Achilles

There are only a few movies that I have enjoyed more on a rewatch. Lakshya belongs to that category. Catching up with this movie four years after its release was quite a fulfilling experience. This movie is an inspirational piece of work from Farhan Akhtar, which has the power to transcend and connect to all – those confused souls searching for a goal in their lives, the determined ones already chasing their target and even those who have achieved certain personal goals in their lives through hard work and determination.

The story revolves around the protagonist Karan Shergill, a guy from affluent family and without any concern for tomorrow. The only stable entity in his life is his girlfriend, Romi. The whimsical boy manages to join the Indian Military Academy without a clue on why he is there in the first place. How he comes in terms with his life and finds his goal, which he then painstakingly achieves, forms the crux of the movie.

Farhan has mounted his coming-of-age saga in the scenic locales of Ladakh. From the opening scenes to the fitting finale, the movie skillfully captures the captivating visuals with skillful cinematography by Christopher Popp. The breathtaking landscape that comes alive on screen leaves a strong impression.

The screenplay is well written (by Javed Akhtar after a long hiatus), although a tad too long. The poet has penciled some noteworthy scenes indeed, to which his son has done full justice. The understated style of Farhan’s treatment comes to the fore in many such scenes – when Karan watches Romi getting engaged or when the two lovers wants to embrace each other (which may well be the final one) but restrains themselves since they are in public. The poignancy of the conversation between Karan and his dad before he leaves for the final mission creates an everlasting impact.

In short, the movie shies away from all the melodrama which is the norm in contemporary Bollywood movies. Even the family disagreements and the death scenes are handled with dexterous yet subtle undertones. This is also one of the better war films churned out by the prolific Bollywood industry. In stark contrast to other films in this genre, it refrains from clichéd jingoism or even the populist Pak-bashing formula. This is neither an attempt to offend or defend the anti-Pak sentiments, without compromising on the basic facts that lead to the military conflict at Kargil. Instead it takes a detailed approach towards war strategies – be it reconnaissance, a bait to locate enemy positions or the step-by-step attack towards the peak of conflict.

Technically it is a sound film and even holds it own against its Hollywood counterparts. The war scenes are well shot and undoubtedly the best ones seen in Bollywood till now.

The movie relies quite a bit on Hrithik Roshan and he puts in a fine act. He is immensely likable as the confused, lazy, spoilt, rich and good-hearted boy-next-door. He convincingly pulls off the tricky transformation part and acts very well from there on. He is supported by a strong cast consisting of Amitabh Bachchan, Om Puri and Boman Irani among others, who are all universally good. Preity Zinta is god overall and her effortlessly compatible chemistry with the lead actor helps the cause. The cute pairing of Hrithik and Preity has casted its innocent charm previously in movies like Mission Kashmir and Koi Mil Gaya. Lakshya once again adds on to the tally. A high point in the romance is the slow melodious track ‘Kitni Baatein’. The song is picturised very well with effortless, yet strong emotions expressed by the actors in silence.

The music is good, without being exceptional. “Main Aisa Kyon Hoon’ is innovatively choreographed by Prabhu Deva, who makes Hrithik dance with unbelievable fluidity. All the songs are refreshing, but only the title track and ‘Kitni Baatein’ is able to take the story forward. Shankar Mahadevan lends his voice to the title track ‘Lakshya’ with élan, which provides an ideal backdrop to depict the transformation of the lead character on screen. The impressive background score reaches a crescendo during the cliffhanging scene (the same music has been later used by the composers for a song in the movie Rock On).

This high budget joint undertaking by Excel Entertainment and UTV Motion Pictures turned out to be an average success at the box-office after a good opening. Nonetheless, it remains one of the better directorial ventures of Farhan Akhtar. Although it carries an essence of Dil Chahta Hai in its growing-up theme and the subplot involving a girlfriend engaged to someone else, Lakshya still stands out as a good movie on its own. It’s thus hardly surprising that it is held with high regards and esteem by all those whose hearts were tenderly touched by it. To that end Lakshya is bang on target.