Heroes (Patriotic/ social drama)

Cast: Sohail Khan, Vatsal Sheth, Salman Khan, Preity Zinta, Sunny Deol, Bobby Deol, Mithun Chakrovarthy, Dino Moreo, Mohnish Behl

Director: Samir Karnik

Being screened at theatres near you

Kathmandu:

A war journalist played by Mohnish Behl is along the border area to do a special coverage. During his interviews, three army personnel give him their personal letters written to give their families.

The movie shifts to the city, and three years later Saand/Sammy (Sohail Khan) and Nawab Saab/Ali (Vatsal Sheth), two guys who have no worries in life, and their only motto is to have fun and enjoy life come into the picture. After their graduation in film-making they have plans to go to the US, but a small hitch occurs, they have scored the least marks and so have to prepare a film, in order to gain their graduation certificate. As ideas start flowing in, they decide why not to join the Indian army? Coincidentally, one of their friends knows Behl, so Saand and Nawab Saab go to meet him to get some ideas. After listening to them Behl gives them the three letters and asks them to deliver those to get first hand information for their film.

So begins their journey, in which they meet Kuljeet Kaur (Preity Zinta) in Amritsar, widow of Balkar Singh (Salman Khan). Vikram Shergill (Sunny Deol) in Himalchal Pradesh, brother of Captain Dhananjay Shergill (Bobby Deol) who died in the war, and Sahil Naqvi’s (Dino Moreo) parents Dr Naqvi (Mithun Chakravorthy) and his wife, who still haven’t come to terms with their son’s death. Meeting these people, the two see how despite the difficulties and missing their loved ones so much, the pride they feel in the sacrifice is valued and respected the most. It is the realszation that dawns upon them and it’s their change in perspective that forms the basic storyline.

Sohail Khan and Vatsal Sheth have given good performances, but their roles swinging time and again from really comic ones to over sentimental characters, do not give them a realistic touch. The best performances come from Preity Zinta and Salman Khan, both unlike the characters they usually play, portray quiet, subdued yet strong roles. With Sunny Deol, there is a bit of overacting, while Mithun Chakravorthy has given a commendable performance.

The songs are quite terrible except for Mannata.

Director Samir Karnik has made a movie which has an interesting starting with sentiments and humour well paced. The first story is quite interesting with a strong emotional touch, but as it moves to the second story, Sunny Deol’s action sequences are a bit too difficult to digest. It is almost hilarious. The third story is more bearable, but nothing that gives the movie a remarkable ending.

If you are into really hardcore desh prem then you might want to watch it. The movie which starts out actually good, becomes a little too overbearing with its overdose of patriotism. However, do watch it for the excellent cinematography.