I have read Rahul's superb book. And I have watched this movie with same expectation. But both are contrasting. Either Rahul has lied in this story or in his book. You can't justify a genocide through a love story. Shame!
738 Reviews
Unfair
joshijayrajp7 February 2020
Total unfair with Kashmiri Pandits. When you say based on true events, why hide the truth? This movie is simply trying earn money based on the current topic and nothing else
Cinematography is good, but you can watch Kashmir documentaries for that instead of going for this movie.
Cinematography is good, but you can watch Kashmir documentaries for that instead of going for this movie.
Fails to capitalise on the issue of Kashmiri Pandit exodus and turns into a love story
msunando21 October 2021
Dr. Shiv Kumar Dhar and his wife Shanti have spent 28 long years in a refugee camp having been a part of the Kashmiri Pandits' exodus from the valley in 1990. They had to abandon their beautiful dream home "Shikara" when friends turned foes and Hindus were mercilessly persecuted claiming that they belong to India, and Kashmir must be left to the Muslims. Shiv has patiently written to the consecutive US Presidents with the hope that one day, one of them will pay heed to his pleas and help restore his homeland to the thousands of displaced Pandits who still live in abject poverty and hardships.
Being a Vidhu Vinod Chopra film, I had my expectations from Shikara quite high. After intense films like Parinda, 1942...., Eklavya and Mission Kashmir that he directed, Shikara comes across as nothing more than a tender love story with the backdrop of the Kashmir problem and the associated Hindu exodus, completely lacking the intensity and sensitivity to the issue. Although there are a few poignant moments like when the Dhars have to leave behind their beloved home or when the entire refugee camp clamouring for a tomato to eat, the film steers clear of showcasing the hardships of living in the sad conditions or efforts needed to rebuild lives. Instead, it focuses on the soft personalities of Shiv and Shanti and to what extent the former shall go to fulfil the promise he made to his wife to take her to Taj Mahal. Shikara soft pedals the political and communal problems and in the process, loses an opportunity to rise above the ordinary. The histrionics aren't anything great to talk about, as the roles have been played by common people impacted by the exodus and not commercial actors. Shikara isn't in the same league as Vidhu Vinod Chopra's classics, in terms of overall filmmaking as well as storytelling.
Being a Vidhu Vinod Chopra film, I had my expectations from Shikara quite high. After intense films like Parinda, 1942...., Eklavya and Mission Kashmir that he directed, Shikara comes across as nothing more than a tender love story with the backdrop of the Kashmir problem and the associated Hindu exodus, completely lacking the intensity and sensitivity to the issue. Although there are a few poignant moments like when the Dhars have to leave behind their beloved home or when the entire refugee camp clamouring for a tomato to eat, the film steers clear of showcasing the hardships of living in the sad conditions or efforts needed to rebuild lives. Instead, it focuses on the soft personalities of Shiv and Shanti and to what extent the former shall go to fulfil the promise he made to his wife to take her to Taj Mahal. Shikara soft pedals the political and communal problems and in the process, loses an opportunity to rise above the ordinary. The histrionics aren't anything great to talk about, as the roles have been played by common people impacted by the exodus and not commercial actors. Shikara isn't in the same league as Vidhu Vinod Chopra's classics, in terms of overall filmmaking as well as storytelling.
Totally wrong depiction .
buntyaggarwal7 February 2020
This movie shows nothing what happened in Kashmir. Muslims killed thousands of kashmiri pandits in kashmir and exiled them from kashmir. Totally unreal movie far from facts and what happened that night . Bad direction totally waste of money.
An Utter Disrespect of people's emotions
mukslucky7 February 2020
I was waiting for this movie as the story of Kashmiri Pandits have been untold forever. It was expected that vidhu vinod chopra would bring some ground reality to table in a convincing way. But i was not only disappointed but heartbroken, movie is just another stupid love story with kashmir crisis as background. It tells nothing of the harsh reality and about the religious ideology and cross border terrorism which caused lakhs of kashmiri pandits to flee their home and still unable to return. This was not expected from Vidhu Vinod Chopra.
Narratives unjust to Kashmiri Pandits-
vshanoj7 February 2020
Watching this movie makes your blood boil, especially when you see this from a KPs perspective. This movie doesn't portray the actual trauma and sufferings and how it unfolded.. Director and screenplay is very biased and a sensuous theme used for commercial gains only.
Imagination of vv chopra
ridersunnysingh7 February 2020
Very poor movie
drshahmilind7 February 2020
Highly misunderstood masterpiece
faraz001822 April 2020
Movie totally focus on husband and wife who survive attacks on them and even after all the injustice happen to them they stay calm and happy about having each other. Movie highly shows that you can live your life without rage and revenge happily even after all the injustice happen to you and die in peace without any regret.
Down to earth and beautiful concept.
Propaganda film.
umleshsharma7 February 2020
This movie is funded by d gang for sure to hide barabic Islamic genocide of Kashmiri Pandit. Just like Mission Kashmir this movie has hide the real cause behind genocide. Kashimiri padits sue the makers and writers of this movie.
Beautiful movie
manishbansal-758354 April 2020
Good movie but...
sunildaswaney-6364226 May 2020
Everything was good about the film except that the filmmaker should have placed much more emphasis on why the Kashmiri Pundits were thrown out from Kashmir and why did the Government of the day not do anything about remedying the situation at that time and beyond.Why was one community allowed to suffer so much of continuous pain,misery and frustration at this very inhumane treatment from everyone including the Government at that time and future Governments?With a topic like this the movie needed to be be very hard hitting which was not the case with this motion picture!
Propaganda to hide reality of islamic extremism..!!!1
nitinid7 February 2020
Absolute rubbish
soma-980137 February 2020
So they put a love story in such a movie where they were supposed to show the atrocities happened to kashmiri pandits. They belittle the massacre of kashmiri pandits this joke of a love story. Very shameful, I do not suggest anyone to watch this movie.
Propaganda Movie
tejasw-019787 February 2020
Shikara a total messed up movie
mainakmallick7 February 2020
Absolutely disappointed
greatnivedita7 February 2020
I am so disappointed with this movie. Vidhu Vinod chopra has so tried to white wash everything and make it a politically correct movie. It looks like his fear of controversy and being tagged as a Hindu Fanatic has made him completely bypassed what actually happened to Kashmiri Pandits. As a filmmaker and a Kashmiri Pandit himself, it was his responsibility to show the truth to the world, convey the pain of Kashmiri Pandits. But what he did was taking advantage of countries current scenario and earn bucks. If James Cameron came to know that he has completely hidden the trauma they went through, he would review it differently. If I am so disappointed, I can't imagine how the grief stricken Kashmiri Pandits would be.
Waste of time
kiwifigo7 February 2020
A story never told has finally been told on mass-media for the masses
perkyjazz19 April 2020
I see a lot of angry reviews here. The ire might be justified but what I would request the critics to consider this. That somebody has finally had the guts to pick a such a critical never-told story and presented it to masses. Finally. How many people of India were aware of this brutal event. On international circuit, it has never been even acknowledged.
The presentation is sugar-coated and flowery but why should this be the first time that anybody tells the story. Why do not some of you bunch up and hire a director to tell your story the way you think would convey the whole truth?
I believe that the story will now be re-told as a comment or critique to the narration of this film. So this film needs to given its due for at least scratching the surface.
My biggest disappointment with the movie is that the filmmaker could not find a Kashmiri pandit actors to essay the roles. I love the actors and they did a really good job in their roles, I think, but when the whole world is rife with conversation on cultural mis/appropriation, the point needs to be made.
The presentation is sugar-coated and flowery but why should this be the first time that anybody tells the story. Why do not some of you bunch up and hire a director to tell your story the way you think would convey the whole truth?
I believe that the story will now be re-told as a comment or critique to the narration of this film. So this film needs to given its due for at least scratching the surface.
My biggest disappointment with the movie is that the filmmaker could not find a Kashmiri pandit actors to essay the roles. I love the actors and they did a really good job in their roles, I think, but when the whole world is rife with conversation on cultural mis/appropriation, the point needs to be made.
Victim Shaming
swagat-647427 February 2020
Strong performances uplift this slow-paced film
KARIM0074 April 2020
It has been 30 years since the exodus of Kashmiri Pandits when over 4 lakh families were rendered homeless. Filmmaker Vidhu Vinod Chopra's mother was also among those who could never return to Kashmir.
The background score by A R Rahman and Qutub-E-Kripa adds soul to the film and is ably supported by Irshad Kamil's lyrics. The songs stay with you for a long time.
Shikara touches your heart while making you smile and cry at the same time. Chopra does justice to his direction though a much hard-hitting narrative is what one continues to wait for.
Not enough for such an unjust event in Indian democracy
rajenderlakhanpal9 February 2020
The movie does try to portray few events and has few emotional scenes and subtle dialogs but I felt that the movie needed to be 15 -20 mins longer.
5 more mins on the realities of exodus events in Kashmir 5 more mins on events about what happened with kashmiri pandits in refugee camps 5 more mins on events around politics and administrative actions or inactions and above all 5 more mins to hit the nail on real pain of being thrown out of one's home and homeland and eternally delayed balm on the wound.
These 20 mins perhaps would have made this movie much more realistic or impactful.
5 more mins on the realities of exodus events in Kashmir 5 more mins on events about what happened with kashmiri pandits in refugee camps 5 more mins on events around politics and administrative actions or inactions and above all 5 more mins to hit the nail on real pain of being thrown out of one's home and homeland and eternally delayed balm on the wound.
These 20 mins perhaps would have made this movie much more realistic or impactful.
Better wait for Vivek Agnihotri's movie
astrojaibhardwaj7 February 2020
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