Quite AIMLESS!!!. Review on Lakshya

Why is it that child protégés are being given such undue importance in Bollywood these days? Why do we immediately assume that person who gave us a DCH has to deliver similar goods next time too? And if he doesn’t why can’t we all accept the fact that he didn’t! Lakshya is quite a paradox to the title – when more than two third of the movie meanders aimlessly like a dodo lost in Timbuktu, you know something’s wrong.

Why is the Muslim soldier angle overdone in every single war movie of India. Why does every Muslim have to jump into a sermonic saga of Indian-ness at appropriate times in the movie. If you thought you did expect Farhan Akthar to get rid of such clichés in his movie, think again, Lakshya has it too. Why isn't that I-am-Indian-before-I-am-Muslim simply put to death?

How does an institution like IMA actually accept students who are aimless from the word go? Isn’t that a paradox in itself again – IMA is about making soldiers out of capable humans as far as I know, and less to do with school for emotional self-discovery of an individual! I thought aimless youths were discarded within a few rounds! Lakshya takes a creative license there – no problems in that, though it sounds a little weird all right!

Why is that every feature heroine in today’s movie have to break his / her engagement with their respective grooms and then wait for their eternal loves? Farhan could have attempted better, knowing he did the same in his previous venture! Why is that Preity Zint as Romi is at once both aimless as Karan and strong minded in other scenes. Whatever happens to the confused lady!

Why is that soldiers in a war movie HAVE to sing lullabies to make the audience go to sleep. Why can’t camaraderie and friendship be displayed in a more subtle manner instead of men hugging men all around while singing songs of glory of nation? Indeed, better than LOC in almost every respect of war sequencing, why is it that Lakshya falters badly at mush quotient amongst soldiers?

Why is that relationships between two individuals shown so immaturely on screen. How is that a man who is now so focused in life is all at sea in his emotional life? Exactly what is the idea behind two people breaking off for an idiotic reason, and then coming back together after more mush and melodrama?

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Such questions ponder meaninglessly in your minds while you watch this movie of sweeping length, beautiful visuals and bright locales. Indeed, I wish Farhan had scripted this movie himself and not let his loose daddy of 1970’s get into his movies. What happens then is a mishmash of contemporary film-making with 1970’s predictable-by-the-loom story line.

There is nothing of novelty in Lakshya - nor was it expected. However the treatment could have been done very differently. Farhan clearly shows his expertise in handling war scenes – indeed, they are very well done and notch above every other war movie in India; however that said, it forms one third of the movie, and the rest two thirds just ends up being a mish-mash of his earlier effort of DCH.

Farhan didn’t need to have bothered about an aimless youth in Karan – he was simply an extension of Aakash from DCH – similar dialogues, similar viewpoints, there isn’t much different from Aakaash’s metamorphosis from a happy go lucky youth to a different man than Karan’s – its just that the setting is different and happens to be an army – otherwise, both find themselves in their own loneliness, both are confused whether they are in love or not, and both actually get their girls who were engaged to other men – and yes, both of their girl’s also were dumb enough to get engaged and then realize the man of their dreams.

Farhan need not have looked too much into scripting either – whilst the first half is meanders in an aimless direction before settling to army, the chemistry between lead characters is a bore in itself. In the second half, Farhan (or his papa as you may please), copies a whole lot from Anuj Nayyar’s life into Karan – In fact anyone who has seen Dhoop can quite literally figure out a hell lot of “inspiration” from that movie! Why, even the phone call too ;-)

Farhan also manages complete injustice to accomplished actors like AB, Om Puri and Sushant Singh in miniscule roles leading no where, and yes, pretty aimless in themselves – why Om Puri gets to bark one dialogue of importance in the movie, and that too forced. The other actors – less said the better. That saying, one must commend Hrithik, especially in second half. Its very hard for me to appreciate Hrithik in any movie, but he certainly stands out superbly in a couple of scenes. A copied scene from Roja about a army man’s outburst at a woman is also well done, though when compared to its protégé is way below in its treatment – the scene in Roja is quite choking.

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All said and done, Lakshya at the best is a very ordinary fare indeed. Has its plus points, but the cons are way too much to sustain any kind of interest in the movie. A boring first half and a over indulgence of mush in second half frankly take the nowhere, and by the time the movie finds its own Lakshya, its very likely your Lakshya is at the exit.

At the very best – an ordinary fare; give it a look when you have nothing to do.