LOC Movie Review

J.P. Dutta has done it once again and only he can do it. Bringing the best in the industry together (or shall I just say whole of the industry together) in his much-awaited venture Line of Control better known as LOC Kargil. Based on the Kargil War, LOC has our reel heroes playing the real heroes in the movie. LOC has a very interesting line up of stars featuring almost every top selling face in Bollywood. The star cast comprises of biggies like Sanjay Dutt, Ajay Devgun, Akshaye Khanna, Saif Ali Khan, Suniel Shetty, Abhishek Bacchhan, Raveena Tandon, Rani Mukherjee, Mahima Chaudhary, Esha Deol, Kareena Kapoor...Phew! And many other actors and actresses who are worth a mention, but we might just run out of space!

The movie has a lot in common with Border, may be after trying to be different with Refugee, but not succeeding J.P. Dutta wants to play safe and has returned to recreate the same magic, which he did in Border. However, Anu Malik who has given great award winning music for Border and Refugee has irrefutably sustained his trend here too. Anu Malik has done an unrivaled job in co-operation with Javed Akthar who has written great songs for this Marathon Movie. These points will be rationalized when you read on.

The Opening song 'Seemayen Bulaye Tujhe Chal Raahi' promptly catches listener's attention with excellent patriotic lyrics by Javed Akhtar and soulful tune to which Alka Yagnik's sweet voice lends life. Yagnik can indeed be a contender for awards for this one, as it's an 8 minute long song and she has carried it beautifully through it and her effort can be felt as the song does touch one's heart with the very first note. This one is filmed on leading ladies (Rani, Raveena, Mahima etc) and thus sounds different from rest of the songs on the album that are male dominated. Over all the song will leave a mark and has by now become the highlight of the movie apart from its huge star cast, and if that's not enough there is also an instrumental for this track that is just as superior and adds value to the album.

"Pyar Bhara Geet" is an extremely sweet, endearing and touching song that instantly makes its way to your heart. Javed Akhtar's highly conversational lyrics like "Koi jaata ho to peeche se usko aise nahi tokte hai"and "Souten meri kya hai koi..." are so apt for this situational number that you can actually visualize characters enacting the situation on screen. I wouldn't blame you if the song reminds you of "To chalu" from Border, but cautious efforts by Anu Malik and Javed Akhtar to make the song sound different reflect very evidently in the song. Sonu Nigam and Shreya Ghosal have done a commendable job in singing this one with right amount of emotions thereby giving it the required tenderness and poignant feel. Apart from this, soft musical arrangements and subtle notes by chorus make this number very special and worth listening more than once. Listen to the instrumental composition of this one to experience the magic of pure music minus human voice!

If "Pyar Bhara Geet" conveyed a painful departure of a soldier from his loved ones then "Khush Rehna" is just an extension to it, where a soldier posted on Line of Control expresses his well being to his family and hopes that his family is fine too. Roop Kumar Rathod bequeaths an award winning performance with this one by effortlessly stirring the listener's heart with his highly emotive vocals. Not to mention Javed Akhtar's lyrics once again succeed in breathing life into the song. With this track, Javedji and Roop Kumar Rathod will definitely bring tears to even the most stonehearted human sitting in the cinema hall.

Keeping up to the pace and feel of the album, "Main Kahin Bhi Rahoon" approaches you. The track can categorically find place in the list of the longest songs in the history of Indian Cinema. Anu Malik has roped in an army of singers to do vocal honors for the army of our on-screen soldiers. This army includes Hariharan, Udit Narayan, Sukhwinder Singh, Roop Kumar Rathod and Sonu Nigam. The song is about the soldiers remembering their loved ones who are anxiously waiting for their come back at home. All four singers have displayed significant co-ordination and synchronization. The song takes off with high-pitched notes following by low subtle tones for stanzas that blend perfectly with Javed Akhtar's meaningful lyrics. The length of the song is also fairly justified by the number of characters that might be sharing the screen for this track.

Sonu adds a feather to his cap, by singing "Ek saathi aur bhi tha". The song is a dedication to a dear friend who lost his life while fighting for his nation. Sonu Nigam is unrivaled at bringing tears to our eyes and he does it yet again. Javed Akhtar has again penned highly conversational lyrics pertaining to the situation. The track may not have a finest tune, but the emotions expressed by the singer and subtle lyrics will keep you glued to your seat while watching the movie.

Music of LOC positively carries the rich musical heritage of Border and Refugee, which is an advantage in disguise, as it might sound repetitive, but we know that Anu Malik, Javed Akhtar and all the singers have contributed to an expected score that we confide in. Honest and untiring efforts of LOC's musical team is explicitly visible in every single piece of music, which is more than sufficient for the music to not only sell, but also stay alive in public memory for a long time to come. However, if the movie turns out to be a huge success, LOC's captivating music will touch unexpected heights thus making it divine!