Plus - The sport, the feel, the Background score, the music, the dialogues, the cast and the acting
Minus - Aanahad.
Well, After seeing three great movies on sport JJWS, Chak De India and Lagaan, and one so-so movie Goal, there comes another sport movie, and which will surely make its mark, and the name is Lahore, which is dedicated to Kickboxing, and the base is not just only sport but the tensed relationship between the arch rivals India and Pakistan. There is a Goodwill Kickboxing series planned between India and Pakistan team, so as to improve the relationships and the venue is Lahore. All set for the ’Qaid-e-Azam Cup’ but then at Asian Tournament of Kickboxing at Kuala Lumpur, one incident took place which not only change everybody’s lives but also change the life of a well-set cricketer who then decide to come in the ring.
Dhirendra Singh (Sushant Singh) is a new national champion, and got a call for asian tournament when he wins the finale over 5-time national winner kickboxer Gajanan (Kelly Dorji). He was spotted by the national team coach S K Rao (Farooque Sheikh). But in the finale of Asian championship, he was killed by Pakistan’s famous kickboxer Noor Mohammad (Mukesh Rishi). And to take revenge the all-set Delhi Cricketer Virendra Singh (Aanahad) who is also Dhirendra’s younger brother jumps the career and come into kickboxing. Then it happens, the famour peace initiative, the Qaid-e-Azam cup at Lahore.
That was the plot, but what is the most inspiring aspect of the movie is the feel. There are kickboxing matches, where you can see the action, and you just clap your hands at the sharp moves of Indian players in the arena. Sushant Singh, the great actor who played the villian in Ram Gopal Verma’s ’Jungle’ and the Inspector in ’Samay’ did the job very well. He is the jaan of movie, and the first half is fully dominated by him. He is well supported by the great actor cinema ever had, Farooque Sheikh, who perfectly fit to the characer of a Hyderabadi-speaking coach, and mind it hisdialogues have punches, when he delivers them. The verse he told to Pakistani delegation at the initiation of freindship cup is the ultimate feel of the relation between India and Pakistan
"Hum dono ke ghar kaanch ke hain, ye main bhi jaanu ye tu bhi jaane
Dono ke haathon mein patthar bhi hain, ye main bhi jaanu ye tu bhi jaane"
Scenes including the Kelly Dorji’s fight with his Pakistani counterpart have the intensity. When even after dislocating his shoulders, he came to fight with the opponent just because he cannot see India losing is the feel which provides this nation the feel of unity in integrity. The match scenes are totally intensified, with all the moves. Then the scenes of verbal indifference between the coach and the minister are great supported well by dialogues, and always its the coach who stands in front. Everybody’s role fit the character be it the cheap minded minister Kunjal Bhaskar Reddy (Jeeva), be it Madhav Suri (Saurabh Shukla) the friend of SK Rao, or be it Mohd Akhtar (Ashish Vidyarthi) the pakistani minister. The dialogues have the punches, and the music also increases the feel. Background score given by Wayne Sharpe supported well in the scenes. Songs "Ab Ye Kaafila", "Rang De" are worth for a collection, thanks to the music of M.M.Kreem.
But the biggest blunder the new director Sanjay Puransingh Chauhan did was that he casts Aanahad in the movie. He needs some more time to start a career in films. Sanjay choses a wrong actor for the first attempt. He was not looking much good, but just because of the sport film carries over with the audience. Had it not been a sport movie but a romantic or emotional movie, it will become the great disaster and will sunk like the Titanic.
Well, its a very short review for such a good movie, but to find out better you should watch it in theatre. The quick editing (Sandeep, Hidi) in the first half will glue you to the seats. And, do I miss the great Nafisa Ali, so just one line is enough, she did wonderful job in the role of Dheeru and Viru’s mother.
Lahore is 4/5 minus 0.5 for Aanahad i.e I rate it at 3.5/5.
Ruchir.