Sanjay, Hrithik, Jackie excel

VIDHU Vinod Chopra makes a sincere effort in his latest film Mission Kashmir to bring to the fore, the turmoil in the valley. But one feels disappointed, all the same, that there is very little of Kashmiriyat in the story, which is more of a personal conflict between the victim of a police shoot-out and a police officer. No doubt, the backdrop is Kashmir, but the film deals very sketchily with the problems of the trouble-torn state. The film is a technically exceptional piece with some memorable performances from the lead artistes, but what it lacks is conviction in the storyline. There are so many things the director obviously wanted to tell about Kashmir’s problems, but unfortunately, these don’t quite come to the fore.

The first half is quite racy, al-right, and fairly interesting but the latter half lacks momentum, particularly towards the end, when everything seems to be predictable. The film has received an extraordinary opening response, despite the stiff opposition, but its performance hereafter will depend on how the masses take to iit.

Inayat Khan (Sanjay Dutt) and Neelima (Sonali Kulkarni) are a happily married couple, though representing different religions (a hurrah for national integration). But they lose their son and end up very depressed in life. Next, there is an attack by the police on the locality where the terrorists are in hiding. In a blind shootout, the entire family and the gang is eliminated but young Altaf is the only survivor. The boy is sent to a juvenile home but on the insistence of Neelima, the boy is brought home by Inayat Khan. The boy somehow manages to adjust to his new home but the trauma and the police officer’s masked face still haunts him. Later, the little boy comes to know that Inayat Khan was the officer responsible for the killing of his parents. He unsuccessfully attempts to kill Inayat Khan with the service revolver and run away from the house.

Cut to ten years later. Altaf (Hrithik Roshan) becomes a fully trained terrorist with training from across the border, who is recruited by Hilaal (Jackie Shroff), an Afghan fugitive who undertakes contracts for blasts and killings for a price. One day, Altaf see his childhood love, Sufiya (Preity Zinta) on television, hosting some show. He meets her but still keeps her in the dark about his motives. With help from an unsuspecting Sufi, he manages to blast the TV tower thus exhibiting his destructive tendencies.

Altaf now trains his guns on Inayat Khan and once again makes an unsuccessful attempt on his life. Strangely, Neelima (who happens to be the wife of the SSP) goes to the terrorist hideout to stop the bloodbath. In the end, Inayat Khan somehow manages to convince Altaf that youths like him are used by foreign mercenaries for their own ulterior motives.

Curiously, the boy is easily ‘converted’ and decides to make amends for his gory past, but is bumped off by Hilaal’s men.

Sanjay Dutt and Hrithik Roshan’s splendid performances make the film watchable fare. Hrithik, in particular, underplays the role of the youth with a tormented past with remarkable ease. Sanjay Dutt in the role of a top police officer is very convincing and comes out with a powerful performance. But the director’s idea of projecting Sanjay and Sonali Kulkarni as Hrithik’s foster parents will find few takers. Preity Zinta as Hrithik’s love and TV host is adequate, though she has very limited scope to perform in the film. But she aptly fits the role of the Kashmiri girl, and oozes beauty and charm in the songs. Sonali Kulkarni appears to be a very talented actress and one would love to see more of her. Jackie Shroff as the Afghan terrorist is outstanding, and deserves kudos for his power-packed portrayal.

One can hardly find any flaws in Vidhu Vinod Chopra as a master technician. But his gift for the narrative isn’t quite in evidence in the film, so are the sparks of talent he displayed in his previous films like Khamosh and Parinda. However, he must be credited for keeping up the tempo in the first half, and to a lesser extent, in the second. The fault lies in the story. A film on the problems of Kashmir needs to go into all the details without ruffling any feathers, surely a daunting task. It’s here that Chopra fails to deliver the goods.

Padmaraj Nair

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