A GIFT ... Of Love, Happiness, Trust.... Life!!!. Review on Woh Lamhe

Its not any occasion today, just another day with the stars as high as they were and the moon as it is every month on this day, there is no reason for celebrating and no reason for being sad. And I am writing this review…

Woh Lamhe is one of those films which generated extreme reactions in the audiences. Where some loved it very passionately and called it amongst their favorite movies, the others hated it and said it made no head or tail. (There were those too who felt it was average, neither great nor bad, but something in between). Critics pulled this movie at length for it is based on the real life story of one of the top film directors of Bollywood, Mahesh Bhattand his ex girlfriend and actor Parveen Babi.

When I first saw the trailers of Woh Lamhe, it got me confused between Gangster and itself. The same cast (Kangana Ranaut and Shiney Ahuja) was being presented by the same production banner within a period of 3 months. Like all Mahesh Bhatt films, the music tracks sounded outstandingly excellent with songs of all moods and genres. This indeed was amongst the USP of the film. Where on the one hand there were hopeful songs like “Chal chalein apne ghar” and “Kya mujhe pyar hai”, on the other hand there were deep and intense songs like “So jaun main tum agar mere khwabo mein ao”and “Tu jo nahi hai to”. Between all of these, the song that outstood all other chartbusters in its competition and became a favorite with people in all moods and temperaments was “Bin tere kya hai jeena”. With its heart moving lyrics and melodious music, the song was heard on radio stations, TV shows, parties, pubs, live music shows, etc. etc. etc. It became a favorite with lovers who sang it for their beloved with heart full of feelings just as pure and virgin as this song.

The story of the film is about an ace actress who has made her way to fame and glory from being an innocent girl from a small town. Following whatever path she thought was leading her to success she walks on the staircase of fame, without realizing that there is nothing but loneliness at the top and by the time she realizes it, its too late. She has everything, from being the girlfriend of the topmost actor to having the greatest brands running after her. Between all the happiness and riches as they sound and appear is a girl who longs to sleep one peaceful night… but that is not for her. Sana Azeem is a commodity, she is the face of top brands, she is the hope of top directors and ATM for her family and friends, but Sana Azeem for her own self is a machine who works at the hands of others who control her.

Then comes a young film maker, new and unabashed. If there is anything he cares about, it is his success… success at any cost. And the only shortcut he sees to it is in hooking Sana Azeem, the star, to do his movie. There is something about him, his intuition, his passion for his work and his talent of understanding talent. He gets her to do his film but in a totally unusual way… by discouraging her and telling her in front of the world that what she is, is nothing more than a facade she wears! Aditya Garewal gets to make a film with her, at his terms!

Like a normal hindi movie, they fall in love during the shooting of the movie and their love reaches its climax when the movie releases and is the super hit of the year. There are celebrations all around, but the greatest celebration is in the hearts of the lovers who finally admit their feelings and break all bondages to make this bond, strong, tight and based on nothing but pure, simple and deep love.

But destiny takes here turn on their lives again and Sana Azeem is detected of being schizophrenic. There is no way she can be cured but to get electric shocks. But love in its blindness fails to be cruel enough to see his lady in pain and torture and so he takes her away from the material world to a world of his love and care. The doctors tell her that she is nothing more now than a “full time” job for anyone who wishes to keep her with him. But the man has no thoughts of looking back, for him she is the epitome of love.

I would like to skip writing about the end for those who have seen it, know it and for those who have not, may as well go and explore it for themselves!

Here’s mentioning some scenes that make you feel that love is worth all the pain it gives… and much more…

Sana Azeem removes her p in the middle of a party…while many viewers said that it was unnecessary and just a useless and shameful part of the movie, I was amongst those who thought that with the Indian cinema developing, we should be proud that symbolic importance of actions of the actors is being taken seriously. The scene forms the basis for whatever action happens ahead in the film. This one act out of a fit of passion, to a great extent, justifies whatever happens in the film ahead.

Sana Azeem washes off all sham…desperate to work with this new guy who thinks too high of him, the star comes to meet him, but she tries to hide her desperation. When Aditya tells her that he doesn’t need her for she is too fake, she goes out on the street, stands under a shower (I don’t know where that came from) and washes off all that is only skin deep. What remains is Sana, the girl!

On the locations…this one is my favorite for it comes in my favorite song in the film. (Kya mujhe pyaar hai). When love starts brewing, Sana is no more the pretence that she was. She transforms into a happier and light hearted person. While Aditya gets angry on his sets, Sana kids with him to make him feel SO special.

On the release… while the world rejoices on the success of the film, Sana and Aditya are in their own world where they are not stars but lovers. They are in an Eden of their own… Adam and Eve.

Her hallucinations… His perseverance…being with a schizophrenic is not easy, especially when you have the money to fix her in the best of medical arrangements. But being away from your love when you know she is in pain is even tougher! So Aditya fights the world in keeping Sana to himself but she has lost touch with sanity. She sits in her room and just tears apart everything because she feels there is some hidden microphone which would enable the outside world to hear them. And Aditya, not telling her that she is mad makes her believe that even if it was a microphone, he has thrown it away and now she is safe! It is impossible for us to live according to our spouse even when they maybe right, here’s a man who makes a sick girl believe that she is right and lives according to her!

Does he win or does he loose?... the biggest victory of Aditya is when he is able to make Sana believe that the girl she sees around her is a part of her imagination. She is medically sick and there is no way she can control her thoughts. But his love makes her so strong that for once at least she tries to fight the shadow, something that a medically ill patient can never do. But his love is an unbreakable will power for her.

Love has its own ways, for some it is passion for others it is compromise and for the rest it can be a mix of both, but what keeps it alive is “selflessness”. Love happenes once… rest is all life !!!