deliberately kept always around Ethan like a fluttering curtain, a fish bowl near Ethan's head which according to the cinematographer mocked at his stillness all the time.^[45]

To enhance the intensity between his characters, Bhansali wanted a correctly intense reference point for Hrithik and Aishwarya's feelings and conversations. Bhansali said that he thought the sentiment of thwarted passion and smothered intensity of star-crossed lovers in Romeo & Juliet expressed his protagonists' inexpressible feelings very well. Hence he included dialogues from Zeffirelli's Romeo & Juliet in Guzaarish. Bhansali insisted on Zeffirelli's version since to him "..his work is the ultimate tribute to Shakespeare's love story. So many times, I've wanted to do my own version of Romeo & Juliet. But one look at Zeffirelli's film makes me feel I can never equal his beauty grandeur harmony and principal casting." Though it was difficult to obtain permission to use the materials, an adamant Bhansali accomplished the feat. He said," This was my only chance to pay homage to one of my all-time favourite screen romances."^[46]

When asked about the preparation she did for the film, actor Aishwarya Rai said in an interview that both herself and the director Bhansali ".. just like to walk randomly around the sets and "feel". Sometimes I sit quietly and gaze into space or the ground and he captures all that. In fact, the poster picture with me looking away was taken like that. I was looking at the ground, lost in deep thought and he clicked it and told me that he was putting it on his poster. He knows when I am ready to do a scene, when I am in character, and the like. For instance, I delayed going on the set by two days and he did not say anything. He called me on the set and said we would start shooting in five days. On the second day, I tried hair, make-up, and costume. He told me I was ready to give my first shot and indeed, I was."^[47] About the script Bhansali said that he had worked on the script for 18 months and says, "My film is mainstream in terms of budgets, cast and audience and I had to make sure that I did not hurt anyone but evoked a debate." He points out that without star-clout, such themes will not make any impact on the audience or society. "And at least till my screenplay reaches the interval point, I do not start casting my actors."^[48]

Styling

The costume designer of the movie Sabyasachi Mukherjee said that there was a layering that one can see in the costumes. He said ".. it is the same subtle nuances you can see in the subdued colour palette. Sanjay understands and appreciates my aesthetics and it's never a struggle for me to explain myself to him or anyone else in the cast and crew. I think 90 per cent of the battle is won when the director agrees to something and then all the actors succumb. Sanjay is so visually sound that people don't question him." On the look of Ethan Mascarenhas, Mukherjee said that the make up and costume was more organic. In a particular scene Hrithik Roshan wears rose-tinted glasses. Mukherjee said that "the glasses were dark humor, that a guy who has nothing to look forward to is wearing rose-tinted glasses". On a lighter note he added that he wanted his hero to look like Clark Kent and not James bond.^[49]

Aishwarya Rai's character Sophia D'Souza goes through a bad marriage. The costume designer said that according to him " ..her internal suffering has manifested itself into an over-dressing syndrome. People who are depressed tend to either over-eat or overdress! Aishwarya wears the strangest of clothes. She has such a morbid life that she almost derives comfort from her clothes. She understands the meaning of dressing up for a bedridden person and it is her colours that bring humor to the patient's life." The entire look of Aishwarya Rai consisted of thirty-seven long frocks, four dumpy shoes, maxis, aprons with motifs of cutlery, quirky glasses and jewelry, surreal hairdos and red lips. The character, who even makes her water bottle wear a jacket that she has made herself, may be conceived to be a seamstress, who makes dresses for herself, since Rai's costumes are uncommon says Mukherjee. He adds that Sophia uses her red lips as a weapon and not as an accessory. About Sofia's costumes, Bhansali said that " "It's an expression of her grief. She's a woman who has dedicated her entire life to this suffering man. And she wears that red lipstick so that when he faces her, he sees life in all its colour."^[49]

Sabyasachi Mukherjee also made a debut in jewelry line with Guzaarish. He had designed the line keeping in mind a multicultural element with a nomadic vibe. The navratan necklace worn by Aishwarya Rai in the climax of the film and other items like raindrop earrings, coral kanpashas, rhodolite balis, butterfly earrings, minakari bird ring and the turquoise and coral ring that she wears in the film have been designed by him. Mukherjee said that "When Sanjay Leela Bansali approached me for 'Guzaarish', I realised that jewellery would play a very important role in shaping up Sophia's character as played by Aishwarya Rai. It would have to be nomadic, quirky and personalised and so I decided to bring on board GAJA in SABYASACHI (his label) because it epitomises that spirit. The whole line has been designed by me keeping in mind a multicultural element with a nomadic vibe." For the collection, Sabyasachi used precious and semi-precious stones, minakari and filigree and had to work with about 60 skilled workers from West Bengal to complete the line. The price range of rings and earrings starts from Rs. 40,000 and navratan necklaces are priced at Rs. 510,000.^[50]

The other characters also were specially treated. Omar Siddiqui played by Aditya Roy Kapoor was styled like a struggling French musician. "His clothes are layered, he wears a crumpled tuxedo with flappy trousers and because he doesn't have money for shoes, he wears flip-flops.", said Mukherjee. Suhel Seth, who plays Ethan's doctor, is presented in stiff suits and Shernaz Patel, Ethan's lawyer is given a look of a Gandhian in cotton saris and three-quarter blouses. The maids are in dumpy dresses. The costume designer says that "..the clothes are nearly theatrical and they have a mind of their own. If you remove the characters and hang the clothes, they will tell a story. It's like Neverland or the reality version of The Magic Faraway Tree! "^[51]

Digital Intermediate and VFX Works

The DI and VFX for Guzaarish was done by Prime Focus, a global Visual Entertainment Services group, who had previously collaborated with Sanjay Leela Bhansali on many films including 'Black' and 'Saawariya'.The look of the film was designed to move with the narrative. The first scene shows Sophia D'Souza waking up and taking care of Ethan, for which the shafts of light have been enhanced and colors desaturated but the skin tones maintained. From the skies, to the wall colouring, every part of the movie has been enhanced in some way. The VFX team was throughout in the sets right from when the film was being shot.

The shots which involve visual effects are listed below.

• The enormous grand house that appears throughout the movie was a CGI creation to replace the church that was actually at the shoot location in Goa.
• For the much talked about opening shot in which Hrithik Roshan is sitting on a wheelchair and trying to flick a fly off of his nose, a lot of research was done by the artists to understand the details of a fly's texture, look and feel, movement, the flutter of its wings, etc. The detailing went to the extent of casting the shadow of the fly when it sits on Hrithik's nose.
• In the sequence when Shernaz Patel is talking on the phone standing by the porch and the one when Aishwarya is travelling back home in a boat, the sky was digitally recreated.
• Hrithik's enacting of a ballet sequence with a transparent ball was originally shot with a real ball. However some shots needed to have a CG ball when it was impractical to execute the shot with a real one. In between the sequence, Hrithik lies on the ball to take a 360-degree turn. This was originally shot with a green cubical turntable to give Hrithik the necessary support to do the act and the table had to be replaced with the transparent ball.
• The candle tricks in the film were modified to make it appear as if the flame detaches from the wick and keeps floating up in the air, as does Hrithik, who joins the flame back to the wick.
• In one of the flash-back scenes, a young Hrithik goes to cheer up his mother Isabel and ends up doing magic for the first time. As his mother shakes him lovingly, CG coins start falling from his coat and hair.
• In another scene Hrithik, in a wheelchair, is teaching Omar the trick of rubbing his hands together and generating flying bits of soaked paper. The flying bits of paper were created in CG.
• The Magic Box Trick involving Estella and Ethan has been modified by creating a 3D replica of Monikangana's face and then animating the face with blinking eyes and a smile inside the box.
• Other shots like creating CG rain, creeper and wall cleanups, creating a lamppost with moths and flies were also done by the artists.^[52]

Promotion and publicity

The first look of the film was supposed to be released along with Dharma Productions' We Are Family on 3 September.^[53] Later the trailer was withdrawn from We Are Family. The official reason given for the postponement of the trailer was the time factor as the producers felt that there was a lot of time before the release of Guzaarish, and hence it was decided Guzaarish's first promotional trailer would feature in theaters a month later with Siddharth Anand's Anjaana Anjaani. However the real story was that there were some concerns over a sequence showing Aishwarya Rai puffing away frantically at a cigarette in the trailer. While smoking is not entirely prohibited in Indian films, it is certainly seen to be injurious to health, especially since the one smoking on screen is a global icon playing a nurse. Sources close to the film revealed, "Aishwarya is not really smoking in Guzaarish. It's a very cute, funny and a very beautiful sequence where she is trying to smoke when she doesn't know how to." Irrespective of the context it had been decided that the release date of the first trailer would be postponed.^[54]

Owing to the Ayodhya verdict, the release of Anjaana Anjaani was also postponed to 1 October, which saw the release of another Aishwarya Rai film Enthiran - The Robot. Hence Bhansali decided to have a separate promotional trailer launch on 23 September 2010 at Cinemax, Mumbai. Bhansali acted really tough and rejected as many as 200 designs before settling down for the final one.^[55] The first viewing opened to positive responses. The 1 minute, 48 seconds long trailer focused entirely on Hrithik and Aishwarya and was sans dialogue. The trailer was described by the critics as ".. delightful visuals, exhilarating background score, elaborate costumes, and understated but intense emotions - the promo has a signature Bhansali look and feel. It reminds you of Black, it reminds you of Saawariya. Faridoon Shahryar, Content Head Bollywood Hungama website, opined that the first look was ".. sheer poetry, amalgamation of mesmeric music, metaphorical imagery, a tinge of humour, a larger than life settings, and loads of pathos". Alongside the release of the promotional trailer, posters and downloadable background materials were also spread officially through the internet.^[56] During the "presser", attended by Aishwarya Rai, Hrithik Roshan, Ronnie Screwvala, Aditya Roy Kapur, Monikangana Dutta, Shernaz Patel, other cast and crew of the movie and Bhansali himself, the director said ".. You go through so much in life, so many things about life are unspoken, hope and joy of living, and I thought it was important to make a film which dealt with a topic like this."

A nervous Bhansali, who had met the media after a long time, said he was very afraid of handling a mic after so long. He thanked UTV Chairman Ronnie Screwvala for his unrelenting support. Bhansali made headlines for the day when he said that Aishwarya Rai was ".. his muse, his jaan, and I get terribly excited when I make a film with her because she is very, very special. Some people are timeless and Aishwarya will be there for another 20 years". About the lead actor he said, "I have never enjoyed working with any other actor as much as I have enjoyed working with Hrithik, just for the kind of talent he has, for the kind of person he is". He also revealed the reason why he became the musical director of the movie, "The reason behind doing the music of the film is that I think I understand the characters and understand what they would express musically more than any other music director. Some deep thoughts are my concern, so whatever little music I knew, it was a sort of experiment. But I am happy with what I have done,".

Aishwarya Rai told the press that "This was a very special film for us. We are glad to share this special piece of work with you before we reveal it to the rest of the world." Hrithik Roshan shared with the press that it was ".. true that I have not done anything that has been life altering. This movie has changed my outlook towards work, changed my life. It is so beautiful that 30 years or 40 years from now, I'll look back and smile I had the opportunity to make this film."^[57]

Hrithik Roshan elaborated on his character saying that he was ".. a super character in the film. I have interacted with about 20 such patients who suffer from complete paralysis of the lower half of the body, including both legs which is mostly caused by damage of the spinal cord. They are real life superheroes and I am representing their emotions on screen". Adding that he never had felt such responsibility towards any other character he had played to date, he told the media that the film did not take any stance on mercy-killing. Roshan said that he was able to identify with Ethan Mascarenhas because, when he was going through the Guzaarish script, he had been nursing a knee problem and doctors told him that the knee will never be okay. According to Roshan, the script "..energised me so much that I was not depressed about my knee problem anymore".^[44]

Further trailers of the song sequences Udi, Sau Gram Zindagi, Tera Zikr and separate "Making - of" videos of each songs were released subsequently through various online and television broadcasting outlets.^[58] Frequent interviews and pressers were conducted as a part of the promotional strategy.

Controversies

A controversy regarding the film's plot originated when veteran Indian writer Dayanand Rajan claimed that the plot of the film was plagiarised from his unpublished novel Summer Snow. "Guzaarish has many similarities with my novel. It's shocking that the main plot, the love story, the hero being wheelchair-bound due to an accident and even the mercy killing are the same as in Sanjay's movie. I had shown my novel to some people in the industry but I have no idea who leaked it to the writer of the film," says Dayanand. The other similarities include a serious accident, in both the scripts, which require the protagonist to begin using a wheelchair and introduce him to the woman taking care of him – it is the nurse who falls in love with Hrithik, while in the novel it is his wife who looks after him. Both scripts having key flashback scenes and the woman supporting mercy killing for the hero. Raajan has dashed off a legal notice to the producers, UTV and SLB asking them for an explanation on how their film has so many similarities with his novel, however Bhansali's office refused to accept the notice.^[59][60]

In late-October, a public interest litigation was filed by Aditya Dewan, a lawyer, in Delhi High Court alleging that Guzaarish promotes euthanasia or mercy killing, which is illegal, and portrays the legal profession in bad light. He demanded a disclaimer from the producers saying mercy killing is not legal in India and that there is a debate on whether such deaths can be allowed. But the case was dismissed by the court saying the facts averred were inadequate for the court to appreciate and that it cannot be entertained in its present form. "PILs are loose too, for people with hidden agendas. The film is a love story of a man and his life and, yes, euthanasia is part of the narrative," said Screwala, the producer of the film.^[61]

Another controversy regarding the movie started brewing when the first look of the move was released which showed the lead actor Aishwarya Rai smoking in a car. National Organization for Tobacco Eradication (NOTE) India, the body working for tobacco eradication, wrote to actor Aishwarya Rai-Bachchan expressing concern over use of her images smoking a cigarette in the banners of film Guzaarish displayed all over Mumbai. The organization's spokesperson said in a press release that it would issue a legal notice to the actor under the provisions of the anti-tobacco legislation for the alleged advertisement of tobacco smoking in the public.^[62] Later, the Raj Thackeray-led MNS also objected to the " 'insidious' effects of a cigarette smoking Aishwarya Rai Bachchan plastered across posters on BEST buses in the city."^[63]

Director Ram Gopal Verma in the social networking site Twitter, had posted "Just cannot stand the close up of Hritik's teeth being brushed by Aishwarya, anyday will watch Dhoom 2 ten times again, but then I am the maker of Aag " . Bhansali who was more annoyed and amused than angry commented, "I really have no time or patience with this sort of behavior. Ramu has always met me with much enthusiasm about my films in the past. So if he had an opinion on Guzaarish he should have shared it with me instead of putting it on Twitter. And by the way, doesn't he have a release coming up (Rakta Charitra)? He should just focus on that instead of worrying about the content of other people's films."^[64] Later Verma apologised to Bhansali saying " I'm sorry if I offended you. I just have this habit of constantly saying something funny on Twitter about every happening out there. Most of the comments are on me. I make more comments on my own films than anybody else's. I'll take back my remark publicly asap. Sorry again." SLB immediately chose to forgive and forgot and move on."^[65] He also raised several eyebrows when he added that "If anything so enamoured of hatred can be called a peace offering, then yes I'm releasing Rakht Charitra 2 on the same day (19 November) as Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Guzaarish." Later Raktha Charithra 2 's release date was postponed to 3 December owing to various factors.^[66]

After the film release in November, Akhil Rajendra Dwivedi, a script writer, sued Bhansali for Rs. 20 million alleging that the director used his script without informing him. Dwivedi claimed that he had registered his script, very similar to that of Guzaarish, in 2005 and had even met Bhansali in 2008. He alleged that the director had loved the script and said that he would get back to Dwivedi in a few weeks time. Dwivedi claimed that Bhansali never reverted and was unreachable for Dwivedi.^[67]

Salman Khan, a close associate of Sanjay Leela Bhansali, in an award ceremony Super Idols, for felicitating specially abled people, by television channel IBN-7, took potshots at Guzaarish, hinting at its poor box office collection and said that "Recently a movie released, Guzaarish, oops sorry! and I made a movie on HIV/ AIDS, not even a dog came to watch the movie." Later in the same event, he said to one of the winner of the awards, "I will give you the number of Sanjay Leela Bhansali, you write it down, he has made Black, Khamoshi, made many pictures and made heaps of money but may be it won't come out, but it should come out."^[68] The comments came as a shocker to many, since Salman was one of Bhansali's favorites and the lead actor in his first movie Khamoshi and Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam. Bhansali reacted saying that "If such an old and trusted friend can be so insensitive I don't want anything to do with the entertainment industry". But the lead actor Hrithik Roshan was irked enough and said "It's not heroic to laugh or make fun of a filmmaker just because his box office collections are not up there with yours. Guzaarish is a super success in its own way, because I know deep inside he only has love for me and this must have been just a momentary lapse of judgement. Will expect a big hug the next time I meet him "^[69]

The film's storyline is also similar to 2004 Spanish film The Sea Inside, which was based on a true story of a sailor Ramón Sampedro who becomes a quadriplegic following an accident.^[70][71]

Special screening

Sanjay Leela Bhansali, who had famously given a lavish premier of his earlier film Saawariya, decided to do away with a similar event for Guzaarish. Though the movie had released on 16 November in Dubai, it was slated to release in India on the 19th of the same month. Bhansali purposely avoided a gala screening of Guzaarish apparently due to the bitter experience he had in a similar event of Saawariya. Sources reported that "..some of the VVIP invitees who told him that he had made another masterpiece (Saawariya) were busy sending out bulk messages against the film during the premiere. Since the Saawariya premiere took place two nights (on Wednesday rather than Thursday) before its public release the damage done was irreparable. Sanjay decided there and then to never have a premiere of any of his films."

The director had the first screening of Guzaarish for the cast members and their families on Monday night. Though the lead actor Hrithik Roshan along with wife Sussanne Khan attended the special screening, Aishwarya Rai and her family were conspicuous by their absence. After the screening, the director allowed himself to be convinced to show the film to a few chosen ones. Hence he specially handpicked 30 invitees include the Bachchan family, leading man Hrithik's parents Pinky and Rakesh Roshan, Hrithik Roshan's Father- in-law Sanjay Khan, Shabana Azmi and Javed Akhtar, Deepika Padukone, Rohan Sippy, Karan Johar, Ashutosh Gowariker, Rajkumar Hirani, Vidhu Vinod Chopra, Goldie Bhel singer Kunal Ganjawala, film Maker Akbar Khan, fashion designers Sandip Khosla, Manish Malhothra, and Shahid Kapoor. Bhansali told the media, "What is the sense of inviting people you know are not going to have anything good to say about your film? I am totally against a premiere. At the same time there are people I want to share the film with." According to Bhansali he already had got the "big thumbs-up" he needed, "For me, it was more than enough that my mother liked the film. All other opinions, I'll take with a pinch of salt."^[72]

Later, Aishwarya Rai also requested for a special screening of the movie for her family. According to Rai, this was a special gift to her father, who was celebrating his birthday on the same date. It was also attended by directors Subhash Ghai, David Dhawan, actors Shabana Azmi and Sonam Kapoor.^[73]

Reception

Critical reception

Filmfare gave the movie a four star rating stating "Guzaarish is unabashedly Sanjay Leela Bhansali. In a film where life itself is the villain everything is larger than life, no surprise there. The house is grand, the characters even more so, the laughter is magnificent, the pain operatic and the treatment of all of the above is colossal in a deafening, attention seeking way that leaves no room for subtext or imagination."^[74] Reuters trashed the movie for its over the top performances and stated that the lead actor Hrithik Roshan is the only saving grace of the movie where "everything else, like Aishwarya Rai's make-up, seems fake and loud, and puts you off. The emotions, the set design, the dialogues, Hrithik Roshan's beard are all out of this world, residing in some alien planet that only Bhansali inhabits."^[75] Rajeev Masand of CNN IBN gave it a two star rating explaining "Guzaarish may be less esoteric than his last film, Saawariya, but it's still an unsatisfying effort because the filmmaker continues to invest more in the appearance of every frame than in the emotional truth of his characters. Its various subplots inspired from different films, Guzaarish is a mash-up of many interesting ideas." He stated that the magic is missing in this one.^[76]

Anupama Chopra of NDTV gave a three star rating saying "This fantasy would be effective if the writing was more organic and the emotions felt more authentic but Bhansali never gives us a chance to invest in these people." She noted that the movie is a mix of as much clumsiness as that strong performances and scenes which moves the audience.^[77] One of earliest reviews was published in Bollywood Hungama by critic Taran Adarsh who opined, "Bhansali has worked himself to the grind and his presence is felt in every frame of Guzaarish and that the movie is one of the most profound, insightful and enriching dramas of the year." The reviewer gave a four star rating to the movie praising the performances by the lead actors and the cinematography of the movie. On the lead actors Adarsh said "In fact, the two actors have gone through a drastic appearance change and both pressurize you to believe that they are indeed Ethan and Sofia."^[78] The MSN review received a three and a half rating from the users and praised the movie for the performances by the cast, the cinematography and its subtle approach to a sensitive issue. However the review did criticize the movie for the lack of a forceful script, and contrived scenes.^[79]

The Hindu reviewer Sudhish Kamath gave a negative review to the movie and heaped praises on the lead actor Hrithik Roshan saying that "Hrithik Roshan gives one of the best performances of his career as a man trapped in a wheelchair/bad film, desperately craving for freedom.." As a bottomline he said that Guzaarish is "Highly pretentious, boring film with leftover craving-for-your-sympathy melodrama from Black and unused sets from Saawariya".^[80] The Times of India, which gave a four and a half rating, mentioned that "Guzaarish is an unusual film in many respects". Sudeep Chatterjee, the cinematographer was praised for the "collage of riveting paintings on screen which showcased both the interior of the mansion and outsides of Goa like an art gallery". The review noted that "A film like Guzaarish isn't made for the box office. It's made for the gratification of the senses. And that it does, in ample measure."^[81] India Today reviewer Kaveree Bamzai gave a two star rating said that the movie is "spectacularly silly, pretentiously ponderous. The only thing worth the price of the ticket is Aishwarya Rai Bachchan. This is one woman who is finally coming into her own. Whether it is her dancing to the Udi song or moaning in simulated ecstasy, she is lively, animated and pretty much stripped of the artifice we have associated her with forever."^[82]

The Pioneer gave six out of ten rating and noted "all fears are dispelled in the first10 minutes of this finely made and delicately executed two-hour love emotion. With a taste for elegant grandeur and a keen eye on chic cinematography, Bhansali has lent Guzaarish a picture-perfect look which we hardly get to see in domestic cinema. Not to forget the theme of Quadriplegia which, too, has been dealt with sensitivity."^[83] Zee News gave the movie a positive review saying that "Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Guzaarish is not a film but moving poetry that touches you in manifold ways. Guzaarish is the most extraordinary love story of Bollywood which unravels the patient-nurse bond through Ethan and Sophie. Aishwarya Rai and Hrithik Roshan light up the silver screen with their sizzling on-screen chemistry, which takes Guzaarish to an altogether different level."^[84] Mumbai Mirror gave a 5 star rating to the movie and noted that "the beauty of the film lies in its ability to throw light on a morbid subject, compelling the viewer to fall back in love with life." The review added that the audience would feel "a Hrithik hangover that stays with you long after you have left the theatre."^[85]

Hindustan Times reviewer Mayank Shankar gave it a three star rating and noted "this is a film where aesthetics overpower everything else. Being mesmerized by the beauty of the big screen isn't always such a great thing. You get overwhelmed at first; leave slightly under-whelmed, eventually."^[86] Deccan Herald noted that only select - audience may find the movie appealing saying that "the performances stand out. Hrithik Roshan does brings some tears to your eyes and even Aishwarya comes up with an original act. But, as said, the blacks and greys of Guzaarish might appeal only to Bhansali viewers."^[87]

Deccan Chronicle gave a four star rating noting that Hrithik Roshan is a saving grace of the movie. The review said: "Guzaarish is an affected film with a contrived plot and a severe Jesus complex. It is obsessed with how it looks, walks and poses. But in this self-conscious world lives and breathes a class act – Hrithik Roshan. He creates an emotional core so powerful and compelling that the film's flaws pale in his brilliance."^[88] The South African news paper The Sunday Times gave a nine star rating and said "Guzaarish is a movie about hope, magic and life. Bhansali has done it as a tribute to the nightingale Lata Mangeshkar who, he claims, has been his biggest inspiration. There are times that the pace may work in its favour, but its overall message and spirit will triumph, and it will be a memory that will linger on forever."^[89] Khaleej Times said "this wonderful work of art, nuanced and magical in its portrayal, is about dying. But Ethan, as played by Hrithik Roshan in Guzaarish, is so bemused by adversity that he can actually look at his own suffering with dispassionate humour."^[90]

The Telegraph cited that "Guzaarish is a Hrithik Roshan film, which salvages, to some extent, the Sanjay Leela Bhansali film. In motion, his on-stage moves are real magic. In suspended animation, he is able to channelise every emotion in the book through his eyes."^[91] However the Rediff review by noted critic Raja Sen criticized Bhansali for his "tireless attempt to once again bring old-world theatricality - in all its surreal opulence - to our silver screen" and gave two and a half rating. He added that "the Sanjay Leela Bhansali circus whirrs on, but to what avail? It's like an old Disney musical - just without the wit. Or, ironically given this film's subject, the magic. Here is a filmmaker who needs a playwright - and, in equal measure, an occasional slap on the wrist."^[92] Sify movies, which also gave a two and a half rating, said that Bhansali lives in a universe of his own cut of from the rest of the world. The review sharply criticizing Bhansali's style of movie making noted that "It's a dry subject anyway, but co-producer-writer-director Bhansali makes sure it gets super-gloomy."^[93] Daily News and Analysis reviewer gave a three star rating and noted "Guzaarish is one of those films that are not meant to entertain so much as to shake you by the intensity of their content and the force of their performances. Bhansali deserves as much credit for the splendid direction as Sudeep Chatterjee for the breathtaking cinematography. The music, again by Bhansali, and the artistic visual imagery that the film evokes act as lifesavers when the screenplay gets a bit monotonous."^[94]

Komal Nahta, a freelance film critic, gave the movie one and a half stars stating that though the movie has power-packed performances, it will be rejected by masses and in towns and villages, owing to its class-appealing subject. He said "It has been made exceptionally beautifully and boasts of extraordinary performance by the main protagonist, Ethan. Not only is the drama soul-stirring and emotionally moving but the film is also visually extraordinary."^[95] Subhash K Jha also echoed similar thoughts as that of Adarsh, saying that "No film in living memory has brought out the sheer blessing of being alive with such spirit and glory". According to him the music score of the movie "communicate the rich tapestried emotions of lives that are determined to smile through an extraordinary tragedy".^[96] Amitabh Bachchan, veteran film actor, shared his views on Guzaarish in his blog and said that he was "dumbfounded and almost speechless" by Sanjay Leela Bhansali, who "raises the bar by leaps and it becomes very difficult to keep up with him ". He specifically appreciated the performance of Aditya Roy Kapur, who according to him had been the "most fascinating watch."^[97]

Special Broadcasting Service (SBS) gave a 3 star rating in which Australian critic and columnist Simon Foster described it as a "A melodrama that never says in two words what it can say in ten, Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Guzaarish balances its blubbery sentimentality with some beautifully realised images to heart-warming and generally likable effect.^[98]

Satish Kaushik stated "Aishwarya is unbeatable and looks beautiful on screen. And here was a tremendous performance that came straight from the heart. She moved on screen like a swan on lake. Guzaarish is sheer poetry and I just loved Aishwarya's performance in it. It was brave and radical on Hrithik's part to accept this role. Aishwarya and Hrithik's Last scene was the most heartbreaking. Hats off to him for putting his heart, mind and soul into creating Ethan."^[99]

Box office

Guzaarish had a good opening at the box office, collecting a net gross of ₹245.5 million (US$3.6 million) in its opening weekend.^[100] The movie went on to collect ₹514 million (US$7.6 million) nett in its first week.^[101] The movie netted ₹694 million (US$10 million) in its lifetime run and was declared a hit.^[2][102]

Soundtrack

Guzaarish
Soundtrack album by Sanjay Leela Bhansali
Released	22 October 2010
Recorded	2009 - 2010
Genre	Feature film soundtrack
Label	T-Series

Sanjay Leela Bhansali made his debut as a film song composer with this movie. The lyrics were penned by A. M. Turaz, Vibhu Puri, and the late Jagdish Joshi. The official music launch of Guzaarish took place on 22 October 2010. The event was hosted by Aditya Roy Kapur.

Veteran actor Amitabh Bachchan, who had received his Best Actor National Award a second time for Bhansali's movie Black, was the guest of honour for the event, which also saw Bhansali's mother, Leela Bhansali gracing the occasion. Abhishek Bachchan also attended the event to extend his support for his wife.^[103] Actors Aishwarya Rai, Hrithik Roshan, Shernaz Patel, Suhel Seth, Monikangana Dutta, UTV chairman Ronnie Screwvala and Bhansali himself along with the entire music and background team were present in the music launch.

Upon the release of the album, Bhansali and Bachchan exchanged mutual compliments.^[104][105] Bhansali said, "I learnt music by listening to it over and over again. My association with R. D. Burman saab in Vidhu's (Vidhu Vinod Chopra) film and music composers such as Ismail Darbar and Monty (Sharma), helped me to learn a lot." He reiterated the reason why he scored the music for the movie but ruled out the rumor that he would be composing the music for all his forthcoming films.

Bhansali said in an interview after the music launch that, though he had no favorites, the song "Sau Gram Zindagi" was close to his heart. Spreading light on how Guzaarish occurred, he told that he had conceived the lines Bas Itni Si Guzaarish Hain, Yeh Jo Baarish Hain while shooting for the film Black in 2003.^[106] Singers Shankar Mahadevan, KK, Kunal Ganjawala, Vibhavari Joshi, and Shail Hada, who had lent their voices to the film's soundtrack were also present at the event. The singers also gave a stage performance of each of their songs in the album. Bhansali along with the singers sang the song "Sau Gram Zindagi". He said that he dedicated the song to his mother since the lyrics represented her life in all ways. The highlight of the gala night was when the lead actors along with Bhansali sang the song, "Udi" to which the entire audience grooved happily.

During the music launch, Hrithik Roshan was lavish in his praises of Bhansali, saying that the director ".. is just pure genius, and that's exactly what he was as a music director as well. For most people Guzaarish is just another film, but its just like nature, you cannot possibly put into words this beautiful journey. It's beyond judgment for me." He also thanked Bhansali for making them a part of Guzaarish. Aishwarya Rai supported her director-friend saying "Sanjay is such a genius, anything he does he is the best at it. I'm just blessed and very grateful that I have gotten a chance to work with this genius three times in my career."

When queried on why he had not included his Devdas discovery Shreya Ghoshal in his first album, Sanjay Bhansali said "My songs have all come from the heart, nothing is calculated. Shreya has reached a pinnacle and her not singing in my film where no song needed her will not make a difference. I was only the zariya for her destiny," He also said that "Shail Hada, my music assistant who had sung the title-song of Saawariya, was the best thing because through his seasoned vocals I could know exactly how the song would sound,".^[107] Vibhavari Apte-Joshi, who had sung the song Saiba, which appears during the climax of the movie, had been well received by the audience. The leading actress Aishwarya herself told her during the music launch function that she was happy to get Vibhavari's beautiful voice for her in the film. Joshi responded saying "It is actually my pleasure that I could sing for the beautiful actress." She was spotted by Bhansali while she was performing in a music reality show Sa Re Ga Ma Pa - Aajcha Awaaj aired on a Marathi channel. About the song, Joshi said that, "It is a Konkani - Hindi song. The pronunciation was not that difficult for me as I had sung old Konkani songs in many of my shows. However, the experience of learning the song from Bhansali sir was amazing. He emphasised on expression and asked me to think of the character's mindset as it had to suit the situation.".^[108] Musicperk.com rated the album 8/10 quoting "The whole album has mostly slow and soft songs but it is amazing".^[109]

Track listing

Guzaarish soundtrack was composed by Sanjay Leela Bhansali

Track listing
No.	Title	Singer(s)	Length
1.	"Guzaarish Hai Ye Jo Barish"	K.K., Shail Hada	4:19
2.	"Sau Gram Zindagi Sambhal Ke" (Lyrics By: Vibhu Puri)	Kunal Ganjawala	4:42
3.	"Tera Zikr Hai Ya"	Rakesh Pandit, Shail Hada	4:59
4.	"Saiba Mazo Saiba Pala" (Lyrics By: Vibhu Puri)	Shail Hada, Francois Castellino, Vibhavari Joshi	3:26
5.	"Jaane Kiske Khwaab Takiye"	K.K.	2:58
6.	"Udi Tere Aankhoin Se"	Sunidhi Chauhan, Shail Hada	3:22
7.	"Keh Na Saku Main" (Lyrics By: Vibhu Puri and Jagdish Joshi)	Shail Hada	3:47
8.	"Chaand Ki Katori Hai" (Lyrics By: Vibhu Puri)	Harshdeep Kaur	5:25
9.	"Daayein Baayein Chahat Chaye"	K.K.	3:28
10.	"Dhundhli Dhundhli Shaam Hui"	Shankar Mahadevan	3:53
Total length:			40:19

Awards and nominations

BIG Star Entertainment Awards

• Nominations^[110]

1. BIG Star Most Entertaining Director - Sanjay Leela Bhansali
2. BIG Star Most Entertaining Film Actor - Male - Hrithik Roshan
3. BIG Star Most Entertaining Film Actor - Female - Aishwarya Rai Bachchan

Star Screen Awards

• Won^[111]

1. Best Actor in a Supporting Role (Female) - Shernaaz Patel
2. Best Cinematography - Sudeep Chatterjee

• Nominations^[112]

1. Best Actor Male - Hrithik Roshan
2. Best Actor Female - Aishwarya Rai Bachchan
3. Best Choreography - Longinus Fernandes (Udi)

Apsara Film & Television Producers Guild Awards

• Won^[113]

1. Cinematic Excellence (Director) - Sanjay Leela Bhansali
2. Cinematic Excellence (Male) - Hrithik Roshan
3. Cinematic Excellence (Female)- Aishwarya Rai Bachchan
4. Best Cinematography - Sudeep Chatterji
5. Best Special Effects - Prime Focus

• Nominations^[114]

1. Best Performance in a Supporting Role - Female - Shernaaz Patel
2. Best Dialogue - Bhavani Iyer & Vibhu Puri

Zee Cine Awards

• Won^[115]

1. Jury Award For Best Actor (Male) - Hrithik Roshan
2. Jury Award For Best Actor (Female) - Aishwarya Rai Bachchan
3. Best Art Direction - Rajneesh Basu

• Nominations^[116]

1. Best Director - Sanjay Leela Bhansali
2. Best Playback Singer (Female) - Sunidhi Chauhan (Udi)

Filmfare Awards

• Nominations^[117]

1. Best Director - Sanjay Leela Bhansali
2. Best Actor in a Leading Role - Hrithik Roshan
3. Best Actress in a Leading Role - Aishwarya Rai Bachchan
4. Best Playback Singer (Female) - Sunidhi Chauhan (Udi)

Stardust Awards

• Won^[118]

1. Best Actor (Drama) - Hrithik Roshan
2. Best Actress (Drama) - Aishwarya Rai Bachchan
3. New Musical Sensation - Male - Shail Hada - Tera Zikhr Hai
4. New Musical Sensation - Female - Vibhavari Joshi (Saiba)

• Nominations^[119]

1. Best Film of the Year - Drama - Guzaarish
2. Best Director - Drama - Sanjay Leela Bhansali
3. Dream Director - Sanjay Leela Bhansali
4. Star of the Year - Male - Hrithik Roshan
5. Star of the Year - Female - Aishwarya Rai Bachchan
6. Best Actress in an Ensemble Cast - Shernaaz Patel
7. Superstar of Tomorrow - Male - Aditya Roy Kapur
8. Standout Performance by a Music Director - Sanjay Leela Bhansali
9. New Musical Sensation - Female - Harshdeep Kaur (Chand Ki Katori)

International Indian Film Academy Awards

• Won^[120]

1. Best Cinematographer - Sudeep Chatterjee

• Nominations^[121]

1. Best Direction - Sanjay Leela Bhansali
2. Best Performance in a Leading Role Male - Hrithik Roshan
3. Best Performance in a Leading Role Female - Aishwarya Rai Bachchan
4. Best Performance in a Supporting Role Female - Shernaz Patel
5. Best Screenplay - Sanjay Leela Bhansali, Bhavani Iyer

BIG Star IMA Awards|BIG Star Indian Music Awards

• Won^[122]

1. Best Visualized Song Track (Female) - Udi - Aishwarya Rai Bachchan & Sunidhi Chauhan

Other Acclaims

• The screenplay of the film Guzaarish was invited by the Library of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences (Oscars) to be part of its permanent script collection.^[123]

References

External links

• Guzaarish at the Internet Movie Database

Films by Sanjay Leela Bhansali Director Khamoshi: The Musical (1996) Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam (1999) Devdas (2002) Black (2005) Saawariya (2007) Guzaarish (2010) Goliyon Ki Raasleela: Ram-Leela (2013) Bajirao Mastani (2015) Producer (SLB Films) My Friend Pinto (2011) Rowdy Rathore (2012) Shirin Farhad Ki Toh Nikal Padi (2012) Mary Kom (2014) Gabbar Is Back (2015)