Sanjay Dutt probably has a clause in his contract that promises him at least two sets of Ray-Bans or equally cool designer sunglasses, and 15 minutes of slow motion no matter what movie he's in, just like Bipasha Basu and Aishwarya Rai have one that says they will never act without make-up even if it's a funeral scene.
It's just difficult to take Lamhaa seriously with the casting, the baggage and trappings that come with it. Even if this is a film made by Rahul Dholakia, the guy who gave us the hard-hitting Parzania .
Now, Dholakia is a bold filmmaker, who does not really shy away from making a political statement however loaded it is. He is not afraid to show Indian passports being ripped apart or let separatists present their side of the argument. It is evident from Parzania and Lamhaa that Dholakia's heart beats for the innocent, trapped between two warring religious groups. Interestingly, this time around, Dholakia takes us to a land where Hindus are a minority, and are victims on both sides — some killed by the militants and some, the military.
Like Matt Damon in The Green Zone , the undercover military officer here acquires a new identity and goes down that rabbit hole to unearth the conspiracy behind the propaganda and a series of assassination attempts. John Fowld's restless cinematography captures the tension behind the emotions and distrust among its characters, with an endless amount of energy — be it the action sequences or the dialogue portions, and this contributes quite a bit to the overall pace of Dholakia's storytelling.
Though the writing and constant references to Kashmir, Jannat, and assorted metaphors to heaven and hell, and Sanjay Dutt spouting lines such as “this system sucks” gets to you after a while, the complexity and layering of the political content of the film keeps you hooked for most parts. But, it's a Catch 22 situation for political filmmakers such as Dholakia or Mani Ratnam — the subject demands a big canvas and budget, but the return on such investment demands stars who will help recover that money.
As long as you watch Lamhaa from that perspective of stars being the necessary evil, you will find plenty in the film to appreciate. Not just the technical aspects, but also in terms of detailing and sensitivity. The film is well-researched and makes for a legitimate thriller, but like all star vehicles, never lets the characters deviate too far from their mould.
It's not possible to keep a straight face as Sanjay Dutt by virtue of being the hero of the film is easily able to convince the girl that her father figure is evil or make his best friend and only person he trusts admit he has a different evil agenda by sheer conversation. How much can a political filmmaker dumb his content down to cater to the lowest common denominator?
Lamhaa will show you how much. Great plot, premise and canvas, but when it comes to casting and staging, it's all about the box-office. Be it Kashmir or Lamhaa , it's purely the business aspects that seems to keep the conflict brewing.
Lamhaa
Genre : Action
Director : Rahul Dholakia
Cast : Sanjay Dutt, Bipasha Basu, Kunal Kapoor, Anupam Kher, Mahesh Manjrekar
Storyline : An undercover army officer called in to investigate a series of assassination attempts on a leader uncovers the nexus that keeps Kashmir volatile.
Bottomline : A message movie that gets messed up with Sanjay Duttonomics and Bipasha Basics
