Lamhe

2023-05-25T12:40:54Z

2409:4040:E9C:8D7F:0:0:29C8:A205: /* Plot */

{{short description|1991 film by Yash Chopra}}
{{EngvarB|date=April 2015}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2015}}
{{Infobox film
| name = Lamhe
| image =
| caption = Theatrical release poster
| director = [[Yash Chopra]]
| producer = Yash Chopra [[T. Subbarami Reddy]]
| writer = [[Honey Irani]] [[Rahi Masoom Raza]]
| starring = [[Anil Kapoor]] [[Sridevi]] [[Waheeda Rehman]] [[Anupam Kher]] Deepak Malhotra Dippy Sagoo
| music = Shiv-Hari
| distributor = [[Yash Raj Films]]
| released = {{Film date|df=yes|1991|11|22}}<ref>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=P9oYG7HA76QC&dat=19911122&printsec=frontpage&hl=en |title=Lamhe |date=22 November 1991 |work=[[The Indian Express]] |page=4 }}</ref>
| runtime = 187 minutes
| language = Hindi
| budget = {{INRConvert|6|c|year=1991}}
| gross = {{INRConvert|20|c|year=1991}}
| cinematography = [[Manmohan Singh (film director)|Manmohan Singh]]
}}

'''''Lamhe''''' ({{translation|''Moments''}}) is a 1991 Indian [[romance film|romantic]] musical drama film directed by [[Yash Chopra]] and written by [[Honey Irani]], with [[Rahi Masoom Raza]]. The film stars [[Anil Kapoor]] and [[Sridevi]] (in a dual role of both mother and daughter) in the titular roles, along with [[Waheeda Rehman]] and [[Anupam Kher]] in pivotal roles. In the film, the [[Non-resident Indian and person of Indian origin|NRI]] Viren (Kapoor) falls in love with Pallavi (Sridevi) during his first visit to [[India]], but she marries someone else. However, Pallavi and her husband die in an accident, leaving behind, in care of Viren, their young daughter Pooja (also Sridevi), who grows up to look just like her mother and falls in love with Viren. The film marks the second collaboration between Sridevi and Chopra.

Produced by Chopra under his production banner [[Yash Raj Films]], ''Lamhe'' was shot in two schedules in [[Rajasthan]] and [[London]]. Over the years, it has been hailed as a classic and Chopra's finest film. Although the film did moderate business domestically, it became a huge success overseas, bringing in a worldwide gross of {{INR}}20.5 crores on a {{INR}}6 crores budget; thus becoming the [[List of Bollywood films of 1991|10th highest grossing Indian film of 1991]]. It received numerous accolades and featured on ''[[Outlook (Indian magazine)|Outlook]]'s'' list of ''Bollywood's Best Films''. It has been cited as Yash Chopra's personal favourite of the movies he has made. This was one of the last films that Masoom Raza scripted. He died a couple of months after its release. On the occasion of the Centenary of Indian Cinema in 2013, ''Lamhe'' featured among the ''Top Ten Romantic Movies Of 100 Years''.<ref>{{cite web|last=Yahoo|title=Top 10 romantic movies|url=http://in.movies.yahoo.com/photos/top-10-romantic-movies-slideshow/top-10-romantic-movies-photo-1328685356.html|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120302194504/http://in.movies.yahoo.com/photos/top-10-romantic-movies-slideshow/top-10-romantic-movies-photo-1328685356.html|archive-date=2 March 2012|df=dmy-all}}</ref>

At the [[39th National Film Awards]], the film won [[National Film Award for Best Costume Design|Best Costume Design]]. At the [[37th Filmfare Awards]], the film received a leading 13 nominations and won a leading 5 awards – [[Filmfare Award for Best Film|Best Film]], [[Filmfare Award for Best Actress|Best Actress]] (Sridevi), [[Filmfare Award for Best Performance in a Comic Role|Best Comic Actor]] (Kher), [[Filmfare Award for Best Story|Best Story]] (Irani) and [[Filmfare Award for Best Dialogue|Best Dialogue]] (Masoom Raza).

== Plot ==
A young Virendra Pratap Singh a.k.a. Viren ([[Anil Kapoor]]) comes to [[Rajasthan]], [[India]] for the first time, where he is greeted by his governess Durgadevi, affectionately called Dai Jaa ([[Waheeda Rehman]]). His late parents had migrated to [[London]], [[United Kingdom]] before he was born. Initially, Viren is put off by the hot weather and the customs of the region, but soon begins to respect the place and the people. Soon, he meets the beautiful Pallavi Thakur ([[Sridevi]]) and falls in love with her. Pallavi is the daughter of businessman Kothiwale Thakur ([[Manohar Singh]]), who had helped Viren's late father when his business was suffering. Viren and Pallavi become friends. However, upon noticing Viren's feelings for Pallavi, Dai Jaa indicates that Pallavi is older than him, which does not bother Viren.

After losing a legal dispute involving his property, Pallavi's aghast father dies of a heart attack before handing over Pallavi's responsibility to Viren. Pallavi goes into depression. Viren comes to console her at her father's mourning ceremony, but is shocked to find her run towards Siddharth Kumar Bhatnagar (Deepak Malhotra), an airplane pilot and the only man whom she loves. Viren is heartbroken, but reluctantly arranges Pallavi and Siddharth's wedding with the support of his childhood friend, Prem Anand ([[Anupam Kher]]), and Dai Jaa. After the wedding, Viren sadly moves back to London along with Prem, while Siddharth reveals Viren's feelings for Pallavi, which he had witnessed through his gestures at Pallavi's father's mourning ceremony.

A year later, tragedy strikes when Viren arrives in India after he gets the news of Siddharth and the pregnant Pallavi, unfortunately, being killed in a major car accident, but not before Pallavi gives birth to a baby girl, Pooja, in the hospital. The traumatized Viren sorrowfully performs Pallavi's last rites along with Dai Jaa, and returns to London with his heart filled with grief, after he entrusts Dai Jaa in the upbringing of Pooja.

In London, Viren spends time with his childhood friend, Prem Anand ([[Anupam Kher]]), and over the course of time, slowly gets back to reality and makes new friends, including a girlfriend, Anita (Dippy Sagoo). He visits Rajasthan every year for Pallavi's death anniversary and to also deliver birthday gifts for the young Pooja. He never spends time with Pooja because she was born the same day Pallavi died and the pain and the trauma of her death is still fresh in his mind.

20 years later, the now middle-aged Viren comes back to India for Pallavi's death anniversary and is shocked to see the now grown-up Pooja (also [[Sridevi]]) a spitting image of her mother. Viren feels that destiny is playing a cruel game with him, but still invites Pooja and Dai Jaa to his home in London. During their visit to London, Pooja develops a happy-go-lucky friendship with Prem and they implement childish ways to motivate Viren into enjoying life afresh. Pooja and Dai Jaa also meet Anita, who realizes how Pooja must be a constant reminder of Pallavi, and tells Viren that he should be ashamed of having feelings for a considerably younger woman, due to the fact that she resembles her late mother whom he loved. Meanwhile, Prem understands how much Pooja is attached to Viren, but is skeptical since Viren is still living in the past in the memories of Pallavi.

However, things take a turn when Pooja comes across Pallavi's pencil sketch made by Viren and believes it to be her own portrait when it is actually of her mother. She confesses her love for Viren, but a furious Viren reveals that he actually loved her mother. A humiliated Pooja tells Dai Jaa that she wants to return to India. After Pooja and Dai Jaa's departure, Prem advises a confused Viren to confront his feelings for Pooja, pointing out that Pallavi was the one who never loved him but Siddharth, while Pooja is the one who is Pallavi and "Siddharth's" daughter and has always loved him more than anyone else.

Back home, Dai Jaa persuades Pooja to get married, but she agrees on one condition that Viren must get married first. When Dai Jaa calls to let Viren know that Pooja has agreed to marry once Viren ties the knot, Viren agrees to marry Anita. Upon learning this, Pooja tells Dai Jaa that she never wants to marry. Back in London, Viren and Prem are wondering why Dai Jaa is postponing her visit to London. They decide to go to India and surprise her. Upon arriving, Dai Jaa tells Viren and Prem that Pooja has vowed not to marry. At her nightly sound-and-light show in Rajasthan, Viren confronts Pooja and reveals that he never wanted to marry Anita, since he had realised that he has developed feelings for Pooja due to her uniqueness, not because of her resemblance with Pallavi, and for the first time in life, Viren confesses his true love for Pooja and the two embrace as Prem and Dai Jaa happily walk into the scene. In the end, Viren and Pooja get married and move back to London.

== Cast ==
* [[Anil Kapoor]] as Virendra Pratap Singh (a.k.a. Viren / Kunwarji)
* [[Sridevi]] as Pallavi Thakur Bhatnagar and Pooja Bhatnagar (as both mother and daughter in a dual rule)
* [[Waheeda Rehman]] as Durgadevi (a.k.a. Dai Jaa); Viren, and later, Pooja's governess
* [[Anupam Kher]] as Prem Anand; Viren's childhood friend
* Deepak Malhotra as Siddharth Kumar Bhatnagar; Pallavi's husband and Pooja's father
* Dippy Sagoo as Anita Malhotra; Viren's girlfriend
* [[Manohar Singh]] as Kothiwale Thakur; Pallavi's father
* [[Lalit Tiwari]] as Sudheshwar Narayan Tiwari
* Ila Arun as a folk dancer in the song "Chudiyan Khanak Gayi"
* Richa Pallod as Young Pooja
* Vikas Anand as Doctor Vikas; Pallavi's surgeon

== Music ==
The music was composed by [[Shiv Kumar Sharma]] and [[Hariprasad Chaurasia]] (together known as [[Shiv-Hari]]) and the lyrics were provided by [[Anand Bakshi]]. The song "Kabhi Main Kahoon" was made from a melody used as background music in Yash Chopra's ''[[Chandni (film)|Chandni]]'' (1989), also scored by Shiv-Hari. In the famous parody sequence, Waheeda Rehman danced to "Aaj Phir Jeene ki Tamanna Hai" – her iconic number from the all-time classic ''[[Guide (film)|Guide]]'' (1965).

The songs included on the official soundtrack are listed here:
{| class="wikitable"
|-
!Song
!Singer(s)
|-
|"Yeh Lamhe Yeh Pal"
|[[Hariharan (singer)|Hariharan]]
|-
|"Yeh Lamhe Yeh Pal" (Sad Version)
|Hariharan
|-
|"Mhaare Rajasthan Ma"
|Mohinuddin
|-
|"Mohe Chhedo Naa"
|[[Lata Mangeshkar]]
|-
|"Chudiyan Khanak Gayi" (contains excerpt of 'Mhaare Rajasthan Ma' in the introduction)
|Lata Mangeshkar, Moinuddin and [[Ila Arun]]
|-
|"Chudiyan Khanak Gayi" (Sad Version)
|Lata Mangeshkar
|-
|"Kabhi Main Kahoon"
|Lata Mangeshkar and Hariharan
|-
|"Megha Re Megha Re"
|Lata Mangeshkar and Ila Arun
|-
|"Yaad Nahin Bhool Gaya"
|Lata Mangeshkar and [[Suresh Wadkar]]
|-
|"Gudiya Rani"
|Lata Mangeshkar
|-
|"Meri Bindiya"
|Lata Mangeshkar
|-
|"Freak Out" (Parody Song)
|[[Pamela Chopra]] and [[Sudesh Bhosle]]
|-
|"Moments Of Rage" (Instrumental)
|Instrumental
|-
|"Moments Of Passion" (Instrumental)
|Instrumental
|}

== Reception, Analysis & Legacy ==
''Lamhe'' is one of the few films that picked up the [[Filmfare Award for Best Film]] despite its moderate business in India. ''Lamhe'' is also one of the biggest Bollywood hits in the overseas market and the video circuit. [[Sridevi]] received widespread critical acclaim for her double-role as mother and daughter, winning the [[Filmfare Award for Best Actress]] among others. It was also listed in ''Outlook'' magazine's list of All-Time Great Indian films.<ref name="outlook">{{cite web|title=Bollywood's Best Films |url=http://www.outlookindia.com/article.aspx?220089|publisher=outlookindia.com|access-date=15 May 2010}}</ref> It has been cited as Yash Chopra's personal favorite among his films.<ref name="Dwyer2002">{{cite book|author=Rachel Dwyer |title=Yash Chopra: fifty years in Indian cinema|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=UwVlAAAAMAAJ|access-date=31 March 2011 |year=2002|publisher=Lotus Collection|isbn=978-81-7436-234-6|page=160}}</ref> ''[[Times of India]]'' included it in its list of ''Top 10 Films of Yash Chopra'' describing it as "''a tale of love transcending the boundaries of time and space''"<ref>{{cite web|last=Times of India|title=Top 10 Films of Yash Chopra|url=http://photogallery.indiatimes.com/celebs/celeb-themes/top-10-films-of-yash-chopra/articleshow/16911367.cms}}</ref> while ''[[Rediff]]'' called it "Quite easily one of his most definitive films, Chopra surpassed his own findings of romance with the insightful, lovely ''Lamhe''."<ref name="ReferenceA">{{cite web|last=Rediff|title=The Very Best of Yash Chopra|url=http://www.rediff.com/movies/slide-show/slide-show-1-the-very-best-films-of-yash-chopra/20121022.htm}}</ref> Hrithik Sharma from ''El Viaje Reviews'' says "The cinematography is a treat to eyes. Editing is crisp but with nearly 3 hours of run-time, it requires patience to watch the whole film. Only Yash Chopra could create this bold and unheard story in a way, that otherwise would have not been received well."<ref name="El Viaje Reviews">{{cite web|last=El Viaje Reviews|title= Yash Chopra's Lamhe (1991) Review by Hrithik Sharma|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OpngcJbgQcY}}</ref>

Sridevi played both mother and daughter in what ''iDiva'' described as "another double-role but it was unlike any played before."<ref name="iDiva">{{cite web|last=iDiva|title=Sridevi – The Dancing Queen|url=http://idiva.com/photogallery-entertainment/sridevi-the-dancing-queen/8403}}</ref> Hailed by ''[[Rediff]]'' as "one of the most remarkable films of her career... often considered a film way ahead of its time",<ref name="http">{{cite web|last=Rediff|title=PIX: The Changing Faces of Sridevi|url=http://www.rediff.com/movies/slide-show/slide-show-1-pix-the-changing-faces-of-sridevi/20121009.htm}}</ref> Her performance brought her much acclaim with ''BizAsia'' stating that "Her rendition of both Pallavi and Pooja serves well in highlighting how versatile she is as an actress, playing contrasting characters in the same movie."<ref>{{cite web|last=bizAsia|title=Yash Chopra classic flashback: 'Lamhe' (1991)|url=http://www.media247.co.uk/showbiz/yash-chopra-classic-flashback-lamhe-1991|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130421020849/http://www.media247.co.uk/showbiz/yash-chopra-classic-flashback-lamhe-1991|archive-date=21 April 2013|df=dmy-all}}</ref> Speaking to [[Karan Johar]] about the making of ''Lamhe'', [[Yash Chopra]] revealed, "When 90% of the London schedule was over, tragedy happened. Sridevi's father died... She came back after 16 days and had to shoot a comedy scene... At that moment, she forgot everything and gave a wonderful scene. I understood that is the secret of her success... Why she is what she is."<ref>{{cite web|last=Yash Raj Films – YouTube|title=Yash Chopra in Conversation with Karan Johar – Lamhe|url=https://www.youtube.com/user/yrf}}</ref> Sridevi's folk dance number 'Morni Baga Ma' was placed among the '''Top 5 Songs of [[Yash Chopra]]''<nowiki/>' by ''[[Hindustan Times]]''.

Over the years, ''Lamhe'' has become a cult classic.<ref name="idiva.com">{{cite web|last=idiva.com|title=10 Must Watch Movies That Weren't Blockbusters |url=http://idiva.com/photogallery-entertainment/10-mustwatch-movies-that-werent-blockbusters/6659}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Yahoo|title=The Magical Years of Yash Chopra|url=http://goodtimes.ndtv.com/PhotoDetail.aspx?Page=1&ID=14019&AlbumType=PG#talk}}</ref> Critic Rachel Dwyer wrote in her biography of the film-maker "Yash Chopra's own favourite film, ''Lamhe'' ('''Moments''<nowiki/>', 1991), divided the audience on a class basis: it was hugely popular with metropolitan elites and the overseas market, which allowed it to break even, but it had a poor box-office response (especially the repeat audience) because of its supposed incest theme."<ref>{{cite web|last=Yash Raj Films|title=Yash Chopra – Biography|url=http://www.yashrajfilms.com/AboutUs/YRFTeam.aspx?SectionCode=PRO003BIO1}}</ref> ''[[The Hindu]]'' reported that "With shades of incest, ''Lamhe'' caused more than a flutter and remained the talk of the town"<ref>{{cite web|last=The Hindu|title=From Partition angst to romantic confection, his films had it all|url=http://www.thehindu.com/features/cinema/from-partition-angst-to-romantic-confection-his-films-had-it-all/article4019419.ece}}</ref> while Sridevi herself admitted in an interview with [[Rajeev Masand]] that she found the subject "too bold."<ref>{{cite web|publisher=CNN-IBN|title=Now Showing: Masand reviews 'Ek Tha Tiger', interviews Sridevi|url=http://ibnlive.in.com/videos/282674/now-showing-masand-reviews-ek-tha-tiger-interviews-sridevi.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120819020207/http://ibnlive.in.com/videos/282674/now-showing-masand-reviews-ek-tha-tiger-interviews-sridevi.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=2012-08-19}}</ref> ''[[Rediff]]'' described its failure as "one of those bizarre, unexplained moments of cinema."<ref name="ReferenceA" /> Many film analysts, including [[Vikram Bhatt]], felt that ''Lamhe'' was ahead of its time and if released at a later period, would have been a success.<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Hb83FwNGuR4C&pg=PA342 |title=Producing Bollywood: Inside the Contemporary Hindi Film Industry |last=Ganti |first=Tejaswini |publisher=Duke University Press |year=2012 |pages=342|isbn=978-0822352136 }}</ref>

== Awards ==
;[[39th National Film Awards]]
*[[National Film Award for Best Costume Design|Best Costume Design]] – [[Neeta Lulla]], Kachins & Leena Daru

;[[37th Filmfare Awards]]<ref name=Filmfare>[http://deep750.googlepages.com/FilmfareAwards.pdf 1st Filmfare Awards 1953]</ref>
'''Won'''
* [[Filmfare Award for Best Film|Best Film]] – [[Yash Chopra]]
* [[Filmfare Award for Best Actress|Best Actress]] – [[Sridevi]]
* [[Filmfare Award for Best Performance in a Comic Role|Best Comedian]] – [[Anupam Kher]]
* [[Filmfare Award for Best Story|Best Story]] – [[Honey Irani]]
* [[Filmfare Award for Best Dialogue|Best Dialogue]] – [[Rahi Masoom Reza]]

'''Nominated'''
* [[Filmfare Award for Best Director|Best Director]] – Yash Chopra
* [[Filmfare Award for Best Actor|Best Actor]] – [[Anil Kapoor]]
*[[Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress|Best Supporting Actress]] – [[Waheeda Rehman]]
* [[Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actor|Best Supporting Actor]] – [[Anupam Kher]]
* [[Filmfare Award for Best Music Director|Best Music]] – [[Shiv-Hari]]
* [[Filmfare Award for Best Lyricist|Best Lyrics]] – [[Anand Bakshi]] for "Kabhi Main Kahoon"
* [[Filmfare Award for Best Male Playback Singer|Best Playback Singer – Male]] – [[Hariharan (singer)|Hariharan]] for "Kabhi Main Kahoon"
* [[Filmfare Award for Best Cinematography|Best Cinematography]] – [[Manmohan Singh (film director)|Manmohan Singh]]

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==
* {{IMDb title|id=0102258|title=Lamhe}}
* Bonobology.com: [https://www.bonobology.com/movies-lead-characters-huge-age-difference "6 Bollywood movies where the lead characters have had a huge age difference"]

{{FilmfareAwardBestFilm 1991–2010}}
{{Yash Chopra}}

[[Category:1991 films]]
[[Category:1990s Hindi-language films]]
[[Category:Indian films]]
[[Category:Films directed by Yash Chopra]]
[[Category:Yash Raj Films films]]
[[Category:Films set in Rajasthan]]
[[Category:Films shot in India]]
[[Category:Films shot in London]]
[[Category:Indian romantic drama films]]
[[Category:1991 romantic drama films]]
[[Category:Films scored by Shiv-Hari]]
[[Category:Films that won the Best Costume Design National Film Award]]
[[Category:Sexuality and age in fiction]]

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