Being blind, deaf and mute, Michelle McNally (Rani Mukherjee) is almost totally cut off from the world around her. But devoted, no-nonsense teacher Debraj Sahai (Amitabh Bachchan) is determined to draw her out of her lonely shell. Sahai has his own problems, though - not only is he an alchoholic, he's also diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease.
Sanjay Leela Bhansali's direction remains steadfastly unsentimental throughout, yet he expertly draws engaging, convincing erformances from his leads, their interaction resulting in several unsettling and thought-provoking scenes. Mukherjee is astonishing as the girl deprived of three of her five senses, who gradually, under Sahai's guidance, awakens an awareness of language.
