Saathiya
Poster
Directed byShaad Ali
Written byGulzar
(dialogues)
Screenplay byMani Ratnam
Story byMani Ratnam
Based onAlaipayuthey
by Mani Ratnam
Produced byYash Chopra
Aditya Chopra
Mani Ratnam
Bobby Bedi
StarringRani Mukerji
Vivek Oberoi
Shah Rukh Khan
Tabu
CinematographyAnil Mehta
Edited byA. Sreekar Prasad
Music byA. R. Rahman
Production
companies
Distributed byYash Raj Films
Madras Talkies
Kaleidoscope Entertainment
Release date
  • 20 December 2002 (2002-12-20)
Running time
139 minutes
CountryIndia
LanguageHindi
Budget₹75 million (US$940,000)[1]
Box office₹291 million (US$3.6 million)[1]

Saathiya (English: Companion) is a 2002 Indian Hindi-language romantic drama film directed by Shaad Ali and produced by Mani Ratnam and Yash Chopra under the banners, Yash Raj Films and Madras Talkies. It is a remake of the Tamil film Alaipayuthey, whose climax was inspired by the English film Sliding Doors (1998). The film stars Rani Mukerji and Vivek Oberoi in leads roles with Sandhya Mridul, Tanuja, Swaroop Sampat, Satish Shah, Sharat Saxena and Kunal Kumar.

Saathiya revolves around Aditya and Suhani, who despite opposition from their parents, elope and marry. Their happiness is short lived when a tradegy strikes. The soundtrack of the film was composed by A. R. Rahman, while the lyrics were written by Gulzar. The cinematography is done by Anil Mehta, while the film is edited by A. Sreekar Prasad.[2]

Upon release, the film received critical acclaim, with praises for its performance and screenplay. The film was a moderate success earning ₹291 million (US$3.6 million) and became the eighth highest grossing film of the year.[3]

Saathiya received several accolades. At the 48th Filmfare Awards, the film received 8 nominations and won 6 awards, including Best Actress – Critics for Rani Mukherji, Best Screenplay for Mani Ratnam and Best Male Playback Singer for Sonu Nigam, for the song "Saathiya".[4]

Plot

The film begins with Aditya Sehgal and his friends looking for Aditya's wife Suhani Sehgal, after she went missing a few days after having a fight with Aditya over their failing marriage. Aditya, however, realizes that he loves her more than anything and is devastated that he is unable to find her. The film goes into a flashback.

Aditya and Suhani meet at a wedding. Aditya immediately falls in love with her and pursues her, however, Suhani believes that he is simply flirting with her, though later realizes that she is falling in love with him. However, Aditya's rich lifestyle and Suhani's middle-class lifestyle creates a rift between their parents where Aditya's father Om Sehgal insults Suhani's father. Nonetheless, Aditya and Suhani elope and get secretly married. However, when a proposal comes for Suhani's elder sister, Suhani divulges that she is married, causing her to be thrown out of her house. At the same time, Aditya's parents learn of the marriage and throw Aditya out. Aditya and Suhani decide to cut ties with their parents and move into a small house and begin their married life together.

However, a misunderstanding occurs between Aditya and Suhani where Suhani accuses Aditya of having an affair causing the two to get into argument. A few hours later, while walking home, Suhani gets involved in a car accident, seriously injuring her. Aditya, having no idea of the accident, waits for her to return home assuming they would reconcile.

Aditya eventually realizes that Suhani is missing and begins to look for her. Aditya is then informed that Suhani met with an accident and is in the ICU of a hospital in critical condition. Aditya arrives at the hospital and learns that Suhani has been registered under a different name. Yeshwant Rao, an IAS officer, reveals to Aditya that he caused the accident and admitted Suhani to the hospital. Aditya threatens Yeshwant and leaves, however he learns from Yeshwant's wife, Savitri, that she caused the accident, and that Yeshwant took the blame, merely trying to protect her. The two shed tears before Yeshwant and Savitri leave. Suhani eventually regains consciousness and Aditya runs to her and expresses the pain and suffering he went through while searching for her. Suhani reciprocates her feelings towards Aditya and the two embrace.

Cast

Production

Development

The film was announced by Mani Ratnam and Yash Chopra under the banner of Yash Raj Films. It is a remake of the Tamil film Alaipayuthey, that was directed by Ratnam. It marks the directorial debut of Shaad Ali.[5]

Casting

Abhishek Bachchan was Ali's first choice for the role of Aditya. Bachchan refused and the role went to Vivek Oberoi.[6] Ali cast Rani Mukerji as Suhani. Mukerji initially refused the offer as she disliked the idea of remaking an accomplished film but was convinced to accept the part by the film's producer Aditya Chopra.[7]

Soundtrack

Saathiya
Soundtrack album by
A. R. Rahman
Released18 October 2002 (Digital Release)
20 December 2002 (Film Release)
RecordedPanchathan Record Inn
GenreFeature Film soundtrack, Ambient
Length44:03
LabelYRF Music (digital)
Saregama (physical)
ProducerA.R. Rahman
A. R. Rahman chronology
Kadhal Virus
(2002)		 Saathiya
(2002)		 Parasuram
(2003)

There are 9 songs composed by A. R. Rahman and lyrics by Gulzar. A. R. Rahman re-used all of his compositions from the soundtrack of the Tamil film Alaipayuthey, with the exception of two songs, "Mere Yaar Mila De" and "Naina Milaike" which replaced their Tamil counterparts "Evano Oruvan" and "Alaipayuthey". The soundtrack turned out to be one of the strong points of the film. Saathiya won most of the music awards, despite facing tough competition from Devdas (2002).[8] A. R. Rahman and Sonu Nigam won Best Music Director and Best Male Playback for "Saathiya", respectively. According to the Indian trade website Box Office India, with around 20,00,000 units sold, this film's soundtrack album was the year's second highest-selling, behind Humraaz.[9]

For the soundtrack, the songs, "Alaipayuthey" and "Evano Oruvan" were not re-composed from the Tamil version. Instead, Rahman composed a Sufi track "Mere Yaar Mila De" and "Naina Milaike", a classical number. Lyricist Gulzar, who wrote all the Hindi version songs, stated, "In Saathiya I wrote 'Mere Yaar Mila De', which isn't a typical romantic number though it's essentially a love song."[10] Unlike previous soundtracks recorded by Rahman for Ratnam, the former composed majority of the songs by fusing the classical carnatic music genres into moderns rhythms.

On penning review for Bollywood Hungama, critic Taran Adarsh stated, "A.R. Rahman's music is melodious and easy on the ears. The title track is the pick of the lot, but the item song can easily be deleted, for it serves as a speed breaker in the goings-on. Perhaps, even this song was added to add spice."[11] Critic based at Australian Cine Urban praised the music, "A superb digital sound mix drives the all important soundtrack, fantasy music video clips on the cable music channels in that they are multi-costume and multi-location showpieces, taking us from waterfalls to snowy mountain fields to idyllic shorelines. Duets and full scale wedding routines follow each other as the first half zips along with its charter to set the musical mood."[12] Vijay Ramanan of Planet Bollywood, "A. R. Rahman's music and score, while simply re-created from the original except for two songs is as usual – fantastic.[13] Mr. Brown reviewed the music of the film, "The songs-chiefly are the lilting title number; the percussive wedding song "Chhalka Chhalka Re" ("It Spilled"); and the seductive ballads "Chupke Se" ("Quietly") and "Aye Udi Udi Udi" ("Flew Away") a highlight.[14] Glamsham pointed, "All in all, all praises to the music composition by A R Rahman; the music is unique and upbeat. A R Rahman has been successful in creating a different genre of music for his ever increasing list of fans. The lyrics is definitely getting subdued by the exciting music. A must buy for people who love new music".[15]

All tracks are written by Gulzar

Saathiya[16]
No.TitleSinger(s)Length
1."Saathiya"Sonu Nigam, Clinton Cerejo05:57
2."Chhalka, Chhalka Re"Mahalaxmi Iyer, Vaishali Samant, Richa Sharma, Shoma05:45
3."Aye Udi Udi"Adnan Sami04:36
4."Chupke Se"Sadhana Sargam, Murtuza Khan, Qadir Khan06:04
5."O Humdum Soniyo Re"K K, Kunal Ganjawala, Shaan03:57
6."Mere Yaar Mila De"A. R. Rahman05:43
7."Naina Milaike"Sadhana Sargam, Madhushree05:14
8."Maangalyam"Srinivas, K. K., Kunal Ganjawala, Shaan01:43
9."Chori Pe Chori" (Rap lyrics and vocals: Blaazé)Asha Bhosle, Karthik05:01
Total length:44:03

Reception

Box office

Saathiya was a success at the box office, with a gross of ₹219.2 million (US$2.7 million). It became the eighth highest-grossing film of the year.[17][18]

Critical reception

Saathiya received positive reviews from critics. Manish Gajjar of BBC noted, "Vivek Oberoi shows great promise, Rani Mukerji, plays the character with great conviction. The direction and chemistry of leads is great. The music by A R Rehman is melodious. There is no going wrong there as far as Saathiya is concerned!"[19] Vijay Ramanan of Planet Bollywood noted, "Ali not only brings in a lot more youthful energy into Saathiya compared to the original, but also does a fantastic job adapting Mr. Ratnam’s screenplay into a North Indian milieu. Oberoi and Mukerji bring out the frustrations and confusions of their characters in great detail. Saathiya is a high quality product, a good family film that should strike a chord or two among romantic cinephiles."[13]

Accolades

The film received several accolades, including six Filmfare Awards, three IIFA Awards, three Screen Awards and four Zee Cine Awards[20]

Legacy

Saathiya is considered as one of the most popular romantic drama in Hindi cinema. Breaking the Bollywood stereotypes, the film was regarded for not showcasing a "Happily Ever After" story.[21] The film was Vivek Oberoi's third success in his debut year.[22] It brought recognition to Rani Mukerji who enjoyed only limited success in her previous films. Her performance has been noted as one of her most notable works.[23][24] The song "Chalka Chalka", was used in the 2008 English film The Accidental Husband.[25]

References

  1. 1 2 "Saathiya - Movie - Box Office India". boxofficeindia.com. Archived from the original on 6 April 2018. Retrieved 6 April 2018.
  2. ↑ Kumar, S. Shiva (5 October 2018). "Mani is the matter: On Chekka Chivantha Vaanam". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 10 March 2020. Retrieved 19 October 2018.
  3. ↑ "Saathiya". Box Office India. Archived from the original on 13 September 2017. Retrieved 13 September 2017.
  4. ↑ Saathiya Awards: List of Awards won by Hindi movie Saathiya, archived from the original on 14 November 2022, retrieved 14 November 2022
  5. ↑ Jhunjhunwala, Udita (21 December 2002). "Saathiya". Mid-Day. Archived from the original on 2 February 2003. Retrieved 26 October 2011.
  6. ↑ Selvaraj, Sreeram (17 December 2002). "Saathiya is like an exam for me". Rediff.com. Archived from the original on 13 November 2012. Retrieved 25 April 2013.
  7. ↑ Jha, Subhash K (21 March 2003). "People are happy with me in Saathiya. So am I". Rediff.com. Archived from the original on 27 May 2021. Retrieved 25 April 2020.
  8. ↑ "Devdas bags laurels at IIFA 2003 Awards". The Times of India. 17 May 2003. Archived from the original on 3 December 2013. Retrieved 24 May 2012.
  9. ↑ "Music Hits 2000–2009 (Figures in Units)". Box Office India. Archived from the original on 15 February 2008.
  10. ↑ "'Lyrics Today Aren't Poetry, Just Bad Prose' | Saibal Chatterjee | 26 June 2006". www.outlookindia.com. Archived from the original on 4 February 2016. Retrieved 31 October 2015.
  11. ↑ "Saathiya Review – Bollywood Hungama". Bollywood Hungama. Archived from the original on 3 September 2012. Retrieved 31 October 2015.
  12. ↑ "Urban Cinefile SAATHIYA". urbancinefile.com.au. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 31 October 2015.
  13. 1 2 "Saathiya – movie review by Vijay Ramanan – Planet Bollywood". planetbollywood.com. Archived from the original on 6 March 2016. Retrieved 31 October 2015.
  14. ↑ "The Movie Report Archive: January 2003". mrbrownmovies.com. Archived from the original on 16 October 2015. Retrieved 31 October 2015.
  15. ↑ "Saathiya : music review@glamsham.com". glamsham.com. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 31 October 2015.
  16. ↑ "Saathiya (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)". iTunes (India). 18 October 2002. Archived from the original on 6 March 2016. Retrieved 31 October 2015.
  17. ↑ "Top Worldwide Grossers 2002". Box Office India. Archived from the original on 22 March 2021. Retrieved 21 March 2021.
  18. ↑ "BoxOfficeIndia.Com-The complete Hindi film box office site". Boxofficeindia.com. Archived from the original on 27 December 2007. Retrieved 13 September 2012.
  19. ↑ Gajjar, Manish. "Saathyia". BBC. Archived from the original on 11 November 2012. Retrieved 8 January 2012.
  20. ↑ Dhirad, Sandeep (2006). "Filmfare Nominees and Winners" (PDF). Filmfare. pp. 116–119. Archived (PDF) from the original on 19 October 2015. Retrieved 26 August 2021.
  21. ↑ "Why Rani Mukerji and Vivek Oberoi's Saathiya is one of the most liked contemporary love stories". India Today. Retrieved 26 February 2021.
  22. ↑ "20 years of Saathiya: The moment Vivek Oberoi realised he became a star, film's shoot had to be cancelled due to crowd". Indian Express. Retrieved 22 December 2022.
  23. ↑ "Rani Mukerji movies that etched her name in the portals of Hindi cinema". Filmfare. 21 March 2020. Archived from the original on 24 March 2021. Retrieved 26 March 2020.
  24. ↑ "Rani Mukerji's Top 10 Performances". Rediff.com. 19 August 2014. Archived from the original on 25 April 2021. Retrieved 6 February 2021.
  25. ↑ "15 years of Saathiya: Here are some unknown facts of the Rani Mukerji and Vivek Oberoi starrer". Hindustan Times. Retrieved 24 November 2020.
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