Lamhe

"Lamhe", hears after its release in 1991, remains my favourite Yash Raj film ever- year later, it's not rustic enough, but the romance is still there, and so are the fresh memories of an incredible actress as Sridevi. What excellence she represents as she is clad in those colourful Rajasthani attire, and what brand of romance she excellently dons as she embraces Anil Kapoor in those lush western hills! Sure there's nothing particularly wild about Yash Chopra's "Lamhe", apart from the fact that you're very happy you visited it's world. But considering the unabashed wildness of the central premise, nothing needs to be more realistic. Honestly I can't recall a film which is emotionally as intriguing and complex. The idea isn't to offer a path breaking tale of love in the form of a crowd-pleasing weepie, but to tell the story as it is and as it should be, without the trappings. Years ahead, it's still feeling normal that audience didn't accept this film. Even today, many would refuse to embrace it, giving it a liberal political angle. But they can't refuse the refreshing honesty it's humour and organic passion interweaves seamlessly. I can't remember a YRF film about enduring and unconditional love which affected me as much as this one, and it's my favourite as well, not just for it's craft, but for the ambitious story it has chosen to tell. In 1991, it was ahead of it's time. And in 2020, the film still feels the same- way progressive than even our times can digest. Maybe I'm wrong, but considering the picture of India the film tends to paint, perhaps I'm not. Maybe Pallavi and Viren's love story has ended, maybe they have separated there ways, or probably Viren has died. But what they offered still remains. 4.5/5.