Vidhu Vinod Chopra is a very miserly filmmaker, as he is very choosy when it comes to the films he has directed. He has directed masterpieces like Khamosh and Parinda, he has also made passable films like Mission Kashmir Eklavya. But even his passable movies are known for being technically brilliant. Mission Kashmir was a human drama set against the military insurgency in Kashmir. Now Chopra returns to the valley once more for his new film, Shikara. Shikara New Trailer: Vidhu Vinod Chopra’s Film Captures the Tragic Struggle of Kashmiri Pandits Exiled From Their State in 1990 (Watch Video).

Shikara is set against the 1990 exodus of Kashmiri Pundits and is based on real-life accounts of the refugees, even though the central premise is fictional. Newcomers Aadil Khan and Sadia play a married Kashmir Pundit couple who had to leave their houses after the violence perpetrated by the militants leads to attacks in their house and the killing of a family friend.

Shikara has a predictable premise and character turns, but the narrative is gripping, nevertheless. You are invested in the storyline immediately during the first stirrings of the violence in the peaceful valley. Shikara doesn't teach you the background of the happenings but focuses purely on what happened between 1987 when the main leads fall in love to 1990 when the exodus happens. The performances are good and work in favour of the film.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Feb 06, 2020 11:03 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).