Cast: Vijay Raaz (Rehmat Ali), Manu Rishi (Samarth Pratap Shastri), Raj
Zutsi (Barfi Singh), Vishwajeet Pradhan (Pakistani Captain)
Genre: War Drama, Social
Direction: Vijay Raaz
Production: Karan Arora
Banner: High Ground Enterprise, Picture Thoughts Production
Story: Aseem Arora
Screenplay: Aseem Arora, Manu Rishi Chadha
Dialogue: Manu Rishi Chadha
Cinematographer: Raj Chakraborty
Editor: Archit D Rastogi
Music: Sandesh Shandilya
Lyricist: Gulzar
Singers: Sukhwinder Singh, Sandesh Shandilya, Rahat, Pepon, Shafaqat
Amanat Ali, Ustad Hamid Ali Khan
Release Date: 2nd May, 2014
Language: Hindi
Duration: 98 minutes
The Plot:
Kya Dilli Kya Lahore is a great piece of work by Director Vijay Raaz,
which asserts the fact that the partition of India was an ill-fated thing which
affected the lives of many. Though people fled from their place of birth, changed
the nationality, crossed borders, left behind many things but their hearts
still cherished their lives on the other side of the border. Partition was
followed by mass migration of people, communal riots, civil unrest, ethnic and
religious discord. Kya Dilli Kya Lahore showcases how people across the border
have similar stories to tell, similar feelings of nostalgia, their own shares
of misunderstandings, their helpless victimization to the political and
national animosities and hostilities, their traumatic losses etc.
The movie begins with the glimpses of
the partition, formation of two different nations addressed by respective Prime
Ministers, followed by the mass migration of people across the borders. These
visuals are followed with Gulzar’s voice reciting a deep beautiful poem:
लकीरें हैं तो रहने दो (Lakiren
hain to rahne do)
किसी ने रूठकर गुस्से मेँ शायद खीच दी थी (Kisi ne
ruthkar gusse me shayad kheench di thi)
उन्ही को अब बनाओ पाला (Unhi ko
ab banavo pala)
और आओ कब्बड़ी खेलते हैं (Aur aao
kabbaddi khelte hain)
लकीरें हैं तो रहने दो (Lakiren
hain to rahne do)
This very poem gives the theme of the
whole movie that how painful the whole affair of partition was. People became a
part of it even though unwillingly.
And then the year 1948 at North West
Frontier Province and Kashmir is shown, where a Pakistani Captain (Vishwajeet
Pradhan) and another soldier Rehmat Ali (Vijay Raaz) have survived an
altercation at the border. Pakistani captain asks Rehmat Ali to steal the file
for Dilli-Lahore tunnel from the Indian base on the other side of the border.
Rehmat Ali on reaching the Indian base gets into verbal tiff with the cook in
the Indian army Samarth Pratap Shastri (Manu Rishi). Their interaction is the
highlight of the movie which points out at so many matters related to
partition. The dialogue delivery by both the protagonists is so natural and
spontaneous. Initial verbal abuses, allegations later took a very empathetic
turn. Both of them had their own versions of stories, dissimilar yet very much
similar, Samarth was of Pakistani origin and Rehmat Ali was of Indian origin,
both had to bear the aftermath of partition. Many of their dialogues actually
moved me.
What happens later, it has to be seen
and felt. Raj Zutsi (Barfi Singh) and Pakistani captain have brief screen time
but definitely a very good performance from them.
There is a scene where Rahmat Ali
says he was asked by his father to leave everything behind and cross border. He
did so without questioning. Both Rahmat and Samarth have an argument over who
initiated the mass massacre.
The last scene of the movie brought
tears to my eyes. As the official trailer showed, the very first thing that
dies in a war is the truth. This movie definitely talks about just being human.
I could feel the pain of the soldiers
who are guarding us. They are deprived of even basic necessities viz. water at times;
still they are not tired of pursuing their duties. Political power games
continue, but who suffers – common men. It is so touching to see that even
after serving a Nation, they are yelled at as refugees by their own countrymen.
People miss the undivided India. They want to get rid of the warring scenario. People
on either side lost their people, belongings. Was partition required at all?
Official Trailer:
One-Liner:
“Kya Dilli Kya Lahore” moves
you, touches your heart. Really, Kya Dilli! Kya Lahore! Just remove the fences
and let us be one.
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