The Twist called Terror

Ratings: – * * *

When fourteen year old Sikandar (Parzan Dastur) picked-up a gun lying on the road, he had no idea that his few minutes of heroic pleasure will bring a drastic change in his life and will also force major turn of events in a terror-torn area of Kashmir.

Because of such an intriguing and novel concept, director Piyush Jha’s Sikandar cannot be labeled as just another film on the issue of terrorism in Kashmir even though it is actually just another film on that issue. This is largely because of the narration, which is thrilling as well as simple at the same time.  However, the final conclusion acts as the only drawback and can well be the reason for the film receiving mixed reactions.

Jha’s maturity in handling a delicate issue can be felt throughout the duration of the narration, which doesn’t go off-track even for a scene. In addition, the beautiful and mind-blowing locations can make anyone fall in love with the place. The scenic mountains and the landscapes force one to stay glued to the screen even when the going is a bit slow. In fact, it won’t be an overstatement to consider the location as one of the principal characters. For this, credit goes to Somak Mukherjee’s artistic cinematography.

Parzan Dastoor manages to carry the film on his shoulders and displays the right emotions. Playing the central character in such a film and that too for the first time can be a daunting task and the small sardar of Kuch Kuch Hota Hai passes the test.

Ayesha Kapoor (younger Rani Mukherjee in Black) too gets a scope to show her skills while Madhavan and Sanjuy Suri enact their parts perfectly. Debutant Arunoday Singh shows some promise in a cameo.

The subject of the film doesn’t leave much scope for songs though Dhoop Ke Sikke fits in the mood. More than the music of the few songs, it’s the background score that is more noticeable and has a gripping impact throughout.

Piyush Jha certainly churns out a commendable product which deserves a watch though the final culmination of events wouldn’t find many takers. In fact, the final scenarios prevent the film from being an outstanding effort. But more than that, the poor opening will make Sikandar go unnoticed at the box-office. Sadly, this will have to be included in my next ‘Unsung Heroes’ post.