Did Yash Raj Films just play around with conventions when it comes to its trademark romance in their latest film, War? The production house had been synonymous with candyfloss romances once upon a time giving us evergreen boy-girl love stories like Kabhie Kabhie, Silsila, Chandni, Lamhe, Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge, Veer-Zara et al. Now they are finding success in their masala entertainers like Sultan, Ek Tha Tiger and its sequel, but you just cannot dissociate romance with the banner.

In War, though, the weakest link of the film is the romance itself. There is only one female lead - Vaani Kapoor - who appears in the post-interval in a very listless flashback, whom Hrithik's character romances. (BIG SPOILERS ABOUT THE MOVIE AHEAD) Later it turns out that he is actually using her as the means to get closer to a shady businessman. After her character dies trying to help him, he takes care of her child, more out of the guilt in being indirectly responsible for her death, rather than love. And thereby ends the insipid love track of the film? Or did it? War Movie Review: Hrithik Roshan-Tiger Shroff’s Dynamic Duo and a Thrilling Third Act Make a Deadly Combo in This Action Thriller.

Hrithik and Vaani in War

Perhaps, there was another love story hidden between the lines, and you might have overlooked in this celebration of brawns, biceps, thrills and chases. We are talking about Khalid (Tiger Shroff)'s fascination for Kabir (Hrithik Roshan), that may go beyond the warped guru-shishya relationship that the movie wants us to see.

Was Khalid in love with Kabir? There are some hints strewn across the film that could answer that. In the first act, when Colonel Luthra (Ashutosh Rana) briefs his team about Kabir's treachery, and assigns his killing to another agent, Khalid asks him why he didn't choose him. Luthra replies 'Because you love him'. To which Khalid replies, 'Not as much as I love my country.' Now the usage of 'love' here can mean many things, that range from respect to admiration. And when Khalid gives credence to the country over Kabir, the 'love' they are referring to is expected to be seen as such. The curious thing is, why didn't Luthra use the words 'respect' or 'admire' instead in a briefing session, for 'love' is a very strong word for a supposed mentor-protege bonding, isn't it?

The movie often harps on how Khalid has been trained so well by Kabir that he is the best person to track his every move. The issue is, we hardly see a scene where anything of this sort happens. All we get to see is, during the flashback sequence, Khalid trying to convince Kabir that he is a fit for his team, and later be a part of two missions, that don't go exactly as planned. The only two times we see them actually bond is during the "Jai Jai Shiv Shankar" song (again note Khalid's crush-like awe for Kabir in the song), and earlier when both try to take down a terrorist in a fight of fists. So can we cut out the friendship angle here?

Hrithik and Tiger in the War song Jai Jai Shiv Shankar

Anyway, moving on, let's talk about Hrithik's dashing entry scene in the first flashback portion. We see Khalid waiting for Kabir and his team at the headquarters, as they arrive on a chopper. We first see Kabir's team members getting down from the chopper one by one, Khalid, just like the audience, is, however, yearning to see the man himself, his eyes desperately seeking him out. Soon enough, Kabir gets out of the chopper, in a stylishly set slo-mo sequence. with the camera milking out every angle through which Hrithik can be presented in a glamorous, eye-candy manner. And yes, you can see the look of admiration in Khalid's eyes, as he sees his idol (who also happened to be the killer of her traitor father).

Hrithik in his entry scene in War

Siddharth Anand has presented this whole scene in a manner, which I am not sure if deliberate, in how 'love-at-first-sight' scenes are picturised in Bollywood films. The slo-mo treatment...the glamorous presentation... the evident fawning by the other hero... It is almost as if War was showing Khalid's massive crush on Kabir in this scene. War: 5 Big Twists in Hrithik Roshan and Tiger Shroff’s Action Thriller That Made Our Jaws Drop (SPOILER ALERT).

When the flashback ends, we get to see how Khalid is chasing after Kabir (no pun intended), and how Kabir manages to slip out of his grasp. Then they team up together to find the rat in their organisation, which brings them to Kerala to meet their common colleague (Anupriya Goenka). Here's where the third notable hint comes in. The female colleague mischievously tells Kabir that she is willing to elope with him even on her wedding. To which, Khalid quips, "Get in line!". This might be a meta-joke on how girls are crushing over Hrithik's Greek God looks. But the way Khalid says it, with a little blush and without any sarcasm, indicates that even he doesn't mind running away with the man who has been his idol.

Hrithik and Tiger in a still from War

Later, of course, we find out that this Khalid is an imposter, who has used plastic surgery to steal a dead Khalid's face to infiltrate into Indian Intelligence unit. However, in an earlier scene, we are also told that villains, who did the plastic surgery, are copying every mannerism of the person they want to imitate. Since the imposter happened to be Khalid and Kabir's former teammate, there is a possibility that he could be knowing Khalid's obvious fascination for their mentor. War Box Office Collection: 5 Records Hrithik Roshan-Tiger Shroff's Action Entertainer Breaks Effortlessly.

Also, although it doesn't really matter to the plot, we really don't get to see more about the personal side of Khalid. Apart from the fact that he has a widowed mother and he is trying to ditch the bad name associated his father, that is. Was this a deliberately done thing to keep the debate open?

The whole crush thing is merely a matter of conjecture in a film like War, but there is no denying that there is a little 'wink, wink' approach that the makers have taken in handling this aspect. Perhaps one day, director Siddharth Anand could come clean on this. Or maybe, it is better to keep up the mystery without any solid conclusion, and let the fans debate on this for years to come.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Oct 03, 2019 05:00 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).