Lamhaa Review

LAMHAA is a Hindi film directed by Rahul Dholakia who has earlier directed serious movies based on communal riots like PARZANIA. PAZANIA was based on communal riots which took place in Gujarat in 2002. For PARZANIA, Rahul also won National Film Award for Best Direction so we can expect good and meaningful film from him. This film LAMHAA is based on the blasts which took place in 1989.

The star casts of this film are Sanjay Dutt, Anupam Kher, Bipasa Basu, Kunaal Kapoor, Mahesh Manjerekar, Murli Sharma, Yashpal Sharma etc. This film is produced by Baunty Walia and Jaspreet Walia.

The story of the film goes like this:

Vikram Sabarwal (Sanjay Dutt) is a very efficient, brave and intelligent officer in intelligence department. When his senior officers come to know that some people are hatching very big conspiracy in Kashmir to cause destruction to a great level, they send Vikram Sabarwal on the mission to foil their conspiracy. Thus Vikram (Sanjay Dutt) is posted in Kashmir in the guise of Gul Jehangir. The reason behind sending Vikram Sabrawal is that 15 years back he had foiled similar conspiracy in Kashmir. Thus all his senior officers trust his capability and intelligences. Vikram begins his mission in valley while the pretending himself to be Gul Jehangir so that he could reach the real culprits.

Bipasa Basu is there in the role of Ajija. Some years back her father was killed and she had lost her family, thereafter her maternal uncle Haji (Anupam Kher) took care of her and brought her up.

Ajija is now heading a lady's organization that is fighting for their rights.

Vikram tries to get into the depth of the anger of young generation and he wants to know their real intentions.

Sometime back, Atif (Kunal Kapoor) used to help Haji to create panic and terror in the valley but due to some factors his mind changed and he separated from Haji and his organization. He now wants to live a peaceful life and wants to contest election.

But Pakistan doesn't want Atif to get success in his mission. Therefore Roff (Yashpal Sharma) get instructions from Pakistan to keep Atif away from election etc. Eventually Roff   puts falls allegations on Atif so that he could be sent to jail.

Actually, Haji gets orders from the other side of the boarder (Pakistan) to create terrorism in the valley and to boycott and disrupt election. They don't want any election to take place in the valley.

One on hand Vikram tries to foil the militants' conspiracy and on the other hand Pasha (Yuri Suri) is trying to convert children into fiyadin so that he could cause a big destruction in the valley.

Will the Haji and Pasha's mission be successful and would Vikram get success in foiling their conspiracy is the rest of the film.  

Sanjay Dutt has justified his role to great extent. He looks superb in this role. Whenever he has done positive roles, he has done brilliantly and is very much liked by the audience. He is never over confident and tries to do his best in every film.

Those who are fond of watching Bipasa Basu in glamorous roles will be disappointed because in this film she hasn't exposed. Her role is a serious one and exposure is not needed. However, she has performed very well. It seems that Bipasa can do serious roles very efficiently.

Acting of Anupam Kher is superb but he is not fit for such kind of roles. People don't like to see him in such negative roles. People like him in positive or comical roles to great extent. When he can do his best in comedy and positive roles then why people offer him negative roles is really puzzling. His negative role is surely going to affect the business of the film in a very negative manner.

Mahesh Manjereker is a very good actor but he is not used properly in this film. In fact he should have given Haji's role because he suits in negative role very much. Yashpal Sharma is average. However Murli Sharma has done his job well. Rests of the actors are average.

Rahul Dholakia is known to shoot his films in real locations. His first film he had shot in New York and his third film LAMHAA he shot in Kashmir which was really a brave act.

Rahul Dholakia has tried his best to good for the film through his extensive direction but script wise he has failed at many places. The screenplay is not new. People have seen such types of scenes in the past films based on Kashmir or terrorism or films like MISSION KASHMIR. So this film fails to create interest at many places and it becomes boring.

Though Sanjay Dutt, Bipasa Basu, Anupam Kher etc have done their part in excellent manner, yet they can't help much to hook up the audience due to poor script. 

The director paid attention to real location and real issue but did not pay attention to the script and viewer's interest. Hence it is very difficult for this film to attract a large audience.

Music given by the music director Mithoon is okay and fits the situations of the film. Some songs such as Hum Saath Rahein Dua Yah Karte Hain, Salaam Zindgi and Mai Kaun Hoon etc are good.

There is a scene in this film when Sanjay Dutt has said that Kashmir is world's most dangerous place. It is not the fault of the artist (Sanjay Dutt) but the fault is of dialogue writer and the director. Before writing any dialogue, the dialogue writer should think its consequences. It was not needed to be told about Kashmir in such a manner. Even director should have asked the dialogue writer to change or modify the dialogue. Due to this dialogue this film has lost many audiences because the censor board didn't want to release the film with that dialogue. The board asked the director Rahul Dholakia to delete that dialogue. When Rahul Dholakia was not read to delete the dialogue; he tried to justify his dialogue, the censor board granted this film 'A' certificate. So you can well imagine what happens to the audience when any film is labeled with 'A' certificate. Family and children keep away from 'A' certified films. In 'A' certified film adult audience (mostly) go in expectation to watch exposed body of heroines and hot scenes. But this film will not provide them sexual exposure at all. Hence such adult audience will get disappointed and the film business will be affected to a great extent.

Though it is a boring and serious film, it is not a bad film and you can go to watch it if you want to know more about Kashmir problem.