Confession: Love stories, especially the kind bollywood dishes out often causes me to break out in a rash.

Confession: Saathiya by Shaad Ali starring the latest Bollywood hunk Vivek Oberoi and the pint sized Rani Mukherji is a love story that did not make me want to throw up my hands and howl at the heavens.

Shaad Ali who assisted Mani Rathnam (the master himself) for ‘Alaipayuthey’ the original Tamil version of Saathiya earns full points for his directorial debut. The film is slick, the editing is sharp and the lead pair share a chemistry akin to the one Shah Rukh and Kaajol had in their hey days.

Middle Class boy meets girl, woos her, and after singing a few songs they get hitched. Will it be a blissful ‘they lived happily after’ that follows? Will there be trouble in paradise?
How will they fare facing dreadful truths about matrimony like we all(Sigh!) do eventually?

The ego clashes; petty misunderstandings and of course the joys of making up in the end are portrayed pretty elegantly.
A perfect Valentine’s Day viewing pick, watch it with your beloved!
Vivek and Rani, both ordinary looking, turn in decent performances, as do Tanuja, Sharad Saxena and the rest. Tabu in a special appearance is so irritating, she puts your teeth on edge and Shah Rukh is disappointing too.

Saathiya’s music is brilliant. Catch Rahman at his best here.

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