Moments of truth

Plot: Actress Sana Azim (Kangana Ranaut) is at the peak of her career. The media loves to shred her to bits, while fans can’t get enough of her. Working under the constant glare of her boyfriend Nikhil (debutant Shaad Randhawa) who lives off her fame, Sana’s life takes an unusual twist when she meets filmmaker Aditya Garewal (Shiney Ahuja). Ambitious and completely unpredictable, Aditya decides to cast Sana in his film. After their first meeting, Sana is instantly drawn to his unusual charm. The pragmatic Aditya finds it hard to accept that he too is falling for her. As time goes by and they get closer, he realises that Sana is suffering from chronic schizophrenia, a condition that’s difficult to diagnose and treat.Where does his love go from here? Veering towards suicide and self-destruction, Sana is on the verge of completely losing her mind. Beginning in the present day, the film takes a flashback route in telling the story.Acting: It’s difficult portrayiing a character based on a non-fictitious person. Especially when the person was a hugely popular actress, who still remains an enigma, who’s marvelled at but who’s mystery remains unraveled. Kangana has taken on the daunting challenge of stepping into Parveen Babi’s shoes with courage and lots of conviction.She could either have made a complete fool of herself, or given the performance of a lifetime. Mohit Suri’s vision slots her in the latter category. She may have made her debut in Gangster, but Woh Lamhe is where we see the actor beneath her skin emerge and fill up the screen. The stark, piercing eyes on a face with child-like innocence give her an edge no other actor can manage. Her diction may still be weak, but there’s no doubt that Kangana has the potential to deliver. Shaad Randhawa’s debut is fairly impressive. He should avoid being typecast in negative roles after this film. Shiney has already proved he’s a great actor with Hazaaron Khwaishien Aisi and as Aditya, he’s completely at ease with his character. His gradual transformation from a self-centered man to someone willing to give up his life for another, is brilliant. Don’t be surprised if you see this pair being repeated in films to follow. Purab Kohli is extremely likeable as Shiney’s sidekick.What’s hot: You are bound to have pre-conceived notions about the film, since there is so much debate about its subject matter. However, this works in the film’s favour, as it plays on your expectations, building it up to a climax that doesn’t fall flat. The script, dialogues and the editing is impressive. Barring a few scenes, the film is tight and fast-paced. Mohit has definitely evolved as a director and played with the lighting, camera and other technical aspects. What’s not: This isn’t a thriller, though it has certain elements of it in its storyline. What was with Sana roaming and gallivanting the streets of Goa without being identified by the locals? Bottomline: Forget the tapes and the debate. Watch Woh Lamhe because it tells you a simple story: that of an actress so beautiful and mesmerising that when her life turned upside down, even her shadow refused to walk with her.