Sadiyaan (2010)

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April 2, 2010 (Sampurn Wire):Sadiyaan- Old School cinema

Rating: 2 out of 5*

Starring: Introducing Luv Sinha & Ferena Wazeir, Rishi Kapoor, Rekha and Hema Malini

Director: Raj Kanwar

During the 1947 partition, Lahore based family of Rajveer (Rishi) and Amrit (Rekha) has to flee Pakistan and settle in Amritsar, Punjab. In the house that they get to stay, Amrit finds an abandoned baby boy of the Muslim family who owned the house but fled to Pakistan because of communal riots. Amrit raises the boy as her own and he grows up to be Ishaan (Luv). During a summer camp visit to Kashmir, Ishaan falls in love with Chandni (Ferena). When he goes to her house to ask her hand for marriage, her father (Deep Dhillon) and uncle (Ahmed Khan) tell him to forget her as they are against her marrying a Hindu boy. When Amrit and Rajveer come to know about this they finally declare the truth to Ishaan that he is a Muslim in real and not their own child. He doesn’t believe them and so also Chandni’s parents who also demand a proof for the same. The old couple then decides to track Ishaan’s real parents down and also succeed. Ishaan’s real mother Benazir (Hema Malini) comes down with his real father (Javed Sheikh) to seek back the custody of a now grown up Ishaan. Chandni’s parents immediately agree for the marriage when Ishaan’s real parents visit their house. What complications arise when Ishaan’s parents start making plans to take back Ishaan and his bride back to Pakistan and how they are handled by the principle characters forms the rest of the plot.

Raj Kanwar, the hit maker of films like Shah Rukh Khan’s debut film Deewana, Laadla, Jeet, Andaaz and Judaai seems to have aimed Sadiyaan at the non-multiplex going audience what with its full of emotions film and a small town setting. His treatment of the plot appears too outdated as well. Gone are the days when hero’s made their big screen entries in slow motion riding a horse, but Kanwar doesn’t seem to believe so. He packs in all the necessary ingredients that were a must in 80s and 90s cinema. The biggest handicap he however has is his debutante male lead, Luv Sinha who delivers an inconsistent performance. But to give credit where it is due, the veteran actors – Rishi Kapoor, Rekha and Hema Malini lift up the film considerably. The production values are grand and the setting authentic as well. Also, despite there was a chance to make the film very melodramatic, the makers have refrained from doing so. The eye filling location so Kashmir are captured extremely well by cinematographer Anshul Chobey. Adnan Sami’s music barring the Jadu Nasha Ehsas Kya song doesn’t impress much.

Shatrughan Sinha’s son Luv Sinha appears good in emotional sequences especially in the second half when he is brooding but otherwise he appears quiet under prepared. Newcomer Ferena is very pretty and leaves her mark. Rishi Kapoor plays a man with the big heart with aplomb. It’s a treat to watch Rekha and Hema Malini sharing screen space and both don’t disappoint. Pakistani comedian Shakeel has his laugh out loud moments and so does Vivek Shauq.

With a running time of over 2 hours and 40 minutes it is your call whether to go in for this old school style film or not.

-Sampurn Wire