| The film opens on Captain Vikramjit Singh (Bobby Deol) who sacrifices his life in order to save his fellow ship mates when his warship goes down after a torpedo attack. This occurs in his father's (Amitabh Bachchan) presence who was also onboard at that time. Vikramjit's son, Kunal (a character also played by Bobby), grows up to join the army as per his grandfather's wishes. Whilst posted in Jaisalmer, Kunal's interests are not at all in his work. Mischievous and full of pranks, he is spoilt by the army doctor, Sakshi (Sandali Sinha), who happens to be secretly in love with him but is unable to say so. During one of his pranks, Kunal's eyes falls on Shweta (Divya Khosla). He immediately looses his heart to her. During a flashback, we learn that on her wedding night, Shweta 's husband, Rajeev (Akshay Kumar) was called away on duty. He has gone missing for 2 years, presumed dead. So after much thought, she accepts Kunal's proposal whilst he is leaving for the frontline. But just at this point in time, Rajeev makes a surprised comeback into Shweta's life. They celebrate their much delayed honeymoon. From here on, the film moves to the frontline and then shifts to the mission - the Amarnath Yatra where the terrorists are prepared to sabotage the religious celebrations.
But with the joint efforts of Indian and Pakistani intelligence, our heroes manage to capture the terrorists. As in all Anil Sharma movies, the song sequences are filmed on a grand and colourful scale involving loads of extras. Coupled with melodious music, this provides a great impact on the big screen. Technically, the film deserves praise especially the scenes when the worship gets hit and is about to sink in the deep ocean. Amitabh Bachchan plays his part well as the grandfather who wants to see his grandson carry on with his father's ambition and legacy. Akshay Kumar proves that he is a versatile actor. Having seen him in this year's Mujhse Shaadi Karoge, he plays a totally different character in Ab Tumhare Hawale Watan Saathiyo. But the film belongs to Bobby Deol who manages to keep you engrossed throughout. Overall, Ab Tumhare Hawale Watan Saathiyo provides good entertainment if you are looking for escapist cinema after Veer Zaara. Reviewed by Manish Gajjar
BBC Shropshire
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