Bhatt camp after giving a highly satisfying “Gangster” comes up with yet another dark romance in “Woh Lamhe” directed by a Mohit Suri. Love stories never fails to find its villain in one form or the other and it may not always be a human being, it could be anything else, it could be the love itself and here it is a disease called Schizophrenia. Ever since “The Beautiful Mind” came, this disease has become film makers’ favourite as it provides ample scope for a complex drama. If your script has moments that capture the consequences of the disease realistically, then it would make a fine cinema, but for the sake of melodrama if the moments in your script dictates what should be the consequence of the disease, then it would turn silly as it is in “Woh Lamhe”.
Aditya Grewal (Shiney Ahuja) aspires to be a film director. Sana Azim (Kangana Ranaut) is a popular actress. While making attempts in a unique way to make Sana Azim act in his debut film, Aditya and Sana fall in love. But to everyone’s surprise, Sana is seriously consumed by this deadly Schizophrenia disease. She is able to see an illusionary woman figure called Rani, whom Sana thinks is trying to kill her out of jealousy. When Sana slowly looses herself to the disease, Aditya’s love comes to rescue. The movie is all about how Aditya tries to cure her with his love therapy and also how miserably he fails (may be succeeds, I don’t know) in his attempt.
The movie starts really well. The Aditya teasing and manipulating with the ego of Sana to make her act in his debut film provides some interesting, funny and rarely seen before moments on screen especially Sana removing her panties scene. Though Aditya’s intention is to mould Sana to portray a down to earth girl character in his film, he unknowingly shapes the character of Sana in her real life too, he shows the real Sana to herself by peeling off the mask Sana wears in the name of a popular actress. Aditya slowly gets attracted towards Sana as she does everything he wants her to do. Naturally, Sana too falls in love with Aditya as she herself realises that Aditya has done some mesmerism/magic that made her to come out of all odds to act in Aditya’s film. These transformations in the emotions, moods and relationships are brought out so well in the first half of the movie to an extent that you naturally fall in love with their love.
But everything goes haywire when this Schizophrenia comes into picture. First of all, there is no convincing reason for Aditya to take Sana to a lonely resort in a Goa to look after her without anybody else around (except for a doctor friend of Aditya deliberately used as if they worry about logic). After all as far as I know, giving electric shocks to a mentally affected patient is a normal medical treatment. Sana is such a popular actress and it is unbelievable that nobody is able to find her for such a long time when she is cool taking medication, going to restaurants and church in Goa. The second half of the movie is how Aditya searches for Sana every day morning while waking from the bed. In such a big house, why should Aditya always (literally) search for Sana with a terrified face? Such reactions would be believable if Sana is not found even after searching the entire house. After a point, Aditya yelling Sana scenes becomes funny to an extent that when Aditya is shown waking up from the bed, audience shouts ‘Sana’.
We are never told what really this disease is. The writer seemed to have misused the unpredictability of the consequences of the disease. Initially they say that Rani, the illusionary character is jealous of Sana and she tries to kill her but why did Rani ask Sana to kill Aditya. This may be because Sana being in filmdom has always felt insecure. She strongly feels that people here are capable of doing anything for fame and money so as Rani is an illusionary image of her own subconscious mind she starts to suspect Aditya and his intention. But why should it extend to someone like Aditya who loves her so much. This is just the explanation that I gave to myself, this is not said anywhere in the movie but should I appreciate this by calling it subtlety.
Nothing much happens in the second half and what little that happens become repetitive after a point. Dialogues though are romantic and good, becomes too cheesy and funny at times like the one (”I will kill you if you die”) Aditya has got to say to Sana on her death bed. But even with all these logical glitches, those few sweet moments between the two in the swimming pool which extends to “Bin Tere” song and the one especially under the rainbow (as though saying that these moments are going to last only as long as a rainbow lasts on the sky) are so romantic. We could feel the pain both of them are undergoing because of their love for each other. We like Aditya for his extreme optimism. We could feel the healing effect of Aditya’s embrace on Sana. It is just that these far and few good moments and sweet little emotions are not woven together with a convincing screenplay. Also adding to the pleasant moments are beautiful songs. The songs take the story forward without being fillers.
Another big disappointment for me is Shiney Ahuja’s performance. As an actor he has a great screen presence but I liked him more as moody and silent Daya in “Gangster” than as Aditya (I haven’t seen Hazaaron Kwashien Aisi yet). He looks very uncomfortable in doing dramatic yelling and crying scenes and he needs to improve a lot on dialogue delivery. With an expressive body and eyes, Shiney shines in silent moments. If there is one reason to watch this movie, it is for Kangana Ranaut’s performance. Though this character is almost similar to what she played in “Gangster”, it is little more complex here and I can’t think of any other actress in Indian cinema doing this role as effectively and convincingly as Kanaga did it. She is simply stunning in every single frame. Just see for her expressions when she searches for some strange little thing in her room which she thinks as a secret mike and shows it to Aditya. Brilliant is the word. Among other actors, the one who comes as Aditya’s friend is good giving a comic relief.
Woh Lamhe – Partly Silly and Partly Romantic Moments