Lekin... (1990)

Samir Niyogi lives in India and is assigned by the Government to travel to Rajasthan, evaluate a princely castle that once belonged to Raja Param Singh, take stock of all items, the ... See full summary »

Director:

Gulzar

Writer:

Gulzar (screenplay)

Stars:

Vinod Khanna, Dimple Kapadia, Amjad Khan

4 wins.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Vinod Khanna	...	Samir Yogi
Dimple Kapadia	...	Reva
Amjad Khan	...	Shafi Ahmed Sidiqqui
Alok Nath	...	Ustad Meraj Ali
Hema Malini	...	Tara (Guest Appearance)
Moon Moon Sen	...	Pammi
Vijayendra Ghatge	...	Raja Param Singh
Beena Banerjee	...	Sharda Ahmed Siddiqui (as Beena)
Ajit Vachani
Manohar Singh
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Sapna Awasthi	...	Rewa - Tara's daughter
Ram Mohan
Rashmi

Storyline

Samir Niyogi lives in India and is assigned by the Government to travel to Rajasthan, evaluate a princely castle that once belonged to Raja Param Singh, take stock of all items, the condition of the building, and report back to the Government. Enroute to his destination by train, he permits a woman to enter his compartment, goes to sleep, and when he awakens finds her gone. A few days later, when he goes to the castle, he finds the very same woman cooking within the premises. When both enter the castle, he finds himself back in time and witnesses a scene that happened eons ago. When he recovers, he finds himself alone, and locked in. He breaks out and narrates this incident to his friend and local Collector, Shafi and his wife, Sharda. He does meet the woman again in the dead of night, and after showing him the way, she disappears. Then Sharda asks Samir to wear a amulet at all times as it will protect from evil spirits. He does meet the woman again, this time in the middle of the ...

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Genres:

Drama | Fantasy | Musical

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Details

Country:

India

Language:

Hindi

Release Date:

11 October 1991 (India)

Also Known As:

But...

Filming Locations:

Bikaner, Rajasthan, India

Company Credits

Production Co:

Dinanath Kala Mandir

Technical Specs

Runtime:

171 min

Color:

Color

Did You Know?

Soundtracks

"Yaara Sili Sili Biraha Ki Raat Ka Jalna"
Written by Gulzar (as Sampooran Singh Gulzar)
Performed by Lata Mangeshkar

User Reviews

Enigmatic, Enchanting, Intense and Astounding

Gulzar's 'Lekin...' is a spellbinding experience. He is already very well-known as one of the finest storytellers in the history of Indian cinema and 'Lekin...' is no exception. The movie is like a great book that once you start reading, you can't put it down because it has such a hold on you that you want to reach the end. Gulzar also left some parts of the story open to interpretation. The whole reincarnation element was suggestive and while the film revolves around supernatural elements, the director does not reject science or spirituality but instead he explores possibilities. His attention to detail is impressive.

While the story is gripping, Gulzar makes fine use of the cinematography that gives the setting a life of its own like it did to the desert and the 'mahal' (palace). Hridaynath Mangeshkar's baffling music is an integral part of the movie without which 'Lekin..' would be lacking. Lata Mangeshkar's haunting voice and Gulzar's magical lyrics and Asha Bhosle's vivacious voice in the mujra number are among the highlights of the song. In addition, the background score is simply fabulous.

Vinod Khanna is brilliantly cast as the good hearted Sameer who is 'enchanted' by a mysterious 'gypsy'. Amjad Khan is first rate as the best friend. Beena Banerjee provides good support. Hema Malini has graceful presence. I used to think of Dimple Kapadia as a below average to average at best actress but after seeing 'Rudaali', 'Krantiveer' and a few other films I now respect her as actress. I am so glad Gulzar cast her in the lead because she really captivates the viewer with her haunting performance.

'Lekin...' is pretty much like an enigmatic poem. Like Sameer, the audience is also left wondering and trying to figure out the truth of Reva's existence and is affected and heartbroken by her tragedy and Sameer's search for answers. By the end, one experiences the same feeling like after having read a fabulous book.