Where the usual Indian love story ends with a flashy title card that reads "...And they lived happily ever after." Saathiya sings a different tune – one rooted a little more in realism. The beauty of the film lies in the fact that it embellishes this theme with the same escapist flair and deeply touching vibrancy that characterize the tradition of Indian cinema. Aditya Sehgal (Vivek Oberoi) awaits his wife Suhani Sharma (Rani Mukherjee) at the railway station. She is nowhere to be seen. We cut back a year to watch them meet and fall in love in the usual masala routine. When their parents meet to arrange their marriage, class conflict creeps in to squeeze out their respective superiority and inferiority complexes. 

Aditya leaves home and Suhani is thrown out for disrupting her elder sister's marital plans. The couple starts a new life together, mutually agreeing to shun their parents. The new apartment is dilapidating, but all that matters is that it is their home. She for him and him for her. Then what went wrong in this paradise? Or was it ever that?

"Saathiya" takes a new look at marital life showcasing its ups and downs. The small day to day fights, ego clashes, and most of all, the expectations for everything to be as beautiful and dreamy as it was before marriage. As a director, Shaad Ali could not have asked for a better opportunity for his debut. To begin with, "Saathiya" is a re-make of the Tamil film "Alaipayuthey," which means Shaad Ali has all his homework already done by the master Mani Ratnam, arguably one of the best directors alive. Secondly, Ali had assisted Mr. Ratnam in the making of "Alaipayuthey." 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. His casting is flawless and equally impressive is his ability to mold his actors' performances. 

The chemistry between Vivek Oberoi and Rani Mukherjee is astounding. Both actors bring out the frustrations and confusions of their characters in great detail. Sandhya Mridul, Tanuja, and Sharat Saxena work very well together to bring about a high level of believability in the Sharma family's middle-class lifestyle. A.R. Rahman's music and score, while simply re-created from the original except for two songs is as usual – fantastic. 

While it would be very unfair to compare Shaad Ali's directorial skills with Mr. Ratnam's, one cannot help but notice how Ali falters every time he omits those small characteristic nuances, seemingly insignificant lines, and scenes from the original script. Ali also fails to draw a clearer parallel between Shahrukh Khan and Tabu's relationship with regard to his own protagonists. Had he just followed what Mani Ratnam had done, he would have certainly painted a more complete and fulfilling picture. However, "Saathiya" is a high quality product, the first good family film since "Devdas" that should strike a chord or two among romantic cinephiles.