fixed gaze" that would give her "a feeling of being surreal". Soundtrack All the songs from Lekin... were composed by Hridaynath Mangeshkar and the lyrics were written by Gulzar. Cine Blitz magazine described the soundtrack as Hridaynath's "most realised work yet" which allows to emerge as "a fully rounded personality". Gulzar was noted for his work as a lyricist. "Suniyo Ji Araj Mhario" is based on the composition in Raga Vihanginee by Pt. Mani Prasad. India Today described the soundtrack as "a blend of Hindustani classical and Rajasthani folk" which is "soothing and soulful". Release, reception and legacy Prior to its theatrical release a year later, the film was first among the 19 films selected for the Indian panorama section to be screened at the 22nd International Film Festival of India. Released in cinemas on 11 October 1991, Lekin... was a critical success in contrast to its modest commercial income. The film drew praise from critics for its story, music, costumes, and particularly Kapadia's lead performance as Reva. Writing for The Indian Express, Subhash K. Jha concluded his review of the film at the time of its release saying, "Lekin is a deeply satisfying work of incandescent beauty." He further wrote of the character of Reva and Kapadia's portrayal of the part: "Trapped in the no-man's land is the spiritual named, Reva. Filmed in the golden expanses of the Rajasthani desert and played with intense tragedy by Dimple, the insubstantial character is the essence of evanescence." India Today described it as a watchable film about "the bewitching Dimple who traverses time". Indian Cinema, a catalogue by the National Film Development Corporation of India wrote that Lekin is "a superbly well-made film, but then, when it thematically strays into the field of fantasy we are forced to recognise this strand which is promoting 'elite masses'." The same publication wrote in the same year of Kapadia's performance: "the role requires more than a simplistic understanding of the character and the actress ... approaches it with an instinctive maturity. Dimple Kapadia's eyes speak volumes." Throughout the years, Kapadia has maintained that the part of Reva is her personal favourite, calling it "the most fantastic role" of her career, and wished it had been given more screen time in the film. Actress Raveena Tandon called the part a dream role rarely found in Hindi films. Filmfare'''s Devesh Sharma listed it as one of Kapadia's