Why Guzaarish Deserved More Attention Than It Got

Released in November 2010, Guzaarish is a movie written and directed by Sanjay Leela Bhansali. This is the first, and till now the only Bollywood movie made on the concept of euthanasia.

Very aptly titled, 'Guzaarish’, meaning 'wish’ or 'request’, revolves around the life of a magician who got paralyzed in an accident. After spending years in that state, he files a petition in the court to allow him to die. The role of that magician is played by Hritik Roshan and he has played it very gracefully.

Euthanasia is the practice of intentionally ending one's own life to relieve pain and suffering. It is carried out by seeking permission from the court of law and under a doctor's supervision. With time, euthanasia has also gotten divided into subcategories, which are, active, passive, voluntary, involuntary and assisted suicide. The movie 'Guzaarish’ is about assisted suicide.

There has been very less awareness about euthanasia in India and when this movie was made, a lot of people got to know about it. Yet, since the movie underperformed at the box office and not much of the audience watched it, the concept that needed awareness went mostly unnoticed. Some of the people who watched the movie also complained against it that the movie glorified euthanasia.

While a part of their argument may be considered true, the movie was not made to glorify euthanasia in the first place.

The movie shows the struggles and mental state of the person who has been suffering since fourteen years. It shows the mental state of the people around him, who love him. Their inner conflicts of whether to understand his situation and agree with his decision, or to stop him from doing so and making him want to live life. Apart from the inner conflicts, it also shows the people's conflict among themselves, as it raises questions of who really loves the protagonist - the ones who understand his pain and support him in applying for euthanasia or the ones who want him to live and not give up.

Next, it also shows the the court of law’s state as it encounters such a difficult case, one of a kind that has hardly been fought before.

As well made and acted as the movie is, it is also one that needs more attention as it very nicely shows what an appeal for euthanasia does to a person, the ones who love him and the ones fighting the case.