Lamhe - Movie Review

Published: February 24, 2010

By EKTA R. GARG

Starring Anil Kapoor, Sridevi, Waheeda Rehman, Anupam Kher

Director Yash Chopra cast actress Sridevi, the leading lady from his 1989 blockbuster hit, Chandni, in his follow-up picture, Lamhe. Unfortunately, try as he did to capitalize on the success of the latter, the former fizzled at the box office.

The story revolves around Viren (Anil Kapoor), a Londoner who travels to India to visit his old governess, Dai Jaan (played by Waheeda Rahman, who radiates affection and charm). While there, Viren meets and falls in love with Pallavi (Sridevi). Pallavi has no clue about Viren’s love for her, and she treats him with the same kindness she extends to everyone. Through a series of dramatic events, Viren becomes the executor of Pallavi’s estate and thinks he will be able to marry her. He gets a rude awakening, however, when he finds out Pallavi is in love with someone else. He never reveals his feelings to her and instead selflessly arranges for her to marry her sweetheart. There is no happy ending for Pallavi, however, leaving Viren a broken man who, much later in life, struggles to give his heart to his on-again, off-again girlfriend, Anita. Nor does he find comfort in meeting Pallavi’s grown daughter, Pooja (also played by Sridevi), who comes to love him.

Kapoor’s portrayal of the young Viren is not to be missed. He brilliantly essays the naïveté of a young man in love and is doubly impressive later in the film as the older, withdrawn Viren. His performance here exemplifies why he is one of the finest actors in India. Sridevi matches Kapoor in the talent department, showing both stark differences and chilling similarities between her two characters.

Chopra once again gives us a love story that doesn’t shy away from hard questions. Is Pooja’s love for Viren appropriate? Should Anita settle for a torn man? It was precisely these questions Indian audiences found troubling, and Lamhe became one of the few unpopular movies to win the Filmfare Best Film Award.

Today, however, Lamhe is a cult classic, and it’s another fine example of Chopra’s romantic expertise.

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