The movie is based on a short story White Nights, "White Nights" is a Russian short story by Fyodor Dostoevsky, originally published in 1848, early in the writer's career. It was adapted to films by Italian director Luchino Visconti, by French director Robert Bresson (as Four Nights of a Dreamer) and now Sanjay Lila Bhansali. The story is about a vagabond who in some fairy tale sort of city who fell in love with a girl but the girl is waiting for her faraway lover who will return soon. But this vagabond happen to be so madly in love with the girl and he tries to convince her that he is the right person for her life. Meanwhile there are other people in the scene like a prostitute falling in love with this vagabond and so on. And all this happens in four nights.A prostitute Gulabji (Rani Mukherjee) introduces the story to us as some fairy tale that once occurred some where in a far away land that looks mystical. Raj (Ranbir Kapoor) is a charming young man who has noone and no place to live. He is a lead singer of RK club and by his words and songs spreads happiness anywhere and everywhere he goes. One night he comes across a young beauty Sakina (Sonam Kapoor) and falls head on heels in love with her. On the second night of their friendship he decides to let her know of his love for her but instead comes to know of her love for Imaan (Salman Khan) who has deserted her with a promise to return back in an years time exactly on the day of Id.
Monty's music is another sore point. Sure, a few songs are well tuned, but the everlasting melody, associated with SLB's films, is missing. You hear them, savour them that moment, but forget all about them once the movie concludes.
Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s “Saawariya” is as much homage to his distinct style of filmmaking as it is to the bygone Raj Kapoor movies of yesteryear. Ranbir Kapoor is supremely talented, no two opinions on that. Yes, he looks handsome, but what you carry home is the sincerity in his performance. Sonam Kapoor is an average actor. However, her role doesn't give her the opportunity to display histrionics. She looks gorgeous at places, but plain ordinary at times. Rani Mukerji is first-rate. Zohra Segal is superb, while Begum Para is hardly there.
On the whole, SAAWARIYA lacks soul. The film is a magical spectacle of visual and emotional delight.
