Posted by Vamsi Deepak Gadey (
12 August 2004, 7:27am
Dil Chahta Hai - That was the MANTRA
Lakshya - That IS the WORD
Thats the movie we all have been waiting for, isnt it?
Farhan, the man who gave us Dil Chahta Hai, mirrored us straight on the celluloid and heralded a new genre of Indian cinema that spoke our language. "Thats the man we waited for" we called him. And, when Farhan tells us that his new protagonist "took 23 years and 18000 feet to find himself", we felt that here was a man who would give us an "Alchemist" to prod us to fetch our dreams, listen to our hearts, and make us stronger day by day, just as the font of Lakshya conveys.
What could ve been an amazing journey of
self-exploration of an individual clueless of his
lakshya in life, is reduced to a boy-becomes-hero-saves-country episode. And, thats what pinches me. It definitely gives you something, but not everything.
Karan Shergill, a happy-go-lucky guy lazy of
everything important in life, gets going to Indian
Military Academy, more by circumstances
than by choice. His ego acts as a fountainhead to
drive him through the tough life at IMA, makes him a tough man (main aisa hoon, aur bas aisa hi) from a confused man (main aisa kyoon hoon?). Its his new-found-isms that now make him win Operation Vijay for us.
Romila Dutta, a journalist-in-the-making who knows
what she is doing, gets going to become a news
reporter. A classmate and girlfriend of Karan, she
makes Karan "think" and "act". She is the one who
triggers the man in Karan.
Karan and Romila love each other, get apart by the
usual ideological and ego differences, and come back together by circumstances. Thats what the Lakshya love-angle is all about in a nutshell.
Farhan is absolutely in-his-DCH-element, reflecting the typical upper class, spoilt guy and socially sensitive Delhi women (aka NDTV Barkha Dutt). The elan with which Farhan handles the love thread, the mechanics and dynamics of so many spoken and unspoken things would leave anybody wanting more of Farhan.
What Farhan misses out is that something as BIG as
KARGIL hijacks the idea of self-exploration of a
normal-simple-but-confused individual, and puts it on a routine track. Kargil, which was supposed to be JUST the pallette for painting his painting, becomes a painting by itself.
But...
The Kargil scenes are definitely not a deja vu of
LOC-Kargil. The scenes are absolutely breathtaking
here (cinematography: German Christopher Popp) and
above all, non-redundant, non-anti-pak, non-jingoistic and non-melodramic.They pinch us into believing that we are watching a Hollywood movie. A special mention to the rock climbing scene that gives you real goosegumps.
While, JP Dutta's war brigade tells us how a story is NOT to be told, Farhan's storytelling aided by Javed Akhtar's effortless, natural screenplay and dialogues, just leaves you spellbound.
Hrithik and Preity are cool and great. No second
thoughts, they look great in their stuff, and do great stuff. And, do I need to talk about "Main Aisa Kyon Hoon". It rocks like hell. It is the bible for getting just about everything right for a song in a movie - the synergy of lyrics, music, choreography and situation. Prabhu Deva(Choreography) plus Hrithik Roshan is something sure to become a sensation.
You just wish if you could have seen more of the witty and yuppie Farhanisms.
"Is Farhan married-or-something... why did he become serious in life."
You just wish Karan didnt become so heroic.
"Why does Hrithik do great things in life in all his movies"
You just wish a better,crisper editing.
"Why is it so stretching...?"
And, definitely... you just wish better music.
"Is the music really by Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy?"
Sure, Lakshya doesnt break new ground, but it does
show us the "other" side of Farhan Akhtar, and carries forward his legacy of giving us good films. Overall, I would give Lakshya -- 8.5/10 for its sheer sincerity of a story well told. I would recommend it for everyone, but just dont go to the theaters humming, "Dil Chahta Hai Lakshya"
Current Mood: Feeling Better
Current Music: Tum Se Milke
Lakshya - That IS the WORD
Thats the movie we all have been waiting for, isnt it?
Farhan, the man who gave us Dil Chahta Hai, mirrored us straight on the celluloid and heralded a new genre of Indian cinema that spoke our language. "Thats the man we waited for" we called him. And, when Farhan tells us that his new protagonist "took 23 years and 18000 feet to find himself", we felt that here was a man who would give us an "Alchemist" to prod us to fetch our dreams, listen to our hearts, and make us stronger day by day, just as the font of Lakshya conveys.
What could ve been an amazing journey of
self-exploration of an individual clueless of his
lakshya in life, is reduced to a boy-becomes-hero-saves-country episode. And, thats what pinches me. It definitely gives you something, but not everything.
Karan Shergill, a happy-go-lucky guy lazy of
everything important in life, gets going to Indian
Military Academy, more by circumstances
than by choice. His ego acts as a fountainhead to
drive him through the tough life at IMA, makes him a tough man (main aisa hoon, aur bas aisa hi) from a confused man (main aisa kyoon hoon?). Its his new-found-isms that now make him win Operation Vijay for us.
Romila Dutta, a journalist-in-the-making who knows
what she is doing, gets going to become a news
reporter. A classmate and girlfriend of Karan, she
makes Karan "think" and "act". She is the one who
triggers the man in Karan.
Karan and Romila love each other, get apart by the
usual ideological and ego differences, and come back together by circumstances. Thats what the Lakshya love-angle is all about in a nutshell.
Farhan is absolutely in-his-DCH-element, reflecting the typical upper class, spoilt guy and socially sensitive Delhi women (aka NDTV Barkha Dutt). The elan with which Farhan handles the love thread, the mechanics and dynamics of so many spoken and unspoken things would leave anybody wanting more of Farhan.
What Farhan misses out is that something as BIG as
KARGIL hijacks the idea of self-exploration of a
normal-simple-but-confused individual, and puts it on a routine track. Kargil, which was supposed to be JUST the pallette for painting his painting, becomes a painting by itself.
But...
The Kargil scenes are definitely not a deja vu of
LOC-Kargil. The scenes are absolutely breathtaking
here (cinematography: German Christopher Popp) and
above all, non-redundant, non-anti-pak, non-jingoistic and non-melodramic.They pinch us into believing that we are watching a Hollywood movie. A special mention to the rock climbing scene that gives you real goosegumps.
While, JP Dutta's war brigade tells us how a story is NOT to be told, Farhan's storytelling aided by Javed Akhtar's effortless, natural screenplay and dialogues, just leaves you spellbound.
Hrithik and Preity are cool and great. No second
thoughts, they look great in their stuff, and do great stuff. And, do I need to talk about "Main Aisa Kyon Hoon". It rocks like hell. It is the bible for getting just about everything right for a song in a movie - the synergy of lyrics, music, choreography and situation. Prabhu Deva(Choreography) plus Hrithik Roshan is something sure to become a sensation.
You just wish if you could have seen more of the witty and yuppie Farhanisms.
"Is Farhan married-or-something... why did he become serious in life."
You just wish Karan didnt become so heroic.
"Why does Hrithik do great things in life in all his movies"
You just wish a better,crisper editing.
"Why is it so stretching...?"
And, definitely... you just wish better music.
"Is the music really by Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy?"
Sure, Lakshya doesnt break new ground, but it does
show us the "other" side of Farhan Akhtar, and carries forward his legacy of giving us good films. Overall, I would give Lakshya -- 8.5/10 for its sheer sincerity of a story well told. I would recommend it for everyone, but just dont go to the theaters humming, "Dil Chahta Hai Lakshya"
Current Mood: Feeling Better
Current Music: Tum Se Milke
29 Oct 2009, 6:09pm
Very interesting, indeed!