Sikandar

At the heart of Sikandar lies a wonderful little story. Teenager Sikandar (Parzaan), orphan of Kashmir militancy, lives a fairly regular life and, just like any other boy, loves the game of football. One fine day he chances upon a gun and life changes unalterably. What begins as fun and games starts acquiring sinister proportions. The gun, an instrument Sikandar uses rather innocently for settling scores with school bullies, pushes him into a zone of violence and terrorism even as his friend and conscience-keeper Nasreen (Ayesha) tries her utmost to prevent him from slipping into this disaster area.

This story could have resulted in a powerful film but stops short. It doesn’t come alive
because all you get inthe name of visuality are picturesque backdrops and static shots. Also, the director seems to abandon the inherent drama and passion to turn it into a thriller of sorts. The choice of lead actors is a case of complete miscasting. Parzaan and Ayesha are total misfits in the Valley, don’t look and seem Kashmiri enough. Moreover, the performances—which should have been the centrepiece—don’t fill out the potential. Parzaan is innocent and awkward but the full emotional complexities of the don’t really get drawn out. And Ayesha, seen earlier in Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Black, is a tad too precocious for her age. She’d do well to go easy on that pout. The other characters—army man Madhavan, peace front leader Sanjay Suri and militant Arunoday—are all painted in broad brushstrokes, more like cardboard cutouts than real individuals. In fact, the backdrop—militancy, the role of the army, the uneasy brokering of peace with the Kashmiri leadership—could have been explored more in depth. Sikandar aims to be good-hearted and meaningful but curiously lacks any sense of politics.

I was particularly appalled by the scene at the start when after a bomb blast, an army man roams around with a dead man’s finger in his hand wowing vengeance. The blast makes the point, why thrust that dead finger into the frames? Feels way too manipulative, more so because the film comes from sensitive individuals.

High Fives

Bollywood

1. Kaminey
2. Life Partner
3. Love Aaj Kal
4. Sikandar
5. Shadow

Hollywood

1. Inglourious Bestards
2. District 9
3. G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra
4. The Time Traveller’s Wife
5. Julie & Julia

Pop

1. I Gotta Feeling (Black Eyed Peas)
2. Waking up in Vegas (Katy Perry)
3. You Belong with me (Taylor Swift)
4. Knock You Down (Keri Hilson)
5. Love Game (Lady Gaga)

Courtesy: Film Information