Lakshya (2004) User Reviews

Bang on Target! (Almost perfect )

[Coffee_Fny · 8/10 · 7 May 2005]

Farhan Akhtar has shown it once again! This man is amazingly creative and magical. His style is great and his efforts of making a movie which has something to be learnt from is fantastic. His movies are not just for entertainment, but also for inspiration. Lakshya is story of a boy who hasn't an aim, a LAKSHya in his life. He doesn't know what he wants to be or what he is good at. Karan Shergill played by Hrithik Roshan (a very sincere actor) is like any other person who wants to know what he wants to be. Inspired by his friend he applies for military school and joins it and then his journey of becoming a MAN from a BOY starts...

Performances:

Hrithik Roshan: Great performance, just awesome. This actor is the brightest actor in Bollywood today. His performance in KMG was highly appreciated and this performance is on par with his KMG act.

Om Puri: great actor.. some of the really great dialogs were given to him.. He is a living legend.

Amitabh Bachchan: Great performance, His eyes and silence in the movie say a lot more than words.

Preity Zinta: good performance, the character wasn't well-sketched but still good efforts from her side in some of the scenes.

Sushant Singh: This actor is superb, one more under-rated great performance of him after his awesome acting in TLOBS.

Boman Irani: This man is good in everything. His telephone scene with Hrithik Roshan was great. One of the best scenes in the movie.

Overall: A very well-made movie. Great acting by almost everyone in the cast. Great choreography, great cinematography and fantastic direction. Keep it up Hrithik, Farhan and Ritesh (the young producer)

9.5/10 Almost perfect

one of the most realistic war movies

[devavratoak · 8/10 · 4 January 2005]

Finally Bollywood came up with a nice war movie, featuring then ever charming big Bacchan and the heartthrob Hritik. The movie makers surely consulted some service personnel before getting into production. And that was well seen. The tracer bullets, the accuracy of the weapons,uniforms,officer to me relation and other such things were absolutely realistic and stunning. The insurgent chase in the grasses, the rock climbing, the final battle and most important the IMA training were absolutely 9.9 / 10 . Way to go Farhan and his team. this movie is definitely a hit, at least in my home. The support actors were great in their job, specially Sushant and Om Puriji. Bachan sahib doing that 'we've done it' was exhilarating after they won back Peak 5179. The portrayal of the soldiers couldn't have been better. Shankar Ehsan and Loy,what else can i say other than you are great? Awesome movie.

PS. Preity Zinta was not actually required so much, it looked quiet unnecessary.

Lakshya is absolutely excellent: A Class Product from India!

[akumar82 · 9/10 · 21 February 2005]

Absolutely fantastic. Hrithik Roshan is brilliantly understated in this coming-of-age epic. World-class production values and high father-son, soldier-soldier emotional content that's not forced (Like the overdone mess LOC). The war scenes were brilliant. People must remember, this film was NOT BASED ON KARGIL. Akhtar took the war as a backdrop to show Karan's transformation - his path from irresponsible and misguided childhood to manhood. This film was quite an experience. I just can't understand how this flopped (If grossing 22 Crores in India can be termed "poor box office performance"). Man, my countrymen really take the cake. Garbage like Veer Zaara (Stunning locales, beautiful people, and amazing music, but overall POOR in terms of content) and Kal Ho Na Ho are lapped up by audiences, but Yuva and Lakshya are rejected completely. After Shah Rukh Khan murdered Asoka with his obsessive megalomania and J.P. Dutta took jingoism to an all-time low in LOC, Lakshya is an epic motion picture. Somewhat muted and subtle, but never EVER slight. Hrithik's a star.

Lakshya!!What a movie

[vicramb · 10/10 · 12 January 2005]

I'm the kind of guy who enjoys mindless action movies as well as movies that are intelligent,sensitive&thought-provoking.Lakshya falls in the latter category. The promos were slick and the music sounded good.But when i read the box-office report on this movie i was surprised at the lukewarm response this movie got because i thought this movie would be a runaway hit.However what can people like us do when such gifted film-makers like Farhan Akhtar are discouraged because their movies don't spoon-feed facts to the audience.But all said and done,This is among my personal favourites and i'm giving it a 10/10.2004 has produced some mature and intelligent movies like Lakshya,Yuva,Hum Tum,Swades etc and i'm happy that film-makers are growing up.This movie inspired me a lot and has played a role in me realising the truth that we should always have an aim in life because a life without an aim is like a body minus the soul.

+ points-Acting,Music(Background),Sound,Story,Tight Screenplay,Inspiring,Photography,Cinematography(nicely shot) -points-Length,Slow Pace,2nd half songs.

Lakshya: Must watch movie.

[mukul_parkar · 10/10 · 7 April 2005]

Before watching this movie, I thought it is some indo-pak war film. But after watching it became one of my personal favorite. Lakshya is absolutely fantastic. The movie has a very good story and the director has done a very good job. Priety and Rhitik acted magnificently. The songs are very melodious and really make sense to the movie. The movies is picturized brilliantly with the optimum use of special effects. Few scenes from Kargil are truly breathtaking. Its a family entertainer which has everything for everyone. You got to be either a fool or a pro-pakistani to hate this movie. I am rating it as 10 out 10, because it deserves that. I wish to see more movies like this in future.

Clean Unadulterated entertainment, Great performances

[bn0809 · 9/10 · 21 June 2004]

Lakshya is a very well made war, coming of age movie, which can compete with anything from the west.

I personally, feel it ends two debates, other than the fact that it establishes Hrithik as the ultra star-great actor mould (la Kamal Hassan),

a) Farhan Akhtar is the talent to watch for, A Mani Ratnam in the making for Hindi Cinema

b) Prabhu Deva can hand over mantel of the best ever dancer on screen to Hrithik Roshan (you have to see to believe what happens on the screen in the song "Main Asia kyun hoon", which Prabhu Deva himself has choreographed).

Just go and enjoy, this wonderful clean entertainer, which has great music and cinematography to complement the performances from the actors, and the skillful direction of Farhan Akhtar

Badri

A must watch movie and yet another masterpiece from Farhan Akhtar...

[chetan_thebest2003 · 9/10 · 19 June 2004]

The movie is all about having a LAKSHYA (aim) in our lives. It would'nt be inappropriate at all to comment that this film in one way points out at today's indecisive youth who are not clear about what they are going to do of their lives, and change their focus every now and then.

The story is about Karan (Hrithik Roshan) who is very talented but utterly confused about his future. Rather his girlfriend Romila (Preity Zinta) has since the very beginning ambition of being a news channel correspondent. Karan's indecisiveness widens the gap between him and his father (Boman Irani) who expects nothing from his son and the same thing ultimately results in his breakup with Romila too. This changes Karan's life and he gets determined of getting in the army and passes out from the IMA (Indian Military Academy) with a very enviable record. At the same time Romila too becomes a successful news channel correspondent. But both of them don't know what their futures has in store for them. They meet again after the turmoil in Romila's life from a broken engagement and this time the backdrop is the picturesque Kashmir valley and the event being the Kargil war. Karan has been deputed there as an army officer and Preity comes for a live coverage of the war. The story now flows ahead with the attempt of Indian forces to get back peak no.5179 from the Pakistani forces and the intersection of Karan's and Romila's lives at many instances acting as the currents. The ending is predictable but yet you would love to watch it.

The movie is yet another masterpiece from Farhan Akhtar,the Director after the tremendous success of "Dil Chahta Hai". This is also yet another testimony of Javed Akhtar's writing prowess. The lyrics and dialogues are superb. Moreover the choreography (Prabhu Deva) and photography (Christopher Popp) are worthy of praises. Hrithik Roshan gives another flawless performance after "Koi Mil Gaya". Another attraction is Colonel Sunil Damle (Amitabh Bachchan). Amitabh Bachchan gives those dialogues a beauty and charm which is so characteristic to himself. Preity Zinta is good in her role too. You can't pinpoint anybody or anything specifically as that would diminish other's efforts as all of them have performed commendably. The backdrop of Kashmir valley and the Himalayas has been so beautifully captured in the frame. Also the war scenes look so much authentic which is very tough job to do. The running time of the film is above 3 hours but you can't realize that ( you can't help it as you get fully engrossed in the film.....). Hrithik's dancing skills are unveiled so beautifully yet again. He can easily claim to have a rubber body--so flexible,so much in tune with the rhythm. Good music from Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy trio once again. Actually i could'nt think of any flaw in the movie as every aspect has been given it's due attention.

I would claim it to be a must watch movie and rate it a hefty 8.5/10

Lakshya - Landmark Indian Movie

[manofsan · 23 June 2004]

I found Lakshya to be a refreshing step up in the quality of Indian films. It depicted courage, loyalty and other exemplary values in an interesting storyline. The musical song-dance numbers were well done, and the background musical scores were also emotive. I found the cinematography really stood out in this movie as above par, showing off the scenic landscape of the mountainous Kargil region.

Regarding krishnam's commentary, I really have to disagree. Firstly, it's silly and petulant to single out this movie for such criticisms while ignoring the glaring errors and inaccuracies typical of most other Indian movies. I feel it should be judged relative to Indian cinema in general, although it could even compare favorably with various Hollywood hits.

I thought the director, composers and cast did a very good job, and hope this film becomes a benchmark for future Bollywood creations to be measured against.

Appreciable, but requires patience

[Peter_Young · 6/10 · 21 September 2021]

I watched Lakshya several times and every time I lost interest in the second half. In general, military dramas and war films strike me as intense films for a watch and they should have something very special and enough credibility to engage me. This film, despite its technical brilliance, didn't entirely do it for me, and I found many of the scenes and proceedings quite filmi and cliched. What's more, the first parts of the story are more about the character of Karan, and it sounds like a good start for an inspiring coming-of-age drama, which is sadly lost in the transition from his personal story to the war drama. The protagonist is played by Hrithik Roshan, who delivers his best performance to that point. He really got the moronic nature of Karan and played the gradual development and transformation of the character into this fierce soldier along the story well. His dance for "Main Aisa Kyun Hoon" is marvelous. Where the film lacks credibility, except for some of the war sequences, is in the lack of any chemistry between Roshan and female lead Preity Zinta. There was nothing between them - no tension, no true affection, no romance; it felt really forced and non-romantic. Not to say Zinta, who is one of my favourite actresses is not good; she does a good job of transforming her appearance to fit the character of a brave journalist and playing against her energetic, bubbly self. Her natural presence is actually a good added value to this male-dominated picture. I wish the film took another direction. Akhtar is a talented director, and it shows here too, but this film is overlong and quite exhausting although I can't deny its cinematic value and I can't say I didn't like it at all.

Farhan is a very promising film maker

[shanawaz_82 · 9/10 · 25 June 2004]

One of the best Hindi films i have ever seen. I have never heard background music like that in any other Hindi film, at least in the last decade. The special effects in the rock climbing scene were done very well. Farhan has proved to be a good film maker by making two completely different sorts of films and made them both beautifully. The shots were like paintings and everything looked authentic and real, like the uniforms and the helicopters and the camps fitted perfectly with the surroundings and the imagination of it all as a whole is just amazing. Farhan to me is a very promising film maker. Hritiks acting was outstanding, except for a little over acting in the beginning. Overall i must say that i know i can expect great things from farhan and from Hritik. Good luck! and Congratulations!

Laskhya to har haal mein pana hai.

[darshanpawar-75924 · 7/10 · 21 February 2019]

When talking about indian war films, there always had been badly choreographed action sequences, dramatic dialogues and Sunny Deol shouting. But Lakshya was different. War had some strategy & we could see it happening through very well choreographed war scenes. It sometimes reminded me of saving private Ryan. Although it's not that great. Acting of Hrithik Roshan in first half is very poor when he played son of rich father who has no aim or goal about future. His over enthusiasm felt childish. Acting, In second half when he joined indian army is acceptable. Rest of the cast is good. Music is the very plus point of this movie. Runtime of movie is almost 3 hour but won't make you bore. Overall it was nice watch. And ofcourse the dance of Hrithik in Main Aisa Kyon Hoon is brilliantly brilliant. The setting of this song is very unique, the presentation of this song is just marvellous. No disco lights, no fast cuts through the scene. Just pure cinematic brilliance, the song and movie too.

Good story, well told

[sudheerapte · 10/10 · 20 June 2004]

Enjoyable, good story, well told. Farhan Akhtar has done it again, after his first movie Dil Chahta Hai.

Hrithik Roshan's character grows up from being a confused young lad to a man with a mission. Shades of An Officer and a Gentleman, Guns of Navarone, and a little of Saving Private Ryan.

Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy have created more of their world music, and it rocks. The first two songs were fabulous; the other songs should be skipped, I thought.

As in Dil Chahta Hai, the parents are all ultra-supportive. They also dress and decorate in expensive nouveau handlooms, rattan furniture, slip covers, etc. Boston Brahmin did a good review.

Very nice and straightforward; none of the Hindu Family Values reactionary material that Bollywood routinely churns out.

Simple plot with an impressive direction.

[ankushmaheshwari-17 · 7/10 · 15 January 2017]

The story of an uncertain young man who eventually finds his Lakshya (Goal). The journey of becoming passionate, and a motivated Indian Army officer from a casual, and a lethargic individual has been told beautifully. The direction, the plot, the songs, and the choreography gel well with the overall theme of the movie. The occasional humor at one or two places in the movie to an otherwise serious story-line is engaging. The Cinematography is aesthetically appealing to the eyes. The several backdrops of the region of the Baramula, and the Kargil are breathtaking. The movie was shot at few places of New Delhi. Tuglakabad fort is one of these places. Being a resident of Delhi, you might find it interesting.

The cast and the crew of the movie have many celebrated actors. Amitabh Bachchan, Hrithik Roshan, Preity Zinta, and Om Puri have done the justice to their characters. Boman Irani could have done better, though.

The main character of the movie has been played by Hrithik Roshan. He has been very expressive. The transition of his character from being a very casual human being to a very passionate and a motivated individual has been enacted really well by him. He has danced admirably to justify the amazing choreography of Prabhu Deva.

Preity Zinta was elegant in playing a character of a young independent working woman who had a vivid interest in Journalism.

Farhan Akhtar has done his job well. You might find it interesting that one of the many background scores employed in this movies has been used in his movie 'Rock-On'. Farhan Akhtar essentially has drawn inspiration from this movie for his upcoming releases.

Overall a very balanced and an engaging cinematic experience.

Great storyline but...

[sriramthestranger · 5/10 · 19 November 2022]

The story goes to a flashback after a brief intro about the protagonist serving in army. Hrithik Roshan as a clueless young man is a treat to watch. And, he has no idea about the decisions he make with a great dance number - 'Main Aisa kyun hoo'.

But, the story takes a usual narrative post that. Our hero joins the army, and is on a mission.. and is supported by soldiers with emotional back stories, so that action sequence is Indianized with emotional deaths and dramatic patriotism.

Shankar esson Loy's song and background score are terrific. The night cinematography works in some places. Good attempt.

A MUST SEE

[anurag1007 · 10/10 · 28 June 2004]

For all of those who are fed up of Rona Dhona movies like Kal ho Na Ho, this is a must see. Positives are -

1. Hrithic Proves that he is the king in the making after Amitabh Bachchan and he fits into the any character (Koi Mil Gaya or Kaho na Pyaar hai) perfectly. Thats called Versatality.

2. A perfect movie which can be watched with the family.

3. A positive message for the youth that they are not born only to die for girls (like shahrukh Khan Does in Darr) but they should have an AIM (Lakshya) in their life. 4. A movie of international Standards. If Farhan Akhtar & Hrithik were Americans this would have been a strong contender for Oscar.

No sophomore slump from Farhan Akhtar

[keynesrules · 9/10 · 18 June 2006]

When your first film is 'Dil Chahta Hai' a movie that not only clicks with Urban audiences all over India, redefines cool amongst the aspiring yuppie crowd and stylistically influences the Chopras, Johars and other filmmakers in terms of what GenNext wears and does, there are going to be huge expectations from your second effort.

Director Farhan Akhtar does not disappoint with Lakshya, the story of an urbanite Delhi slacker named Karan Shergill (Hrithik Roshan) who's just graduated from college and is still not sure what he wants to be when he grows up. His patient girlfriend Romi (Preity Zinta) loves him and is confident that he will excel in whatever he sets out to do, but even she is beginning to get weary of his attitude towards his life and their relationship. On a whim, Karan decides to join the Indian Army, clearing their grueling entrance exam, with a friend. It's a decision that puts further strain on Karan's relationship with his overbearing father (played masterfully by Boman Irani).

Once in boot camp however, Karan is unable to withstand the pressure & discipline that army life places on new cadets. He drops out of the academy after a few weeks and reunites with Romi at their favorite spot. Romi is however, devastated to hear Karan has dropped out and decides to end their relationship once and for all, citing that Karan has no aim in life whatsoever. This turn of events pushes Karan to return to the army and to finish what he started - for Romi, and more importantly for himself. It is at this point that the father-son pair of Javed & Farhan Akhtar make things interesting by weaving the fictional story of Karan together with an actual piece of 20th Century Indian Army history.

Fans of 'Dil Chahta Hai' may be surprised at how less light-hearted the tone of the movie is especially in the second half where it strays into the realm of pure action. What Farhan displays here is how adept he is at managing realistic action and provides a fresh look at the war genre, free from the cliché-ridden plots of J P Dutta. Amitabh Bachchan makes a memorable appearance as Karan's superior officer who leads our protagonist to a final, tangible Lakshya (aim/goal/target). Cinematography in the mountain ranges of Kashmir is wonderful and as is becoming apparent with Farhan's films, the story in extremely grounded and rarely leaps into the realm of 'far-fetched'. The music by Shankar-Ehsan-Loy suits the tone of the movie, and Farhan wisely limits the number of songs to carefully selected arenas. He does however recognize that in Hrithik Roshan he has the most gifted dancer in Bollywood and in the song 'Main Aisa Kyon Hoon' he lets his star cut loose in a wonderfully choreographed piece by Prabhu Deva. I think it is Hrithik's greatest performance on the dance floor to date.

Finally onto Hrithik himself, someone who I've admired more for his dexterity in dance scenes than for his acting chops. Hrithik delivers his best performance to date in Lakshya (I thought he was over the top in Koi...Mil Gaya) and manages to capture the initial confusion and eventual determination of Karan wonderfully. When his character returns to military training you see his metamorphosis into a man obsessed. The scene where he reconciles with his father over the phone before setting out on his mission is dignified and soulful. You really believe that Karan's dad has accepted his son's decision. Finally when Karan reunites with Romi after years of army service and points out to her with sincerity "This is my Lakshya", you believe in the conviction of this young man. This it truly Hrithik's movie all the way and for once his theatrics outshine his foot skills.

Lakshya is mainstream Bollywood cinema with a difference. Just as with 'Dil Chahta Hai' there is a 'hatke' quality about this film which audiences should appreciate. Farhan doesn't make conventional 9 song love stories and he doesn't need to. His unique vision is a welcome addition to Bollywood. With Lakshya there is a lot of maturity in his storytelling and direction. The action/drama quotient has been upped in favor of humor which was a smart decision considering how sensitive and serious the final act is.

In a final note, some people have commented that the factual incident weaved into the storyline & Javed Akhtar's remarks on the matter means that 'Lakshya' is an Anti-Pakistan film. I would suggest instead that it is a pro-army and pro-determination (if that's a word) film. Karan's example shows us that if we focus our minds onto achieving one task then no power on earth can prevent us. If we look inside ourselves and dedicate our energy on achieving our Lakshya then nothing is impossible. One now expects great things from Farhan Akthar's 'Don'.

Cinematographic Excellence!

[Sherazade · 10/10 · 12 August 2006]

Farhan Akhtar (Dil Chahta Hai) outdoes himself on his sophomore directorial effort the lesser successful Lakshya, which deals with a young man coming of age and trying to find himself in the world. The ever charming Hrithik Roshan plays Karan Shergill, a preppy happy-go-lucky slacker who is just comfortable going to school, hanging out with his best buddy Romila Dutta (Preity Zinta sporting really bad hair in the first half of the film) and just taking it easy in his parents house. Everything is fine until one day, his father begins to pressure and pester him about what he intends to do with his life, then he compares him to his brother who lives and works abroad which brings down Karan's spirit. He (Karan) tries to seek comfort with Romila but in the long run, she stands up to him as well and tells him that if he doesn't give up his slacker ways, she cannot continue to hangout with him. Most of this is told in flashback, as present day Karan (in a quest to prove himself to all of him friends and loved ones) has already joined the army and is about embark on a very dangerous journey to secure the Indian perimeter and get rid of Pakistani terrorists. Romila is the reason for most of the flashbacks, as her present day self is now a famed reporter and is engaged to somebody else. The chemistry between Zinta and Hrithik is as solid as it has been, which is probably why they have starred in so many films together. Every song and piece of music in this film is great, especially the song and dance between Karan and Romila, and not to mention that knockout 'Main Aisa Kyu Hoon.' Amitabh Bachchan, Om Puri, Sharad Kapoor, Amrish Puri (in a very special appearance) among others, round out the stellar cast in strong supporting roles. It's a great film and cinematographically stunning! India should have been proud but instead, the movie was ignored at the box office.

one of the best.

[shu-04699 · 10/10 · 12 August 2021]

Everything is bang on.

Story, Acting, songs and action.

I have seen it multiple times and will watch it many more times.

Good work, Farhan Akhtar!

[kya_bakwaas · 28 June 2004]

Farhan Akthar has to live upto his debut 'Dil Chahta Hain' - a feat which will be difficult to match. FA will carry the DCH label forever, much like Ramesh Sippy was labeled with the Sholay tag. Comparing Lakshya with DCH is inevitable. And FA does score in many places. The story is quite simple. The setting is in late 1990s - just prior to the infamous Kargil. Roshan is Karan Shergill, the younger sibling in a well to do Delhi business family. Karan is a happy-go-lucky naive kid who has nothing to worry about in his life. His lady love, Romila Gutta aka Romy (Zinta), on the other hand, is a career minded young lady who has a clear idea what to do with her life. When placed at crossroads when all his friends are deciding about their future career prospects, Karan is influenced by one of his friends' decision and plans to join the Army. And to his own surprise finds himself in the Army training school. However, this sudden transition from his Bohemian lifestyle to army life proves to be more than he can handle and he quits the course. However, Karan realises that things will never be the same again with Romy, who clearly sees him as a quitter, a loser with no ambitions, no goals(That's Lakshya in Hindi) in life. Hurt and dejected, Karan joins the Army training again and comes out as a hard-boiled Lieutenent.

Karan is posted in the volatile Dras sector, Kashmir. Here meets the stiff, focused Col. Damle (Mr. Bachchan) and his troops who make Karan realize that his Lakshya is to serve the country. Before long, there is a war brewing in the mountains, with Pakistani insurgents blocking out the supplies to various army bases high up in the mountains. Karan suddenly finds himself responsible for his country's safety and plays a key role in winning the battle against the intruders. His Lakshya is met. Technically, the film is brilliant. One of the first army movies made in Bollywood without an overdose of jingoism. German cinematographer Christopher Popp captures the night war sequences beautifully. The natural beauty of the rugged Ladakh has been brought to the screen in its whole. FA is a fine eye for the minor details, e.g., the name plates on the vehicles are in white letters written on black boards, like they were prior to 2001-2. The tense screens between Roshan and his father (played by the inimitable Boman Irani) are excellent. The film was conceived very very well. However, since nothing is perfect, no review is complete without some criticism. Lakshya has its faults - and most of these are because we had expected otherwise from the director of DCH. For one, there is not much of a script, so people watching for killing time will be bored. Unlike most war/army movies, this is more of a drama. Unlike DCH, we hardly have a light-hearted moment in the movie. Javed Akthar has returned to script writing after a long gap BUT I had expected more. Second, there are too many characters. Many actors in "special appearances" prove to be more distractions than integral elements of the story. Amitabh has his moments, but Om Puri, Lillette Dubey and Shushant have been wasted. At points, we feel that FA had a hard time to decide whether to keep pop-patriotism away from the movie. Songs distract and do not fit in the script, unlike DCH. My rating - 6.5/10 - for the sincerity with which the movie was made, for FA's dedication to his work, and for Hritik Roshan's performance.

Hrithik trying to advance his acting skills..

[Angelus2 · 7/10 · 3 July 2008]

This is a different type of Bollywood movie and isn't full of great musical numbers; it has one or two. The film is about a man who has no passion and no drive until the girl he loves tells him, he has no purpose and so he enrols in the army and learns to become a soldier. A very good soldier.

The film has inspirational moments, like what it means to be part of a team..to have a desire, to make something of yourself...

Its not very exciting but it shows that Hrithik is more then a body builder and dancer, this is coming from someone who stays away from Hrithik films...A very good try to do something different.

Farhan Akhtar, you beauty!

[jsbco2000 · 10/10 · 5 July 2008]

I would not comment on things and stuff. 4 powerful scenes define the movie for me: 1. The scene where Preity is across the road and Hrithik gets out of the jeep and runs to her. She says that she will wait, Hrithik comes closer and does nothing, says nothing. But it is so understood he wanted to kiss her and could not.

2. The scene when Preity discovers Hrithik alone, staring at the peak. Hrithik points to the peak, his eyes told it all for me.

3. When Hrithik calls his dad the night before leaving, and tells him that he made the call to him and not his mom. And, when he says I love you. It just touches you

4. Obviously, the scene where Hrithik puts the Indian flag on the peak and looks up

Brilliant Movie!!

All Indian should watch this movie

[jamim63 · 6/10 · 11 July 2020]

I really liked this movie. Farhan Akhter did great work. I liked the direction. Hrittik Roshan was amazing. Liked everyone's performances. But the movie length was too long that's why I rated it 6. The story was really good. But the last one hour was lengthy.

just one step behind to be called a masterpiece

[maverickagk · 10/10 · 5 October 2004]

Though it is one step behind but i still feel that this film is milestone in bollywood film industry. This film was underrated by the critics of bollywood because they are used to the same old masala films. This film shows that the two masters of bollywood are here. One is Farhan Akthar who can(i hope) rise the film making standards of bollywood to international standards

Another one is Hrithik Roshan.He is an superb perfect actor in a making He is growing as an actor by every film. I think he will become my all time fav actor of bollywood after om puri n amir khan.

The most difficult thing which was attempted in this movie was shootin war scenes at night n "the scenes were pretty authentic" In technical aspects the movie is benchmark for bollywood i would rate 8.5/10

Farhan Akhtar hits the aim somehow but sharpness comes from Hrithik Roshan.

[SAMTHEBESTEST · 7/10 · 17 June 2020]

Watched Lakshya (2004) : Brief Review -

Farhan Akhtar hits the aim somehow but sharpness comes from Hrithik Roshan. Lakshya could have been a legendary War film or a passionate film if wanted to, I can't deny that it wasn't a fully war film and the aim was different but ultimately the involvement of Army makes it look so. It's a story of an irresponsible and spoiled young guy who doesn't have any aim, any ambition in his life. He mistakenly joins the Army Academy and then finds the first and only Aim of his life. The long runtime of 178 minutes is dragged at many places especially when the screenplay tries to explain and justify hero's personal life and personal desires. It can definitely be blamed because the narrative should have involved the country, patriosm and entire army crew to create that atmosphere and emotional connect in viewers hearts. Once the Army life and events are involved, the film should have stopped talking about his personal desires and it would have made entire scenario look prolific. I liked the prolificeness and accuracy of Films like "Patton", "Das Boot", "Platoon" which are legendary War films for me, and where the story never goes off track even for a moment. It stick to its war theme from the first frame till the last one. Lakshya falls short here. It suddenly interrupts the grip and linear equation by taking the story to the personal World. Despite some negative things here, there is one positive sign in that which is, Lakshya definitely works from Hero's sight and it was his story hence making the equation right. But what about the whole theme of Army? What about the perspective of other characters involved in the film? What about the country? Country and Army doesn't run on someone's personal aims, right? All those things should have been justified which didn't happen. Coming to the best part of the film which is none other than Hrithik Roshan. He was in sublime form from the start. Preity Zinta, Boman Irani, Amitabh Bachchan and rest of the cast is good. Music is decent, it is up when it's about normal life of the hero but i think his Army life deserved a special number. Cinematography and Production design fails to cover some nuances and for that even director can be bashed for his careless attitude. Farhan Akhtar hits the aim but Lakshya is more Hrithik's film than him. Hrithik adds the Sharpness and patriotic theme adds emotional touch to cover those mistakes. Lakshya could have been much better film and may be an unforgettable film if the vision had been wide and unrestricted. Like I said, somebody's personal desires can never give that kind of impact which entire army unit's desires can give you. That patriotic theme should have been elaborated and Lakshya would have ended up at high as the mountain. Overall, it is a very good film, rather almost fantastic and needs a limited vision from viewers to work upto the level.

RATING - 7/10*

By - #samthebestest

Great story line... ruined by the Bollys - almost ok

[chellaton-05036 · 5/10 · 24 October 2023]

The entire backdrop for the (coming of age of an entitled little brat) premise is factual - about Pakistani army regulars infiltrating Kargil sector disguised in civilian clothes. Early into the credits we see two consultants from the Army - a Lt Gen and a colonel.

Yes, I get the idea about "artistic liberties". But the glamorization from Bollywood and the myopic culture brings this down from what could have been a pretty decent movie.

Amitabh Bachchan who is 81 (in 2023) would have been 60 in 2004 when this movie was made - far too old for an active colonel in a combat-exposed post. But that explains why he needed to wear a winter jacket and gloves while everyone else seemed to be in regular summer/fall fatigues.

A colonel also commands a battalion - which according to Wiki - should have 300-1000 soldiers and about 15-20 officers. We barely see 30 people at the outpost. Where is the command chain - Lt colonels, majors, captains, 2nd lieutenants? The raid on the enemy post, the colonel sends 4 officers and 4 privates?? And they take off in a helicopter and land out of the blue in a valley with 3-4 foot tall grass. All the helicopter in-flight looked very CGI.

For the size the outpost might have been commanded by a major? But the Bollys decided Bachchan was too big to be "just a major".

The brigadier here - Amrish Puri (RIP) - was 71 at the time.

If only these directors and producers and casters can pick up actors based more on suitability for the role than name recognition...

And if you are getting advise from the army - can they not provide working choppers for flight scenes as well? And all of the combat soldiers just carried automatic rifles. No mortars, no bandages?

And of course song and dance... All in all a pretty sad effort.

Does this have spoilers? What spoilers??