Guzaarish (2010)
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A paralyzed magician-turned-radio jockey seeks legal permission to end his life while navigating the complexities of love and legacy.
The story
Ethan Mascarenhas, a quadriplegic former magician, works as a radio jockey for Radio Zindagi, using his wit to spread hope to his listeners. On the fourteenth anniversary of his spinal injury, he decides to file a court petition for mercy killing. He seeks support from his best friend and lawyer, Devyani Dutta, who agrees to his reasoning. Surprisingly, Ethan's mother also backs his demand. As Ethan prepares for his legal battle, a young man named Omar Siddiqui arrives seeking to learn the art of magic from him, unaware of the tragic history connecting their families.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
Ethan Mascarenhas, a quadriplegic former magician, works as a radio jockey for Radio Zindagi, using his wit to spread hope to his listeners. On the fourteenth anniversary of his spinal injury, he files a court petition for mercy killing. He is supported by his lawyer, Devyani Dutta, and his mother, Isabel Mascarenhas. His physician, Dr. Nayak, eventually relents to the appeal. Meanwhile, Omar Siddiqui seeks to learn magic from Ethan, eventually confessing that his father, Yassar Siddiqui, was responsible for Ethan's accident—a fact Ethan already knew. On the day of the verdict, the court rejects the plea, citing legal codes. Ethan is left alone until his nurse, Sofia D'Souza, returns after a divorce and confesses her love, offering to help him end his life. Ethan proposes to her, and they hold a farewell party where he bids everyone goodbye, declaring he will die a happy man.
- First release year
- 2010
- Runtime (minutes)
- 126
- Production countries
- India
- Original languages
- Hindi
- Directors
- Sanjay Leela Bhansali
- Writers
- Sanjay Leela Bhansali · screenplay; Bhavani Iyer · screenplay
- Cast and characters
- Hrithik Roshan · Ethan Mascarenhas; Aishwarya Rai Bachchan · Sofia D'Souza; Aditya Roy Kapur · Omar Siddiqui; Shernaz Patel · Devyani Dutta; Monikangana Dutta · Estella; Suhel Seth · Dr. Nayak; Swara Bhaskar; Makrand Deshpande
- Genres
- romantic drama
- Themes
- mercy killing; disability; legacy; love; hope
- Tone and mood
- melodramatic; operatic; poignant
- Premise and plot tags
- courtroom drama; romance; magic; euthanasia
- Content notes
- smoking
- Reception
- The film received mostly positive reactions from critics, who praised the direction, cinematography, and performances, particularly of Hrithik Roshan and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan. However, it faced some criticism for being over the top and pretentious.
- Reported review scores
- Filmfare · score: 4 · scale: 5; The Times of India · score: 4.5; Special Broadcasting Service (SBS) · score: 3 · scale: 3
- Awards and nominations
- Filmfare Award · Best Actor · Nomination; Filmfare Award · Best Actress · Nomination
- Production trivia
- The film's storyline was said to be similar to the 2004 Spanish movie The Sea Inside.; A specially made-to-order remote-controlled modernized wheelchair was used in the movie.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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