Movie review of "Kya Delli Kya Lahore"

Yeh sarhad khoon ki, ashqon ki, aahon ki, shararon ki
Isi sarhad pe kal dooba tha sooraj ho ke do tukde
Isi sarhad pe kal zakhmi hui thi subh e aazadi
Jahan boi thi nafrat aur talwarein ugayin thi

Yeh sarhad jo lahoo peeti hai aur sholay ugalti hai
Hamari khaak ke seene pe nagin ban ke chalti hai
Saja kar jung ke hathiyar maidan mein nikalti hai

Ali Sardar Jafri in Subh e Farda.

The above mentioned poem describes the pain of partition dwelling in heart of people, who suffered through it. The word partition was unknown to every Hindustani, until it struck their own fate. The battle of pride and desire of power butchered peace and love, which resided in every Hindustani. It made most of them ‘Refugee’, snatched away all belongings and loved ones from the people. This chaos of power gave birth to such a hatred, which was going to rule people of Pakistan and India for many generations.

“Kya Delli Kya Lahore” is such a movie, which digs out the pains and sufferings of partition time period. The story is directed by Vijay Raaz, produced by Karan Arora, written by Aseem Arora. The movie has some great actors in it like Manu Rishi (playing Samarth Pratap, a cook attached to an Indian army unit posted at the border), Vijay Raaz (Rehmat Ali, a Pakistani soldier), Rajendranath Zutshi (Barfi Singh, a postman working for the Indian army) and Vishwajeet Pradhan (a captain with the Pakistani Army). These characters have played wonderful roles as their acting made tears rolling down my cheeks. The pain, tears and wailing for their loved ones, their beloved Lahore and Delhi, which they had to leave behind to satisfy the lust of power. The story is set in 1948, where a firing has irrupted and it leaves all soldiers dead from both side. Just three characters on this battlefield are left alive, a Captain from Pakistani Army, Rehmat Ali, a Pakistani soldier and Samarth Pratap, a cook at Indian Battalion. As it happens today, it happened previously too. There were rumours that Indian were digging a surang from Delli to Lahore, to destroy Pakistan. Captain forces Rehmat Ali to bring that files from deserted camp. Unwillingly Rehmat goes there and he meets Samarth, from here the story of hatred, pain, anger and helplessness.

The lines by Gulzar sa’ab in the beginning of movie is the essence of the movie.

“Lakeerein hain to rehne do,
kisi ne rooth kar gusse mein shayad kheech di thi.
Unhi ko ab banao paala aur aao kabaddi khelte hain.
Lakeerein hain to rehne do”

Lines drawn by some angered politicians did not only divided Hindustan in two pieces but also destroyed its people. Movie is the fabulous work of art , which is like meat in hawk’s nest now a days. The dialogues of Vijay Raaz and Manu Rishi has inserted life in this movie. Each and every dialogue represents every Indian and Pakistani. Their conversation begins with abuses, hatred, which later on develops into feeling that whether it was Pakistani or Hindu, all have them had lost something precious due to hunger of power of politicians. Vijay Raaz gives a performance that makes the Pakistani soldier look brave yet infirm, cruel yet sympathetic, distrustful and still unspoilt or jaded. At beginning, while firing, he collects hatred. As the story develops, Samarth finds that Rehmat has gone through the same as he had gone. Both of them realise that they had lost everything to gain something, but actually they gained nothing. This movie gives one firm idea that partition was not for benefit of any religion as it took birth from affair of power and lust. Offspring of partition was known as Refugee, and this word is used each and every time to humiliate those who migrated to either Pakistan or India.

Here is one dialogue from the movie, which are quite enough to make one realise that what they lost in this war of false pride and power.

Lost in the memories of old days in Delli, Vijay Raaz says, "Ghar ki chhat pe chand aise nikalta tha jaise khaat pe aa girega. Lahore ke chand ne toh kabhi muh hi nai lagaya." To which Manu Rishi suggests, "Chal apne apne chaand badal lein." This movie perfectly depicts that hunger for power and false pride was satisfied, but in this hollow satisfaction, each and every Pakistani as well as Hindustani had lost everything.

My rating for movie is 5 from 5.