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By Taran Adarsh, September 29, 2006 - 15:00 IST
 Parveen Babi. The very mention of the name conjures
images of a star who made news when alive and who hit
headlines when she met with an isolated, solitary
demise.
Her relationship with Mahesh Bhatt at their prime was
fodder for gossip mills then. The party circuit as
well as the studios reverberated with tales of this
relationship. But not many knew how stormy this
relationship was. Bhatt unravels yet another chapter
of his life -- his relationship with Babi -- in WOH
LAMHE…
While Bhatt maintains that the story is based on
factual incidents, you take it on face-value for the
simple reason because what transpired between two
individuals behind closed doors is something only they
know. At the same time, if Bhatt claims that WOH LAMHE…
is a true account from start to end, no work of
fiction, then there are certain sequences that do
raise your doubts vis-à-vis Bhatt's claims.
As a cinematic experience, WOH LAMHE… is an intense
love story, a bit complicated, but deftly executed
nonetheless by talented Mohit Suri. Mohit's strength
lies in the fact that he narrates the troubled side of
a popular star with rare understanding, handling the
character with kid gloves and making it come alive on
screen.
Watch WOH LAMHE… not for any other reason but to carry
home a sad segment of a popular star's life, a glamour
queen who called the shots in the 1970s and early
1980s. It's a lump in the throat experience!
 In the glitzy entertainment capital of Mumbai as dusk
descends, famous actress Sana Azim [Kangana] slashes
her wrists in a hotel room, in an attempt to kill
herself. When this news reaches film-maker Aditya
Garewal [Shiny Ahuja], he is devastated. Aditya has
been searching for Sana, who was intensely involved
with Aditya and who had mysteriously disappeared from
his life without any explanation, three years ago,
only to surface now in what could be the last moments
of her life.
As Aditya waits outside the ICU in a death watch
situation, praying to be reunited with her, he is
hurled back into the perfumed days and champagne
nights of his memory, wherein Sana played the role of
both, lover and mentor to a struggling Aditya.
Everything was perfect, except for an enemy which
lurked in the shadows, waiting to destroy their love.
When Aditya realizes that the only way he can save
Sana from total devastation is to take her away from
Bollywood and the vested interests that threaten to
destroy her completely, he runs away with Sana putting
his career on the line. Those moments lived in the
sanctuary of their love are like an oasis in the
desert.
Until one day, suddenly, she disappears, leaving him
with unanswered questions. Why did she leave at the
very acme of their love, when there seemed to be hope?
What pushed her to attempt suicide? Will Aditya
finally be able to piece together the puzzle that has
been haunting him and almost destroyed him? And most
important of all, will he be reunited with his love?
A film like WOH LAMHE… is very difficult to make. It's
not one of those love stories where lovers meet,
separate and reunite in the end. This one's far more
complicated and that's a major responsibility on Mohit
Suri's young shoulders. It would've been easier for
Bhatt to open pages of his life's diary and narrate
the story himself since WOH LAMHE… happens to be a
chapter from his life after all. But it's tough for
someone who didn't go through the pain or was not even
remotely connected to present the turbulent phase in a
relationship. That's precisely why WOH LAMHE… works
because Mohit Suri narrates the story in the most
convincing manner.
 While WOH LAMHE… works in entirety, a few poignant
moments do make you sit up. Take the sequence at the
party [when Kangana throws her undergarment at Shiny]
and her rape by Shaad thereafter. It's a spine
chilling moment. The conflict between Kangana's mother
and Shiny at the hospital [discussing alternate
therapy: shock treatment] is another powerful
sequence. The birthday sequence in the second hour is
the ideal way to lead to the culmination, where
Kangana realizes that she needs help and walks out.
Any blemishes? Not really, except that the slow pacing
at times does irritate you. Also, one doesn't know
what really happens to Kangana after she runs away
from Goa. Some info on that front, even verbose,
would've only made the concluding reels stronger.
Mohit Suri takes giant strides as a storyteller. If
ZEHER and KALYUG reiterated the fact that Mohit knows
his job well, he climbs the ladder with WOH LAMHE…,
which is undoubtedly his finest effort so far. Mohit
gets abundant support from Shagufta Rafique's script.
The chronology of events never gives you time to blink
an eyelid. Dialogues too are wonderful and when
required, pithy.
Pritam's music is soft and easy on your ear drums. 'Kya
Mujhe Pyaar Hai' is already a rage, but there are
morel harmonious compositions as well. Cinematography
[Bobby Singh] is excellent. The D.O.P. lends the right
colors to the story.
WOH LAMHE… rests on two power-packed performances:
Kangana and Shiny. Kangana gets the role of a lifetime
in her second film itself and the actor sinks her
teeth into it and delivers an astounding performance.
If you've ever interacted with Parveen Babi, even
briefly, you'd see a replica of the glamorous star in
Kangana. Her styling is also excellent.
If you think there's not much space for any other
actor since WOH LAMHE… is primarily a Kangana film,
watch Shiny's performance here. Yes, he impressed us
in H.K.A. and GANGSTER, but this one's the most
difficult part he's got so far and his performance
only accentuates the proceedings.
Debutante Shaad Randhawa springs a pleasant surprise
in a negative role. The length of his character may
not be substantial enough, but his performance more
than makes up for it. Another talent from Vishesh
Films to watch out for!
 Masumeh as Rani, Kangana's 'hallucination', is
first-rate. Her look and her dark makeup ignite the
screen every time she appears. Purab Kohli is
competent. The actresses enacting the role of
Kangana's mother and also Shiny's friend [Salomi] are
tremendous too. Sandeep Sikand as Hamida, Kangana's
makeup man, is good.
On the whole, WOH LAMHE… is a well-made emotional film
that lingers in your memory even after it's over.
There are many lamhe in WOH LAMHE… that you carry in
your heart and that's why the film works for the
moviegoer. At the box-office, this one has the power
to go from strength to strength, show-wise and
day-wise. Business at multiplexes should be bountiful.
Rating:- * * * 1/2
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