From the beginning, Lamhaa was positioned as a film that would reveal the untold story of Kashmir
Lamhaa
A; Thriller
Dir: Rahul Dholakia
Cast: Sanjay Dutt, Bipasha Basu, Kunal Kapoor, and Anupam Kher
**
WHAT'S IT ABOUT: From the beginning, Lamhaa was positioned as a film that would reveal the untold story of Kashmir. That's a good premise, considering the state is always in the news. Withu00a0 National Award winning director Rahul Dholakia at the helm, you expect the subject to be original and the treatment novel. Sadly, Lamhaa is not quite what you'd expected it to be. It's neither real nor a believable dramatised account. The film explores a major event that's going to take place in Kashmir. To investigate what's going to happen, Vikram (Sanjay Dutt) is sent to the valley by the intelligence authorities in what is a highly classified mission. Vikram suspects local leader Haji (Anupam Kher) and people connected to him. As he follows the clues, he befriends Haji's adopted daughter Aziza (Bipasha Basu) and encounters a young political leader Atif (Kunal Kapoor) who also wants to see change in Kashmir. When they get embroiled deeper into the conspiracy, they realise everything isn't what it seems.
WHAT'S HOT: Visually, Lamhaa is a stunning piece of work and full marks to producer Bunty Walia for that. With his groundwork and efforts, he brings Kashmir (the portions that they shot there; the rest were shot in Manali) alive both with its beauty and the turmoil. In terms of production values, he gives everything what the director needs -- from the right locations and mammoth crowd sequences to raw and rugged terrains.
Cameraman James Fowlds does a splendid job capturing all the action. The musical score by Mithoon is one of the film's highlight and director Dholakia does justice to the songs with his melancholic shot-taking. Bipasha Basu manages to add pathos to her character. Though her role could've been better scripted, she manages to hold her own. Anupam Kher breathes life into his character of Haji. The backbone of Lamhaa is Sanjay Dutt who simply sweeps the screen every time he's on it. He's comfortable in his space without trying to look seemingly intense. Right from his first shot when he makes his entry on a speedboat, the quintessential Dutt swagger makes the character rise above the ordinary.
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WHAT'S NOT: Dholakia seems confused with his own subject -- he's not sure whether he's trying to make a realistic docudrama or a work of fiction. Too many elements and characters are thrown into the script without any reason, making it confusing. The most important thing is there's nothing 'untold' about Kashmir that the film offers -- the same corrupt politicians, the same villains from across the border, the same dishonest officers and the same struggle between the people. Dholakia's depiction is superficial and just like he did in his last film Parzania, he tries to add sensationalism too. The anti-India slogans, children as suicide bombers, Aziza's humiliation in public and the gory destruction in the valley are his tools to shake your senses. Instead, you feel outraged at the sheer exploitation of a raging issue. Dholakia's treatment is equally confusing -- sometimes he uses a hand-held camera to make the proceedings seem real. But at the same time, the narrative is unnecessarily filmy and over-the-top. Kunal Kapoor has two scenes that had huge potential -- his public speeches. But the director makes him enact them in such a loud and theatrical style that it seems like he's performing at some Diwali mela. The characterisations are absurd. Bipasha starts off like some martial arts expert and then goes subtle. Sanjay Dutt is shown to be at the right place all the time; he walks in and out of secured areas almost casually. The film lacks proper flow, it halts abruptly for intermission and the end seems too rushed.
WHAT TO DO: Watch it if you're a die-hard Sanjay Dutt fan. If you're looking for some answers on Kashmir, turn to the news channels.
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