...Yahaan

Shoojit Sircar's 'Yahaan' is a love story set against the backdrop of Kashmir during the ongoing war. But it's not a conventional love and war story. Sircar brings a freshness, both in telling the story and executing the film. He gives it a bluish tint (the film's not entirely in colour) which gives it a stark look. The camera is also used effectively, sometimes shaky (during the shootout sequences) and sometimes static.

The songs and background score are beautiful. I loved hearing the violin and the eastern flute play in the background. Shantanu Moitra's soundtrack is one to keep. I particularly love the song 'Naam Adaa Likhna'.

Jimmy Shergill leads 'Yahaan'. Finally he has a lead role in a substantial film and he does a superb job. Minisha Lamba has a strong screen presence. For a newcomer she does quite well in bringing out Ada's enigma, vulnerability, courage and strength. Both actors share a warm chemistry. The supporting cast is okay but Yashpal Sharma is a bit irritating at times.

Furthermore, another thing I liked about 'Yahaan' is that Sircar is sincere in his story. There's no hidden agenda, no Hindu v/s Muslim hatred. Nor is it overly preachy. It's about two people in Kashmir who fall in love and about the people of Kashmir. Recommended.

At first when i heard of Yahaan, I thought it would just be a lame love story based based on the typical Indian style, but after seeing the movie i don't think i can say that. The location of the movie well suits the story, and it has been filmographed very well. The stars acted very well and the story line was also well paced. It does not only shows romance but also the current situations of Kashmir, torn by rivalry by both the countries India and Pakistan. The dialogues are good and it is and inspiring love story. The songs in particular are also very very good and suit the story line perfectly. Unlike most of the movies i enjoyed this movie a lot!

At first i thought ...it'll be a typical Bollywood love story ...but Sorjit Sircor definitely has talent. and that he shows in his movie.

I should really tell about Jimmy Shergill ( The most underrated actor in Bollywood), he is a wonderful actor, and he proves that again , the role seems to suit him well, he has played it superbly. Minissha has done a nice job , she is uncomfortable in few scenes though . but overall performance is good. on screen chemistry between Jimmy and Minissha is wonderful , and you have to see it to believe me. I am definitely counting myself among jimmy's fans after watching this movie . Gulzar rocks again with wonderful songs .i just love his songs , one will feel listening to them again and again . Sherya is awesome, she has got a beautiful voice and i guess she is the next big thing in Bollywood.

This was the only movie after ROJA that addressed the Kashmir issue in a real manner, and being from Kashmir, I could feel it. Jimmy again proves that even though he is not working with big names, he has caliber. I have seen him in Maachis, cameo in Munnabhai, and Kehtaa Hai Dil Baar Baar. He is a good actor. I've read that Lead actress didn't act well, but I thought she did a very good job for a newcomer. Her accent, although was not kashmiri in any sense, still carried weight. Her interview scene was really moving and showed her talents well. Mukesh (Shaqeel) did his part well, and so did the others. The little mute girl was outstanding in her expressions. The only con would be that there was not a single actor who had Kashmiri accent. Not even bystanders, or anyone from the general public. The director should have taken at least one native to make the movie touch its ground. Music was serene and flowed well with the story. Ending song (which probably was the same as the one before) had a good melody and I could play it on Guitar easily. Overall, a clean movie - which sends the message out loud. Guns can only bring blood. I hope peace would have its chance somewhere along the line. 9/10

Yahaan takes a realistic look at love in Kashmir, heaven turned into hell. It does a good job of showing the innocence of Adaa and her family in stark contrast to the heartbreaks that occur everyday in war-torn Kashmir. Jimmy Shergill, a soldier with a big heart, comes and falls in love with Adaa. Their romance is portrayed very aesthetically. It is interesting to see how Jimmy and Adaa switch roles. The first half of the film is shown through Jimmy's point of view, while the second half has Adaa adopting the role of the protagonist. Some symbols are interesting such as jeans ("Do they wear jeans in Mumbai?"), which symbolize freedom. Photography is absolutely stunning as each frame does an excellent job of capturing the intense emotions of the characters and suffocating atmosphere of Kashmir. This film has several very poignant scenes.