Ab Tumhare Hawale Watan Sathiyo comes at a time when relations between India and Pakistan are at an all-time high. The film looks at the Kashmir issue, revisits Kargil, talks about Pak-sponsored terrorism, besides the two countries trade abuses and insults, hurl accusations, ridicule each other at international platforms and in the end, suddenly, the story does a somersault - the two nations talk of peace and harmony in the last scene. Strangely, the film is touted as India's first film on Indo-Pak friendship. Wonder, if this is friendship, what exactly is the meaning of enmity then?
Ab Tumhare Hawale Watan Sathiyo tells the story of Amarjeet Singh [Amitabh Bachchan], an army officer, who watches his son Vikramjeet Singh [Bobby Deol] sacrifice his life for the nation. Years pass by and Vikramjeet's son Kunal [Bobby Deol - in a dual role!] is now an army officer himself. However, Kunal aspires to quit the armed forces, settle down abroad and make ample money.
Kunal spots Shweta [Divya Khosla] at a desert festival and its love at first sight for him. But Shweta has a past. She'd been married to an army officer, Rajiv [Akshay Kumar], who had to leave for the battlefield the day he got married. But Rajiv lands up in the custody of Pakistani officers [headed by Danny Denzongpa], who first try to extract information from him, but when they don't succeed, they torture him ruthlessly. Rajiv and the other Indian P.O.W.s somehow escape and manage to reach India. But, in between, Kunal has made a firm decision to marry Shweta. But with Rajiv back on the scene, Shweta finds herself at crossroads of life. Tensions between India and Pakistan escalate to such a level that Pakistani militants, backed by the Pakistani armed forces [Ashutosh Rana], try to spell terror during the Amarnath pilgrimage. But the timely intervention of the Indian army officers, mess up the plans of the Pakistanis. In the last sequence, India and Pakistan shake hands and decide to fight terrorism together. Ab Tumhare Hawale Watan Sathiyo appeals in parts. Portions like those when Divya narrates her story or later, when Akshay narrates his story, are interesting and well executed. The start of the film has also been shot well, but seems very much inspired by Titanic. However, the love triangle episode, with Akshay permitting his already-wedded wife Divya to walk out on him to marry Bobby, looks fake and is difficult to absorb. The entire Amarnath pilgrimage episode could've been better penned, but the climax seems so formulaic that the hammer strong impact is missing.
Ab Tumhare Hawale Watan Sathiyo boasts of a mammoth cast, but it's Akshay Kumar who towers above one and all. His role is the type that would appeal to the masses completely and he enacts it well too. Amitabh Bachchan breathes fire when he confronts his opponents. Bobby Deol is likable. He gets to do what a typical hero does in most films - dance, fight, romance, sacrifice - and he does it like a seasoned player. Divya Khosla makes a decent debut. Sandali Sinha impresses a great deal. Ashutosh Rana and Danny Denzongpa are adequate - the former has a meatier role. Anil Sharma's USP has always been dramatic portions and a few sequences [the confrontation between Akshay and Danny in the jail] do stand out. But he ought to have chosen a subject that wouldn't seem out of place in the current scenario. Anu Malik's music is a mixed bag. Cinematography [Kabir Lal] is outstanding.
Courtesy: Taran Adarsh
Source: IndiaFm