Plot
Shikara
opens
with
the
main
protagonist
Dr
Shiv
Kumar
Dhar
typing
a
letter
for
the
President
of
United
States
to
imbue
his
feelings
as
a
Kashmiri
Pandit.
Soon,
in
flashback,
we
are
introduced
to
Shiv
and
his
wife
Shanti's
(Sadia) younger
days
in
the
valley
of
Kashmir.
We
get
a
glimpse
into
how
their
blossoming
romance
culminates
into
marriage.
Things
are
bright
for
the
Dhar
couple.
Until
they
are
struck
with
the
horrific
exodus
of
Kashmiri
Pandits
in
January
19,
1990.
Left
with
no
other
choice,
Shiv
and
Shanti
are
forced
to flee
their
homeland
and seek
refuge
at
a
camp
in
Jammu,
with
the
promise
that
they
will
return
back
to
their
home
in
Kashmir
some
day.
Direction
The
film
is
quite
close
to
Vidhu
Vinod
Chopra's
heart
since
his
family
was
one
amongst
the
many
who
left
the
Kashmir
valley
after
Islamists
begin
to
target
the
Kashmiri
Pandits
there.
While
the
filmmaker
steers
clear
of
melodrama
and
sensationalism
in
his
story-telling
narrative,
he
fails
to
bring
the
untold
facet
of
the horrific
evacuation
of
Kashmiri
Pandits.
The
clinical
approach
when
it
comes
to
the
story-telling
fails
to
create
a
powerful
impact
as
it
should
have.
Performances
Debutants
Aadil
Khan
and
Sadia
look
confident
on
the
big
screen.
While
the
former
brings
in
an
intensity-fuelled
performance,
the
latter's
infectious
smile
lits
up
the
screen.
Watch
out
for
the
scenes
where
Sadia's
Shanti
cooks
roghan
josh.
The
first
time,
her
face
lits
up
with
joy
when
she
prepares
the
delicacy
in
their
Srinagar
house.
However,
she
sheds
some
silent
tears
when
she
prepares
it
for
the
second
time
in
their
'eight
by
eight' quarter
in
Jammu
refugee
camp.
Technical
Aspects
Rangarajan
Ramabadran's
cinematography
beautifully
captures
the
changing
landscape
and
mood
of
the
Valley.
Vidhu
Vinod
Chopra
and
Shikar
Misra's
editing
could
have
been
tighter.
Music
'Ae
Wadi
Shehzadi',
'Ghar
Bhara
Sa
Lage' and
'Mar
Jaayein
Hum'
touch
your
hearts
with
the
beautiful
lyrics
and
soul-stirring
music.
A.
R
Rahman
and
Qutub-E-Kripa's
music
score
adds
layers
to
the
narrative.
Verdict
With
the
focus
more
on
the
lead
pair's
love
story
rather
than
the
ordeal
of
the
homeless
Kashmiri
Pandits
post
the
mass
evacuation,
Vidhu
Vinod
Chopra's
Shikara
ends
up
as
a
love
letter
to
Kashmir
in
faint
ink.
Further,
despite
a
sluggish
pace,
it's
Aadil
Khan
and
Sadia's
matured
performances
which
holds
your
attention.
We
give
3
stars
out
of
5
for
Vidhu
Vinod
Chopra's
Shikara.