I am not familiar with what turns Indians on to war, as I have never lived there to fully assess their psychology, in terms of war, patriotism and of course jingoism. The film itself has a Western feel to it, with the bowling alley scene, the easy wealthy living of the leading characters, the nod towards Arnie, the all American action hero and governor of California; Affluent educated "smart kids" leaving India to service the USA.I mean how many Indians live like this surviving on 20 rupees a day ?(80%) Perhaps that is why the movie never made a box office impact in India, because it was too busy pleasing its Jewish sponsors. Because it had no real connections to reality.............the pseudo-Western characters with their Anglicized wiles, and mannerisms......is that what really impresses Indian audiences? Was this film funded by Jews in America? Or the underworld gangsters who run Bollywood? <br /><br />I am not sure the movie moving back and forth in time worked, it was irritating. The songs silly and irrelevant. How do you have songs in a serious, slightly moody war movie? Just doesn't work in the real world.<br /><br />The characters are cardboard, real hard cardboard with no depth, clichés of acting, and nothing unique and different.<br /><br />And as a propagation and sale of the Indian armed forces it could have done a better job.<br /><br />Perhaps its me, but I find it embarrassing when Indian characters flick back and forth between English and Hindi....stick to Hindi if you are flying the flag; THIS AIN'T A CALL CENTER ADVERT. If your movie really has been funded by Bollywood gangsters and not some outside ENTITY TO WHOM YOU MUST NOD TO in the movie, in those tiring obvious ways then make the overall movie more down to earth, and not have the cadets take their national oath to the nation in English........ If you want to sell yourself, prostitute yourself, then do so a little bit more discreetly, in a slightly more sophisticated manner, with a better story, than the usual angst directionless youth finds meaning in life by joining the armed forces line.<br /><br />I am giving it 3 out of 10 only because of Preity Zinta, with her dimples. I have seen quite a few war movies in terms of global production.......USA, UK, Germany, France, Russia, Australia, and others and this movie would not measure up to them globally. Just wouldn't.........its weak.Its pop culture cliché ridden. If you are churning out 1100 movies a year and it is 2008, and you are projecting yourself as a global player in movies and much else, you have got to do better than this weak stuff filled with cliché scenes, and poor acting........the scenes which have the feel of 2 minute TV adds, of smart ass cute comments which the average Indian never utter.<br /><br />I have not seen one decent war movie from India. No songs. decent gritty acting by serious actors in real war situations, fighting real wars, against real enemies.............beautifully crafted, and conveyed.<br /><br />ON A SEPARATE NOTE: It is a shame that Bollywood is still producing anti-Pakistani movies. This doesn't help the harmony of South Asia, but does assist the elements of "outside" forces to SOW disharmony in this region, essentially brothers attacking brothers. <br /><br />If you are reasonably educated you should know that Pakistan is a "failed state" number 9 from the bottom, which is managed by...........THE USA/UK. Let me put it another way. The Western trained top Pakistani military brass, who also speak English in their private environment, don't commit to war unless encouraged by the USA/UK. The Pakistani army is a carbon copy of the British army from the late Raj era, which fights its best and most aggressive wars mainly against its own people.<br /><br />IN KARGIL, it was General Musharaf who initiated the conflict because of his fear that India and Pakistan might FINALLY sign a peace deal (Bhajpayee going to Pakistan as a gesture of goodwill and meeting Sharif............after Kargil Bhajpayee said he felt he had been stabbed in the back). Musharaf used the paramilitary Northern Light Infantry, and irregulars to attack India, not with the objective of winning, because you don't use paramilitary forces against India if you are serious about winning, but rather to scupper the possible peace deal between the two nations. As it happened the peace deal was scuppered, and the two nations became hostile with one another, thereafter. Musharaf on the back of Kargil came to power, and ruled Pakistan for 9 years until he was toppled by the Americans.<br /><br />The Americans need to soften up Pakistan before they can attack the country in the future possibly WITH India, and it is the Americans who have encouraged India to participate in Afghanistan, against Pakistan. Develop a coalition of the willing in this region.<br /><br />General Musharaf meanwhile may have to leave Pakistan, given his legacy to the country, and he will head off to Britain no doubt, buy some property or two with his loot in London, and thereafter move on to the USA, where he will be lecturing at American universities.<br /><br />The Americans want India to attack Pakistan for them, and such films underlay this strategy, and why the movie feels like a copy of an American B-movie, from the 1980's Reagan era. It is not in India's interest to see Pakistan occupied by the USA and especially the UK, with NATO in toe. South Asia should be free of foreign forces.<br /><br />Shame on you Javed Akhtar, and the directors and ghost writers. You are Muslim's living in India, and I am sure you have gone through some tough experiences, but you don't have to show your loyalty to India in this cheap and crass way. Because ultimately given the overall geostrategy of the region, with whats going on in Afghanistan, you are not helping India and the people of South Asia with such cheap movies.