Inspite of the varied opinion here on MS, I knew LOC would be just my kind of film. So literally coaxed Hubby dear and our cousin’s family to accompany inspite of the exams of our children the very next day.
The story :
LOC means the Line of control between India’s Kashmir and POK (Pakistan Occupied Kashmir). As the danger is sensed, different battalions who were active in different parts of Kashmir fighting terrorists are suddenly ordered to march towards Drass sector as the enemies have intruded. And thus starts Operation Vijay which started off in May1999 and ended in July’99. On 14th July 1999, Our Prime Minister declared it a Success. LOC is a tribute to all those soldiers who saved our motherland from clutches of the enemy. This movie tell you the tales of bravery, courageousness and valor. Hats off to the Indian Army..
LOC according to me :
How come a common man residing in one those towns of India come to know the risks and the difficulties a soldier faces when fighting for his motherland ?
LOC is the answer to this (atleast for me.) It is the medium through which the audience sitting in the theatre got to know how Kargil was won. The feeling with which any Indian soldier ventured to the war front was depicted strongly. The song sung with the smiles in desperation admist the shelling to regain the confidence while driving the fear away was very touchy. The way the soldiers jump in front of the army for the fear of the enemy getting reinforced till the night dawns to strike again was patriotism at best. But for I know Patriotism does not have any heights. The burst of emotions by the soldiers when they have to face a truck load of dead bodies of their fellow army men on their way to the war front and the salutations given to these respected souls moistens your eyes. The dialogues between the injured soldiers and the officers to identify the location of the enemy and the enemy himself has been beautifully presented. The helplessness of the officers who see their fellow armymen being shot by the enemy while fighting cannot be forgotten.
While being the audience of this war movie, the only truth I could see that Life which is so beautiful for us is due to these soldiers. The emotional ingredient was too much for me for the person that I am. It moved me like never before. The heaviness that my heart felt when the soldier hit by the army’s bullet cries with desperation feeling that life is going out of his hands and remembers his loved ones when his end is near makes you feel lucky to be amongst your loved ones. The heights of mutual bonding and the attachment that each one of them share replied to my curiousity of how they lived away from their loved ones without being loved and cared. The sharing of their secrets, happiness, joys and sorrows can be related to any normal family.
The moments of glory were the scenes where the soldiers rejoiced their victories after driving away the enemy from our land and unfurling our tricolour. This moment is as much glorious to the soldier as it is to the common man. I could feel the greatness of this moment only when I saw it on screen. For you to know how would you feel you need to be in it. It is their efforts which makes this success more glorified.
War leaves behind scars and its series of tragedies. Nobody can deny that. It only brings grief, sorrow and hatred between people. This has been proved from time to time. This movie or say Border or any war movie makes us face the realities and the destruction that is caused. Still it takes place. When is this going to end ?
As an Indian, I feel proud that my country has never tried to capture anything that she did not deserve. But then she would never fail to give appropriate replies to those who try to enter her territory. And as always you cannot clap with one hand.
Performances :
By this time everybody is aware as to this film is loaded with hot and happening Bollywood heroes and heroines. Nobody disappoints you in this segment. Everybody has done their part well. But the ones that touched me the most were undoubtedly Abhishek Bachchan as Lt. Vikram Batra, Saif Ali Khan as Capt. Anuj Nayyar, Ashutosh Rana as Grenadier Yogendra Singh Yadav, Manoj Bajpai as Grenadier Yogendra Singh Yadav (surprisingly Ashutosh and Manoj shared the same names) and Ajay Devgan as Manoj Pandey. You got to see them to believe it as I think I would go short of words.
The one liner that made an explosive impact on me :
Manoj Pandey replies with this dialogue to his senior who asks him what if he fails in his mission
“Some goals are so worthy that it is glorious to fail”
Music :
Honestly speaking music did not have the same impact as of Border. It failed to deliver the feeling of patriotism. Mediocre music by Anu Mallik
Overall this movie is an every Indian’s pride.