Article Updated 18 June, 2004 11:26:09 PM IST   'Lakshya' - Lacks Punch! By Prema K. ©2004 Bollyvista.com   Probably it has something to do with the combination of Hrithik Roshan (post 'Koi Mil Gaya') and Farhan Akhtar (post 'Dil Chahta Hain') that one walks into the cinema hall with high expectations from 'Lakshya'. But unfortunately there is disappointment in store. Shocking but true! Why? 'Lakshya' starts as the story of Karan Shergill (Hrithik Roshan) but shapes up (in the second half) into a war saga. Although one has to add that the war sequences are well shot, the question is do we still want to see war films. Haven't we had enough of them? Why indulge in Paki bashing especially in the present times when peace talks are on between the neighbouring countries? Isn't it a little too late in the day for all that. Yeah, that's solely where the film disappoints especially coming from a contemporary director who made Indian cinema proud with his debut, 'Dil Chahta Hain'. Another reason for the let down feeling is that 'Lakshya' has been touted as the journey of Karan from an aimless, confused rich kid to a war hero. But his journey is just a small part of the film. The major part of the film is the anti-Pak stance. At least one walks out of the theatre with the feeling of having witnessed a war saga rather than tracing Karan's journey. The film drags in many places. Even the first 15 minutes is boring but Hrithik's flashback livens it up. A rich kid, Karan has an air of innocence about him, which appeals to his classmate, Romilla Dutta (Preity Zinta). The two are in love. Romilla's only grouse is that her boyfriend has no ambition in life and is totally clueless about his future. Ditto for his parents. Hrithik's lost boy look is really cute. Wish the director had played this up more! The audience is really entertained in this portion of the film. Hrithik shines in both the songs, 'Main Aisa Kyun Hoon' and 'Agar Main Kahoo'. So how does the aimless boy turn into a soldier? Does love transform him? No! Like most kids his age he is influenced by a friend who has a brainwave that he wants to join the army. This combined with a glamorous view of a soldier's life prompts him to take it up as a career. His father's resentment at this decision further strengthens his resolve. Now starts his training at the IMA (Indian Military Academy). There are genuinely hilarious moments here and Hrithik tackles each scene like a pro. However, the film becomes boring after he becomes a dedicated and sincere army guy who feels for his country. I'm sure most viewers will agree with this. Now starts the typical goings on in a war film till the predictable end. There are a few questions we would like answers to. Why is Romilla in such a hurry to tie the knot when she is shown as an independent and intelligent girl? And she has just started her career! Otherwise Preity is convincing as the TV journalist. But why does only one news channel (Romilla Dutta from 'Global News') cover the goings on at Kargil? The film fails to enthuse the viewers even when Karan's team returns victorious. Besides the two songs mentioned above, the rest of the songs are not hummable. Hrithik fans will surely be disappointed. Not by his performance (he is delightful especially in his goofy role) but they have to literally look for him in the second half. Wonder what the supporting cast of Amitabh Bachchan, Om Puri, Amrish Puri (the latter has just one scene and is completely wasted!) were doing in this film? Boman Irani is good as usual. One has to wait and watch if the film lives up to its pre-release hype especially with another huge film due for release next week! **1/2 (TWO & HALF STARS) *poor; **average; ***good; ****very good; *****excellent   close   Print this Article http://www.bollyvista.com   http://www.bollyvista.com/article/a/29/2855