Lamhaa
title: "Lamhaa" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["2010s-hindi-language-films", "2010-action-thriller-films", "2010-films", "films-set-in-jammu-and-kashmir", "films-shot-in-mumbai", "films-directed-by-rahul-dholakia", "indian-action-thriller-films", "films-scored-by-sanjoy-chowdhury", "kashmir-conflict-in-films", "hindi-language-action-thriller-films", "pvr-inox-pictures-films", "films-distributed-by-pvr-inox-pictures"] topic_path: "arts" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lamhaa" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0
::data[format=table title="Infobox film"]
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| image | Lamhaa poster.jpg |
| alt | |
| caption | Theatrical release poster |
| director | Rahul Dholakia |
| producer | Bunty Walia |
| Juspreet Singh Walia | |
| screenplay | Rahul Dholakia |
| starring | Sanjay Dutt |
| Bipasha Basu | |
| Anupam Kher | |
| Kunal Kapoor | |
| music | Songs: |
| Mithoon | |
| Background Score: | |
| Sanjoy Chowdhury | |
| cinematography | James Fowlds |
| editing | Ashmith Kunder |
| Akshay R. Mohan | |
| released | |
| runtime | 135 minutes |
| country | India |
| language | Hindi |
| :: |
| image = Lamhaa poster.jpg | alt = | caption = Theatrical release poster | director = Rahul Dholakia | producer = Bunty Walia Juspreet Singh Walia | screenplay = Rahul Dholakia | starring = Sanjay Dutt Bipasha Basu Anupam Kher Kunal Kapoor | music = Songs: Mithoon Background Score: Sanjoy Chowdhury | cinematography = James Fowlds | editing = Ashmith Kunder Akshay R. Mohan | released = | runtime = 135 minutes | country = India | language = Hindi | budget = | gross = Lamhaa () is a 2010 Indian Hindi-language action thriller film written and directed by Rahul Dholakia. It stars Sanjay Dutt, Bipasha Basu, Anupam Kher, and Kunal Kapoor in the leading roles. The film follows an Indian Army officer sent undercover to find the culprit behind extremist attacks in Kashmir, where he is helped by the daughter of a separatist leader. The film was released on 16 July 2010.
Plot
Indian Military Intelligence assigns their agent, Vikram Sabharwal, to travel to Kashmir. There he is to locate the person(s) behind the violence, under the guise of a press reporter, Gul Jahangir. Once there, he begins his investigation by visiting highly sensitive areas such as the Jama Masjid, Dardpura Village, and Rainawari Chowk. He is accompanied by a tailor, Char Chinar, who sells uniforms to both militants and military soldiers. Vikram meets up with Aziza Abbas Ansari, her mentor, Haji Sayyed Shah, and aspiring political leader, Aatif Hussain. And it is after these meetings that he will conclude who is behind the extremism in this beautiful yet 'most dangerous place on Earth'.
Cast
- Sanjay Dutt as Vikram Sabharwal / Gul
- Bipasha Basu as Aziza
- Kunal Kapoor as Aatif
- Shernaz Patel as Parveena
- Yashpal Sharma as Rauf
- Vishwajeet Pradhan as Daljeet
- Vipin Sharma as Colonel Kapoor
- Yuri Suri as Pasha
- Anupam Kher as Haji
- Asif Basra Chsr Chinar
- Rajesh Khera as Parvez
- Murli Sharma as Dhruv Raina
- Jyoti Dogra as Badi Bi
- Denzil Smith as Brigadier Sharma
- Ehsaan Khan as SP Khan
- Ashish Vidyarthi as Sultan Hameed Khan.
- Mahesh Manjrekar as Peer Baba
- Harry Josh as Yeshwant
- Vineet Sharma as Maj Deepak Rampal
Production
Casting
Karisma Kapoor was finalised to play the female lead, but she opted out at the last minute because she feared shooting in the troubled Kashmir Valley where a significant part was going to be shot. Bipasha Basu, Ameesha Patel and Sonam Kapoor were considered for the same role, and Basu was finalised to play the female lead.
Filming and post-production
Filming began in Kashmir on 25 October 2008. During November 2008, Bipasha Basu left the shooting hours before Sanjay Dutt landed in Srinagar to start shooting with her — without informing the unit. They decided to shoot the action sequences in Manali instead. After her abrupt departure, producer Bunty Walia and director Rahul Dholakia asked Basu to arrive on the set on 4 January 2009 and that they would cast Vidya Balan as a replacement in case she does not comply. Basu then arrived on the specified date after security arrangements were tightened and explained that she got scared in Kashmir after the crowd gathering became uncontrollable.
In May 2009, Rahul Dholakia collapsed on the sets and shooting was delayed up to 25 May after doctors advised Dholakia bed rest for one month. Eventually the entire film was shot in sets of Kashmir erected in Film City, Mumbai, for which production designer Wasiq Khan brought in two truckloads of chinar tree leaves from Kashmir.
Critical reception
Lamhaa received mixed reviews from critics.
Sukanya Verma of Rediff rated it 3/5 and said, "Ultimately, Lamhaa's relevance lies in its ability to give you an overview, even if it's a crammed one, about the ugliness of greed and intolerance through the example of Kashmir." Nikhat Kazmi of Times of India rated it 3.5/5 saying, "Lamhaa is a no-holds-barred look at the multi-layered turmoil in Kashmir, with so many real-life references that you end up with just one conclusion: now here's a real film about a real problem."
Mayank Shekhar of the Hindustan Times rated it 2/5 and said, "It's not easy to make sense of Kashmir. It's harder still then to make sense of this film."
Soundtrack
The songs featured in the film are given by Mithoon with lyrics by Sayeed Quadri and Amitabh Varma.
Track listing
| extra_column = Singer(s) | title1 = Madno Re | extra1 = Kshitij Tarey, Chinmayi | music1 = Mithoon | length1 = 8:26 | title2 = Main Kaun Hoon | extra2 = Palash Sen | music2 = Mithoon | length2 = 7:12 | title3 = Rehmat Zara | extra3 = Mithoon, Mohammad Irfan Ali | music3 = Mithoon | length3 = 5:24 | title4 = Sajnaa | extra4 = Mika Singh, Chinmayi | music4 = Mithoon | length4 = 8:26 | title5 = Salaam Zindagi | extra5 = Mohammad Irfan Ali, Arun Daga, Saleem | music5 = Mithoon | length5 = 6:56 | title6 = Zameen O Aasmaan | extra6 = Kshitij Tarey | music6 = Mithoon | length6 = 5:53
Controversy
Lamhaa was banned in Pakistan and all GCC countries like Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, UAE and Oman. UAE National Media Council Censorship Board felt that the content of the movie is highly objectionable and controversial.
Earlier, the film's screening was cancelled in Kashmir amid the tense atmosphere. The producer didn't want to be insensitive to the sentiments of the Kashmiri people. The producer, Walia, commented, "There are no scenes that they want me to remove from the film. They have outrightly refused to screen Lamhaa. [...] This news has really dampened my spirits. The Middle East is a huge market for Bollywood movies these days, and we could suffer a huge setback because of this ban. There is definitely a lot of money at stake that could have been recovered from that region, but more than that, I am sad that the audience there can't see a film like 'Lamhaa'."
The Indian censor board passed the movie with an A certificate after two edits were made.
Accolades
::data[format=table]
| Award Ceremony | Category | Recipient | Result | Ref.(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3rd Mirchi Music Awards | Upcoming Male Vocalist of The Year | Mohammed Irfan - "Salaam Zindagi" | rowspan=2 | |
| Song representing Sufi tradition | "Rehmat Zara" | |||
| :: |
References
References
- "Movie Details: Lamhaa". amcentertainment.com.
- Vickey Lalwani. "Darr!". [[Mumbai Mirror]].
- Subhash K Jha. "Safe sets?". [[Mumbai Mirror]].
- Subhash K Jha. ""We can't understand why Bipasha left the shoot suddenly" – Bunty Walia". [[Bollywood Hungama]].
- Subhash K Jha. "Come back, Guys!". [[Mumbai Mirror]].
- Vickey Lalwani. "Will Bipasha lose out to Vidya?". [[Mumbai Mirror]].
- Runna Ashish Bhutda. "Back to Kashmir!". [[Mumbai Mirror]].
- Subhash K Jha. "Bipasha returns to Kashmir for Lamhaa under tight security arrangements". [[Bollywood Hungama]].
- Kunal M Shah. "Stress-busted". [[Mumbai Mirror]].
- (10 September 2011). "My fake slum toilet made people puke". [[Tehelka]].
- Verma, Sukanya. "Lamhaa: One of the Best Kashmir films so far". Rediff.
- Kazmi, Nikhat. (15 July 2010). "Lamhaa: Movie Review". Times of India.
- Shekhar, Mayank. "Review: ''Lamhaa''". Hindustan Times.
- (12 June 2010). "Lamhaa – Music Review".
- "Lamhaa banned in UAE for objectionable content". FilmyFair.
- "Lamhaa's Srinagar premiere cancelled". Hindustan Times.
- "Protests in Kashmir as Lamhaa gears up for release". Hindustan Times.
- "'Lamhaa' banned in Middle East: Bunty Walia". MSN.
- Roshmila Bhattacharya. "Bipasha Basu's film banned in Middle East". Hindustan Times.
- (2011-01-30). "Nominees - Mirchi Music Award Hindi 2010".
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