Ever since Man decided to forsake his nomadic way of life, settle down and create a habitation for his kith and kin, the battle between Man and the Environment has continued unabated. Initially Man was content to live on the spoils of nature but as populations increased and land failed to keep pace with the increments in population and their needs and demands, Man started turning against Nature for his own benefits. In a bid to fulfill the ever-increasing needs of a burgeoning population, he slowly and steadily started encroaching on the lands of the flora and the fauna. The battle was aggravated by the fact that although human needs and birth rates are unlimited, the land for their existence is unfortunately limited. Slowly and steadily, grasslands turned into graveyards, forests were uprooted and mountains blasted out of way. Rivers were diverted to create artificial lakes and deserts sprung up in the middle of cities. The advent of the modern age saw an increased fervour in the rape of the environment wherein not even the sea and the sky were spared from the arena of human ambitions.
As a child, one of my favourite pastimes used to be a travel through the lush greeneries of Mother Nature. In the lap of Nature, there would be a feeling of tranquility, a feeling of immense pleasure and a deep sense of peace. They were a source of rejuvenation, a pillar of strength and a mode of relaxation. But that was then… about 15 years ago… Today, there is hardly a shrub where there used to be towering date-palms, where weeds used to grow wild, towering citadels of steel and glass have come up and a concrete jungle of slabs and beams has taken over from the jungle of trees, shrubs and herbs.
Shikhar is an attempt by John Mathew Matthan to redefine the battle lines between those aspiring to dot the city with an imposing skyline at the cost of the green line and those who refuse to let the greenery die away. A brave attempt, the film suffers interim due to some clichéd scenes and moments but comes out a winner due to its earnestness, vision and sense of balance.
Ajay Devgan as GG, the man who wants to scale the shikhar (peak) of ambition and would not brook any sort of interference; as one who would go to any extent to realise any ambition is just magnificent. The actor not only lives the role but also makes it completely natural – you are bound to meet any of these chaps anywhere if you actually put your heart to it. His frustration, his anger, his depression are all excellently conveyed. The actor is indeed a revelation.
Shahid Kapoor as Jai is a revelation. As a young man, struggling to differentiate between the good and the bad on his way to discover his own shikhar, the man sets the screen on fire. After a very long time, we see an actor who can personify innocence the way none others can. Each and every nuance of his performance is so well etched that you feel drawn into the vertex of his predicaments and feel one with his fall to doom. His redemption is also well brought out. The guy is indeed an actor to watch out for.
Jawed Sheikh as Guruji imparts the perfect resonance to his character. The actor from across the border performs well, however, since the film is more focused on the machinations of GG and the fall of Jai, he fails to shine through in a comprehensive manner. But the guy does complete justice as a man attempting to climb the shikhar of conscience.
Bipasha Basu as GG’s live-in girlfriend Natasha plays her role with consummate ease. The trauma of a woman forced to entrap and seduce a innocent man for her beau is brilliantly etched, however the actress needs to focus more on her diction and understand that in the final analysis the role of a temptress can only be offered till a fixed tenure and thereafter if she has to survive in this industry, she better get her basics right and fast.
Amrita Rao performs well in an ill-defined role… In fact she stands heads and shoulders above all the other actresses in the movie. Farha does not have a lot to do in the movie but she manages to do a good job of whatever has been offered to her.
Sushant Singh impresses in his role of a rustic with his heart and mind in the right place. Ash Chandler also manages to leave behind an impression. Manoj Joshi as the freewheeling politician who would go to any extent to make money, even to the extent of destroying the men who elected him is completely in his elements. John Abraham is effective in his two-bit cameo role.
Music by Viju Shah is strictly common fare. The musician had at his disposal gifted and talented singers like Udit Narayan, Sadhana Sargam, Sunidhi Chauhan, Kay Kay and Alka Yagnik and still has failed to create magic worth it’s name. Even the title song by Jagjit Singh is a case of too less, too late. All the songs are situational and the chances that you will hum them once the movie is over are remote.
John Matthan does not fail to surprise. Like his debut vehicle, Sarfarosh, the film tackles a difficult subject and still manages to come out trumps. The director has scaled new heights in terms of treatment of the subject and vision. However, the landmark of obtaining brilliant performances from the supporting cast (especially those in the two-bit roles) that was his forte in Sarfarosh is missing around this time. The director still manages to weave around a competent story although had the script been a little taut, things could have been better. Some of his scenes that depict the frustration of GG and the loss of innocence of Jai are well handled.
The comedy track also manages to have a life of it’s own as it does not appear forced on the viewer but a part of the debate as can be seen when Sushant asks innocently “Kya Jeevan Mein Anand Lena Paap Hai? (Is it wrong to be happy in life?) And the inmate replies “ Jis Anand Se Kisi Dusre Kaa Nuksaan Ho, Woh Anand Paap Hai” (The happiness that wrecks havoc on others is sin)… This is the crux of the battle between the greens and the browns…. Hats off to John for putting it out in simple terms and terminologies.
A brilliant film on the rape of the environment in the year that saw the fury of Nature wreck havoc on cities that forgot that all living beings have a right to this earth… irrespective of whether they are men, animals … or plants.