The 'Deewar' falls

But are they still strong enough — both physically and mentally — to accomplish this arduous task? This is the question which “Deewar” tries to answer over three hours.

The film is a tribute to those Indian soldiers whose contribution in the 1971 war went ignored. It is also a tribute to a Hollywood classic, “The Great Escape”. However, the movie fails to sustain the viewer’s interest. It takes a long time to take off.

If you are trying to escape from a maximum-security prison, would you do it in broad daylight, when the guards are fresh and alert, or does the cover provided by night seem a better option?

Logic would indicate that after 18 unsuccessful escape attempts, the inmates led by Major Ranvir Kaul (Amitabh Bachchan), would choose the right option. But the makers of Deewaar - Let's Bring Our Heroes Home would have us think otherwise.

On the positive side, there is an impressive performance by K.K. Menon as the prison in-charge.

Amitabh Bachchan and Sanjay Dutt have also done a good job but there was not much to do for Amrita Rao.

Akshay Khanna’s work is average. The songs don’t fit in the script and obstruct the flow of the story. Music composer Adesh Srivastava and lyricist Nusrat Badr have done a commendable job in “Le ke aayeen hain...”

The set of the prison is quite realistic and worth the huge amount spent on it. The director — Milan Luthria of “Kachche Dhage” and “Chori Chori” fame — has made an attempt to deal with a sensitive and delicate issue. However, he has not been able to exploit the full potential of the subject.