Shikar is quite like Swades. It's a film with a definite idea and ideology but one that fails in turning it into engaging cinema. There are several technical problems you may attribute this to, primarily the film's weak script. It fails because it perceives idealism in a strange vacuum. It's a pure, unspoiled, innocent idealism of the '40s and the '50s and doesn't quite work with a cynical, swinging, fast-changing 21st century India.
Ok the context is contemporary, it is very relevant to pitch a rural idyll against corporate materialism. Issues like migration, ecology and corruption are no doubt topical. But the audience is unable to connect. Shikhar is about a bad, money-minded builder GG (Ajay) who wants to take over the land of a self-contained tribal ashram, Krishivan, to build a residential colony for NRIs. The one to resist him is the guruji of the ashram (Javed), who is actually an industrialist-turned-social activist. So GG trains his guns on the guruji's son, Jaidev (Shahid), and gets into a business alliance with him. The idea is to corrupt him and then seize his father's ashram.
The tribal utopia that Mathan builds on screen to counter the profiteering capitalists is so bloody good that it actually bores you to death. Not only does Mathan resort to easy stereotypes but the cliches are stretched to an extreme. All characters get neatly boxed into good and bad without letting in any shades of grey—a reason why most of them look and feel flat. Most scenes of goodness end up being too pat and simplistic. Take the scene where the guruji discovers two orphans smoking. He won't eat till the kids asked for forgiveness. The synthetic and amateurish way in which the Gandhian ideology is articulated leaves you cringing. Shikhar is a very well-intentioned, good-hearted film but need it have worn its heart on the sleeve?
INDIAN Top 5
1. Shikhar
2. Bluffmaster
3. Dosti
4. Vaah! Life Ho Toh Aisi
5. Kalyug
US Top 5
1. The Chronicles of Narnia
2. King Kong
3. Fun with Dick and Jane
4. Cheaper by the Dozen-2
5. Rumour Has It...
Courtesy: Film Information
