Year: 1997
Runtime: 148 mins
Language: Hindi
Director: Sai Paranjape
Mansi (Aruna Irani), the elder sister, is forced to become a professional singer after their father’s death in order to keep the family afloat. The story centers on the women’s experiences, following younger sister Bansi (Shabana Azmi) as she struggles to rediscover her own identity and assert her place within the household.
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Read the complete plot breakdown of Saaz (1997), including all key story events, major twists, and the ending explained in detail. Discover what really happened—and what it all means.
Saaz is a drama that follows two sisters, Mansi and Bansi—daughters of the great singer and theater artist Vrindavan. Born with extraordinary musical talents, the sisters face challenges rooted in familial ties, ambition, and personal struggle.
The story opens with the devastating death of Vrindavan, caused by alcoholism, leaving Mansi and Bansi orphaned. Mansi moves to Mumbai with Bansi and quickly becomes a popular professional singer, while Bansi struggles to find steady footing in the bustling city.
Soon, however, Bansi discovers her own remarkable singing gift and yearns to join her sister in the world of music. Jealousy on Mansi’s part pushes her to try to derail Bansi by arranging a marriage to a violent man, turning Bansi’s life into a nightmare. The marriage becomes a toxic trap: even after Bansi becomes pregnant, Mansi’s interventions help trigger a separation, but the damage lingers.
Emily worries for her niece Kuhu’s safety, so she intervenes, pushing Bansi to divorce. Mansi falls for a married music director, Indruneil, who later recognizes Bansi’s talent and offers her a chance to sing alongside Mansi. Out of jealousy, Mansi places Bansi in a background role during the main recording, fueling the rift between the sisters.
Seeking independence, Bansi approaches Indruneil, who introduces her to a platform where she can project her voice. She captivates audiences and soon surpasses Mansi in popularity, sharpening a rivalry that even a prestigious national opportunity can’t quiet. Indruneil’s career falters, and he ends up in a live-in relationship with Bansi, only for the musical world to implode when he quits.
A decade passes of distance between the sisters, until they meet again at a felicitation in the same theater where their father performed. In this moment, Mansi’s voice falters as she faces terminal blood cancer, and she dies after seeking forgiveness for her past actions against Bansi.
The focus shifts to Kuhu, who is trying to find her own groove as a singer. A new music director, Himaan Desai, enters their orbit, stirring feelings: Kuhu idolizes Himaan while he is drawn to Bansi. Torn, Bansi also feels attracted but steps back to protect Kuhu, and Himaan dies in a car accident, witnessed by Bansi.
The narrative unfolds as flashbacks as Bansi recounts her experiences to Parikshat Sahni, a psychiatrist. With his guidance, she gradually regains her confidence and voice. During a foreign trip with Kuhu, an award announcement rekindles Bansi’s passion to perform. At a formal felicitation, she sings the song her father once sang and announces her return to singing.
The film closes on a note of reconciliation and renewed purpose: Bansi sends a recording of her performance to the psychiatrist, who meets her at the airport, and they depart together in a moment that hints at a hopeful, non-clinical friendship beyond the patient-doctor boundary.
Last Updated: October 09, 2025 at 11:09
Discover curated groups of movies connected by mood, themes, and story style. Browse collections built around emotion, atmosphere, and narrative focus to easily find films that match what you feel like watching right now.
Stories exploring the deep bonds and painful divisions between sisters across time.Find more movies like Saaz that explore the intense dynamics of sisterhood. These films focus on sibling rivalry, shared trauma, and the lifelong bonds that are tested by jealousy, obligation, and the weight of family legacy.
Stories in this thread typically follow the intertwined lives of sisters, often over a long period. The plot is driven by their rivalry for parental affection, professional success, or romantic partners, balanced against a deep, underlying loyalty. The journey often involves separation, conflict, and a climactic moment of reconciliation or understanding.
Movies are grouped here based on their strong focus on the sister-sister relationship as the primary engine of the plot and emotional core. They share a thematic interest in how identity is formed in relation to a sibling and how family duty and personal ambition collide.
Emotional journeys of artists where great talent comes with profound personal cost.If you liked Saaz's exploration of musical talent and its emotional toll, discover other movies about artists struggling with the price of their genius. These dramas show ambition fueled by trauma, the pressure of legacy, and the struggle to find a personal voice.
The narrative pattern follows a gifted individual whose art is born from or leads to significant personal suffering—be it loss, mental health struggles, toxic relationships, or familial pressure. The story explores the tension between public success and private pain, often culminating in a breakdown or a bittersweet rediscovery of passion.
These films are grouped by their shared thematic core: exploring the deep, often dark connection between artistic brilliance and human suffering. They share a melancholic tone and a heavy emotional weight, focusing on the internal and external costs of a creative life.
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