Film: Deewar: Let’s Bring the Heroes Home

Director: Milan Luthria

Cast: Amitabh Bachchan, Sanjay Dutt, Akshaye Khanna, Kay Kay

Rating: **

It’s certainly no great escape. Escapism, though, is more like it. The film is high on mawkish scenes, implausible scenarios, poor characters and a really soppy romance. Did someone say escape? Yes, you need it badly.

Decaying for decades in a Pakistan jail is a group of Indian POWs, led by a Major (Bachchan), who we are told keeps trying jailbreaks. Next we get to see some really ingenious MO – like setting a guard afire by hurling a burning lighter and some chemical on his face!

His son (Akshaye Khanna) – who hears of his father being alive through another prisoner who escaped – is even more ingenious. He pretends to be dead near the Indo-Pak border, so that his body is taken to the border for identification. Later, he sneaks into Pakistan, carrying an ergonomic bag with space enough for a toothbrush.

The ingenious plan