Despite having my doubts, I did end up in a theatre to witness Mohit Suri’s latest work of art: Saiyaara. We all know that when it comes to Bollywood love, Suri knows exactly what he’s doing. So, what is my opinion?
Saiyaara is thoughtfully done. There are many ways this movie exceeded my expectations, but what I truly loved were certain cinematic shots and the messages they conveyed. So yes, if you’re a stickler for symbolism, let me highlight my personal favorites from this movie.
Finding Vaani After Krish Thought He Had Lost Her
This shot has a special place in my heart for a reason. After almost a year of losing Vaani, Krish has achieved all the fame and success in the world, but lost the very love that gave him the strength to achieve it all. When his friend randomly spots Vaani in a video, Krish runs toward the screen where her image is displayed. Despite being a renowned superstar himself, we see him fall to his knees in front of the love of his life, a moment that was super emotional. It reflects how Vaani is everything to him, and everything else he has pales in comparison.
Her picture fills almost the entire screen, with a tiny Krish kneeling in front of it. It’s a shot that reflects upon the power of love, the kind of beauty and intensity that makes everything else seem irrelevant. Krish is a singer adored by millions, and yet, he’s small, because Vaani’s love was all-consuming. It was larger than everything. Larger than fame, money, success; Even Krish himself. Her love is what makes him whole.
There is love, and then comes worship. The movie beautifully captures how there’s an unknown force in true love. This force is so strong and consuming that everything else eventually becomes negligible. It was a master shot and honestly the most thoughtfully done scene in the entire film.
Vaani’s Diary
Throughout the movie, the relevance of the diary remains strong. The audience tends to ask her: do you get déjà vu? We’ve seen something exactly similar to this in Ek Villain. Vaani’s diary holds power. She begins writing about Krish Kapoor when she meets him. In her absence, Krish carries her diary to every concert in hopes of finding Vaani again. The film ends with the two getting their happily-ever-after and the diary makes it presence known in a beautiful way.
Usually, people hold on to some things that make them feel complete. Vaani’s diary does not just reflect her love for writing- It becomes a part of her love for Krish. She also mentions how she couldn’t write for the longest time before she fell in love with Krish. Her simple statement beautifully portrays how love heals.
The torn pages of Vaani’s diary symbolize how stories are written but, for reasons, have to be discarded time and again. Past loves, memories and people cannot completely be erased from existence but that does not mean that the rest of the book should remain empty. New stories always find their way, making people grow into better versions of themselves.
In today’s age, where love has taken more complicated turns than ever before, Mohit Suri’s attempt to keep Bollywood romance alive in the hearts of the masses is something worth appreciating. The songs, the dialogues, the acting, everything is done with intent and purpose. And that’s what has helped the film reach this stage, where people are actually making the effort to visit theatres to watch a Bollywood film after a long time.
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