"The Revisiting Beautiful Moments...LAMHE "
Anil Kapoor and Sridevi starred,one of the biggest screens captured under the YC banner.. Yash Chopra's Lamhe though a known box office failure is a once in a while beauty captivating a viewer with moments which enthrall, moments of passion, moments of beauty, of love and all emotions connected to it. It's a beautiful story of great relationships between the protagonist players.
Why did “Lamhe” flop? I have still not known the reason. I feel the movie was way ahead of time. Released in 1991 and a modern India, the audience was still not ready to grasp the concept of love between an aged man and a young girl.The Indians still cant accept the age-gap.
The film span's two decades with Kunwar Viren Pratap Singh's journey from early 20's to early 40's ( from a tender 18 years age to a 35 years matured man). Viren (Anil Kapoor), a Thakur from Rajasthan, raised in London primarily by his nanny Dai Ja (Waheeda Rehman),on his first visit to India falls in love with Pallavi(Sridevi), at the first sight. This beautiful neighbour of the Kunwar is apparently from another Thakur family.Pallavi introduces him to Rajasthan,and it's culture,the land of captivating beauty and well-known folk songs and dance, gorgeous food and rich tradition. Mesmerised by her grace and wit, Viren falls in love with her, but the twist comes with the fact that she is older to him.
Even before Viren can express his love for her calamity strikes his love, Pallavi's father passes away and Viren discovers her love for an Air Force Officer, Siddharth (Deepak Malhotra). Viren helps them to get married. Himself with a very heavy heart that is bared out to Dai Ja and his friend Prem (Anupam Kher) returns to London, seemingly forever.
Tragedy strikes yet again with death of Siddharth in a car crash and Pallavi after her childbirth,leaving their daughter Pooja in Dai Ja's arms. Viren is devastated once again and asks Dai Ja to bring up Pooja in his ancestral Palace in Rajasthan. For the next 18 yrs Viren, still very much in love with Pallavi keeps visiting the palace to perform a havan for Pallavi, but fails to see Pooja each time on her birthday.
Pooja grows up in fascination of Viren and with the same values as his through the common thread Dai Ja. Finally on her 18th birthday Pooja reveals herself to Viren and time just stops. She is a splitting image of her mother. Viren enjoys her company and Dai Ja and Pooja hop over to London to live with Viren.
Pooja falls head over heals in love with Viren and strikes up a great friendship with Prem, together the foursome (Viren, Pooja, Dai Ja and Prem) have a rickrollicking time in London and without his knowledge Viren is drawn very close to Pooja in an intimate way and Pooja welcomes it. Dai Ja and Prem see it happen and welcome it too. Viren has a good friend in Anita who is more his age and madly in love with him, who Viren considers only a friend. Amidst all the fun and games Pooja admits her love for Viren to him, and Viren receives it as a shock and snubs her. He is forced to tell her the truth, and admits to his love for her mother rather than her. Unheeding, Pooja continues her fascination for Viren and due to his cold behaviour and decision to marry Anita, Pooja is forced to leave London along with Dai Ja. Prem resents this and tells him so.
Meanwhile Dai Ja persuades Pooja to get married, and Pooja refuses to marry until Viren actually does. A wedding invitation card arrives announcing Viren and Anita's knot but despite this Pooja refuses to marry. Just as she puts herself on the path as Viren had done 18yrs back, Viren arrives still single and with the dawn of realisation of his love for Pooja, as her own person and not her mother's look alike. Viren and Pooja begin a life together as moments of love begin.
The "Lamhe" of Anil Kapoor and Sridevi flows with the lapse of time and thoughts and memories.... letting this film to showcase many relationships in a well-blend beautiful manner as like the mother-child relationship of Dai Ja -Viren and not to forget that of Dai-Ja and Pooja are very well presented. Friendships are plenty, Viren -Pallavi, Viren- Prem, Pooja-Prem, Viren-Anita; bring out all the beautiful moments one can experience in friendship, one expects in his life.
The film is beautifully shot in Rajasthan and England with superb performances by each actor. Despite the otherwise serious story, it's a total comedy, with the best comic sequences in it. Anupam Kher, the mastero of serious comics as always, is brilliant in his comic timing. As of sridevi, the diva of acting, the role played in both female protagonists are overwhelming, as like a goddess in the film. As Pallavi she looks evergreen as ever and truly royal,with one of the best performances of her career. As Pooja,she looks not a day older than 17,with the effect of the bubbly dress, tunics, loose full-shirts,jeans and sorts. As mother, i meant Pallavi, with her langas, ghagaras, rajastan's beauty.. the peacock's beauty adorned and well reflecting the rich heritage of Rajastan.. As always she acts very well and is just great in her comic scenes and dance, not to overlook. Anil Kapoor can easily claim this to be one of his best performances. His performance is 'A' rate and he looks suave and chic throughout the movie, very truly a thakur. His attire is well-befitted and esp one cant forget he shaving his great masculine moustache for the movie... well rememebered in the Indian cinema's history. "what not a dedicated actor can do" types to give real look and enough justice for the role he just lived in the movie and for that screeny character, which he played, who knows in real society someone might be really existing...We cant forget the old divine model , the dance diva of "Guide"Waheeda Rahman ji, who has a central part to play and she manages it very well. Even dances to her hit "kaanton se khincke yeh aanchal" in the parody sequence.
The cinematography and direction are really the best. Music by Shiv Hari is very relevant with "morni baagan ma" being a rage during it's times. Shot aesthetically it truly takes you on a lovely journey and one enjoys every moment of the film, pure entertainment in it's most beautiful form. The all time favorite of mine the best song from the movie i feel and i do the humming is " Kabhi mein kahoon..". well sung my the "gazal mastero" Hariharan sahab and "nightangle of the voices" none else than Lataji.another of the great songs is "woh lamhe woh baatein..". The songs so well fitted into the sequences... enchanted into the mind and blood of real lovers of this movie.
To me it will always remain a mystery as to why the film could not break the box office craze as it has what it takes to be called a memorable film of Indian film history. A film that if one watches once will not forget, ever. Thats goes with the name "LAMHE".
