Cathardincu Surprisingly incoherent and boring

Matialth Good concept, poorly executed.

FrogGlace In other words,this film is a surreal ride.

Senteur As somebody who had not heard any of this before, it became a curious phenomenon to sit and watch a film and slowly have the realities begin to click into place.

Chrysanthepop 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.

Dave Abbott I was completely mesmerized by Lekin and especially by the castle and Dimple's haunting character who took over the screen whenever she materialized. It brought back memories of Ugetsu, one of my favorite Japanese films. The photography, the music, story, acting was all top notch and I am definitely going to have to see what else Gulzar did. The desert, itself, was as much a character as any of the actors. I would have given Lekin a 10 but, since I do not know Hindi, I have to rely on subtitles and, periodically, the subtitles were a little hard to follow unless you are a speed reader. Also, my biggest gripe with a lot of great Hindi films is that they do not include the subtitles to the songs which was the case on my DVD. I was unable to see for myself why Gulzar won two awards for best lyrics that year. It was also frustrating because, when Dimple's character sang, I am almost certain that knowing the lyrics would have only added to the enjoyment of the film. I still gave Lekin a 9 but if anyone can tell me where I can easily find the lyrics, I would be very grateful.

esskaydas This is a superb storyline and has excellent music. Set in the background of Rajasthan, this picture gives a beautiful insight into the Rajasthani culture and way of life. One wonders why more such enjoyable pictures are not made. More such pictures will enhance the stock of Bollywood films.

Kammu The lines of time are very blurry. Past, present and the future are merged into one another in a very fascinating manner. So are the lines of conventional philosophies. What is life? What is death? Where does one end and the other begin? What is in between? According to Gulzar's Lekin, in between is this eternal search for moksha, in between is this struggle against the ghosts of life, where time stands still, till the spirit is free.