Zakhm

Zakhm is, by and large, the finest work of Mahesh Bhatt of the 1990s, a decade throughout which he made some disastrous movies with little substance. Zakhm is a lifelike, wonderful story, which unfolds in two time-lines. The first is the present-day turmoil happening in the life of a young music director named Ajay. He is in a hospital where his mother is lying in a critical condition as a result of recent communal riots in which she was burned by a group of Islamists. The second time-line is presented through a flashback which recounts Ajay's childhood when he lived with his mother and recently-born brother. His father did not live with them and would only come to visit them from time to time. He never married Ajay's mother because he was a Hindu and she was a Muslim. Yet, she kept hiding her Muslim faith because of her involvement with a Hindu man, disguising as a Christian for the rest of her life.

Zakhm works because it feels very much a documentation of a true and personal story, and it actually is, from what I understand. It is deeply moving and absorbing, and in this regard is reminiscent of Bhatt's efforts during the 1980s, like Arth, Saaransh and Kaash, some amazing, hard-hitting pictures known for realistically portraying complex relationships and lifelike struggles. Zakhm is not as great as these films, generally speaking, and technically too it could have been better, but then it is definitely a special film in many ways. Bhatt's direction is very good. He tackles a delicate subject which is always relevant and presents a sincere and brutally honest account of communal strife, even if it's faulty and preachy at times. The portrayal of Ajay's childhood and his relationship with his mother is beautiful and heart-touching. Bhatt captures the mind of a troubled child with excruciating authenticity.

To achieve the right amount of credibility, the casting was very crucial. And well, no one disappoints. Ajay Devgan is excellent in his first great role. His performance is incredibly heartfelt and intense, and it's memorable more because most of it is internal and non-verbal. His devastated expression of anguish and grief is haunting, to say the least. Pooja Bhatt has never looked more beautiful. She is brilliant as the loving mother and suffering wife, who is tormented by her everyday struggle of raising her kids all alone, hiding her religious identity, and living in distance from her husband. This is certainly her best performance. Child actor Kunal Khemu is quite amazing as the young Ajay, who is a smart kid and a loving son. Sonali Bendre is beautiful and provides good support. Zakhm is not a flawless movie, but it is definitely a moving and riveting movie experience which remains in the mind for a long time.

This movie was released in the year 1998 .... 6 years after 1992 Babri Mosque demolition leading to massive communal riots all over India. 'Zakhm' is actually a movie depicting the heart-wrenching relationship of a mother and her son. In this movie, the lead actor Ajay Devgan has given one of the best performances of his life. It was one of the reasons why he was honored with 1999 National Award for the best performance in a leading role.

In this film two stories are executed in parallel each depicting the past and present life of the lead actor. In the past life it has been shown how he and his mother face social stigma due to various social, religious and ethical beliefs and in present both reluctantly become the part of 1992 communal riots because of Babri Mosque demolition.

These riots were mostly politically motivated and it has also been shown in this film. The producer and director of this film himself claimed that the story of this film is inspired by a real life story and by his efforts he has justified the same.

Watch this film. It is undoubtedly one of the best films ever made. A solid 10 out of 10. Strongly recommended....

'Zakhm' is one of Mahesh Bhatt's most down-to-earth works to date. Rumour has it that the movie is based on Bhatt and his mother. Bhatt's attempt at storytelling is genuine but it does tend to get preachy towards the end and slightly derails. Yet, 'Zakhm' remains a moving experience mostly because of the performances, songs and rawness. The use of darker tinted colours only contributes to the film's gloominess and the characters' loneliness and desire.

Bhatt's daughter Pooja Bhatt produces and stars in 'Zakhm' giving her career-best performance. One may wonder why she didn't get any recognition for it. Incidentally this is Pooja Bhatt's last movie as female lead actress and Mahesh Bhatt's last as director. After that both Bhatts opted for production.

Ajay Devgan too delivers one of his best performances. This is perhaps the first film that got him recognized as a serious actor and a fortunate deviation from those horrible dishum-dishum action flicks he was better known for. Kunal Khemu is brilliant and Sonali Bendre has a graceful presence. Ashutosh Rana is okay.

The songs are beautiful and they wonderfully immerse with the narrative. My favourites are 'Par Likh Key', 'Maa Ney Kahaan' and 'Gali Mein Aaj Chand Nikla'. The soundtrack is very calming and it brings that effect in an otherwise dark intense film. 'Zakhm' is one of Bhatt's best works. 'Zakhm' may have ended up being a better film if Bhatt toned down on the preachy element and focused mainly on the mother's story. The fact that it released near the time of 'Kuch Kuch Hota Hai' may have lead it to go unnoticed but 'Zakhm' is a film that is worth the time.

This is one absolutely stunning movie. If you are an avid fan of Bollywood movies and you haven't watched it yet, something is wrong with you. I actually recommend everyone to watch this movie. This cinematic masterpiece will touch your heart on many levels, bring to the forefront the communal disharmony in India. Mahesh Bhatt's most gripping movie ever. Performance-wise, Pooja Bhatt is fantastic, so are Akshay Anand, Ashutosh Rana and Sonali Bendre. Child Actor Kunal Kemmy is absolutely amazing in a role that required a lot of emoting and conveyed honest expressions. Now coming to the lead actor - Ajay Devgan. Today, Ajay is definetely one of Bollywood's finest. However, back in 1998, he had more of an action hero image. This movie was a step toward getting away from that stereotype and the first in many stunning performances that Ajay has given ever since. He has excelled in movies like The Legend of Bhagat Singh, Company, Deewangee, and most recently Khakee, but I would say this performance is his finest ever. His eyes do most of the talking, so he doesn't need a lot of dialogues. He is one of those actors who is just a treat to watch, regardless of the genre of a movie. Overall, this movie is amazing. Highly recommended. A+.

This is one of the best and bravest films to deal with the issue of communal harmony in India and is even more relevant after the gujarat events. Amazing screenplay, story and direction. Acting is top notch especially ajay devgan has got to have the most intense actors around.. his eyes are so expressive, he doesn't need to speak!!Pooja and Kunal Khemu excel.Heartfelt and touching lyrics, especially hum yahan. This is one movie which is extremely well balanced and will raise the hackles of the fundamentalist elements from both sides.Congrats to Mr Bhatt for this achievement. Mr Bhatt gets is right on so many levels with this movie, Bravo Sir!!Certainly one of the best movies of the past 30 years.