rows
Cast: Hina Khan, Rishi Bhutani, Farida Jalal, Zahid Qureshi, Ahmer Haider, Rani Bhan, Lalita Tapasvi
Director: Hussain Khan
Partition as a subject can be too poignant to deal with, which is why filmmakers have repeatedly regarded it as a treasure trove for their stories. Subsequent conflicts between the two countries, which have led to countless stories, and the relationship has been lost in oblivion, never fail to strike a chord.
Lines, the film that took Hina Khan to Cannes, set against the backdrop of the 1999 Kargil War and political unrest in the Valley, revolves around similar sentiments. The story revolves around Nazia, a young and independent bike rider whose mundane routine changes when she decides to reunite her grandmother with her sister who is currently in Pakistan. Born and brought up in Poonch district surrounded by the Line of Control on three sides, Nazia has no lack of courage or spontaneity.
In her quest to reunite the two sisters, she falls in love with Nabil (Rishi Bhutani), a boy from Pakistan, and after initial stages of hesitation, the two families agree to their marriage.
However, in the midst of his fresh start, war breaks out and the legal system becomes increasingly difficult to settle before he can move to his in-laws’ house on the other side of the border.
This cross-border love story tries to emphasize the philosophy of whether a border should exist between two countries that are similar to each other. Despite being repeated throughout the film, this philosophy has only scratched the surface, leaving the idea in its normal form. It also tries to throw light on the plight of the people of Kashmir who are in a state of war.
The plot will undoubtedly invoke many emotions as we see two sisters reuniting, we see an Indian fall in love with a Pakistani, and we see war drawing a line between the characters. But these feelings are supposed to be a sad one, and other than these obvious emotional triggers, the story has little to offer in this area. However it has its lovely moments where Nazia eagerly awaits her husband’s call or even thinks of going down an illegal path to be reunited with him. Hina brings out the helplessness and desperation of her character beautifully and these are the moments that can make the film memorable.
However, the lines could not escape the clutches of Bollywood specific elements and the makers sprinkled desi flavors here and there. For example, we understand that the couple has fallen in love because they can’t stop themselves from dancing to fervor like Kashmir’s ‘Haseen Vaadi’, or Nazia’s ‘Geet’, which tries to set them apart from others. , and attracts the boy. towards her.
Though the Kargil war is the backdrop and it changes the course of the narrative for the characters, we get to see its impact only in the last 20 minutes of the film. A beautiful and exciting story unfolds in those few minutes, even if it is predictable.
Despite all this, the film is an honest attempt at talking about stories that can get lost very easily without leaving any trace. Hina shines throughout the film, Rishi utilizes her limited screen time well, and Farida Jalal is once again the quintessential grandmother, but not one that will tire you out.
Overall, the lines stand out to show the horrors of war and isolation and invoke a range of emotions in people without actually showing war or imposing over the top nationalism. It leaves a bitter taste and makes us think of people on the other side of the line, with whom we share the same land, same history but taught to maintain separate bonds.
read all Breaking Newshandjob breaking news And coronavirus news Here
.