It is 1993, time of the Bombay riots. Amaan (Hritik) sits watching the epitome of innocence "Bobby" on television while elder sister Fiza (Karisma) oils his hair. Its late in the evening. They talk of old times, of fun times. Mother Nishat Bi ( Jaya Bachcan) sits with them. Their home, with acquamarine walls and old wooden windows, reeks of old bombay and a sense of warmth. This is a close and loving family. In the middle of the night, Amaan is called out by a friend who beckons him to come to the assistance of other "muslims" who are being targeted by hindu groups. The city erupts, and Amaan is caught in the violence. Fiza and Nishat Bi see Amaan amongst the crowds and running away.

Time moves onto 1999. Yet, time has not moved on for Nishat Bi. On the surface, life seems to be normal but Amaan's absence pervades every corner. There has been no word of him since that night and this has devastated his family. Nishat Bi holds on to the hope that he will, one day, return to her and makes her regular chakkars to the police station or to Haji Ali where she has memories of being with her beloved son. Every time the door bell rings, its like a bullet has been fired...there is always the expectation that Amaan will be there at the door.

Nishat Bi continues in her efforts to get news of her son, even keeping it from Fiza. Days spent at job interviews, the hot sun baking down on her, Fiza feels that she has seen Amaan across the road. Was it simply wishful thinking, a hallucination? Clearly, the ghost of Amaan cannot rest and Fiza decides to confront the past by making an active effort to search for Amaan and to know what really happened that night. She takes the story to the Press who seem to be very interested and overnight, she becomes a torch bearer of sorts. Politicians want to use her for their own purposes but she is not swayed in her resolve to find out the whereabouts of Amaan. She is given a lead that he may have fallen into the hands of a terrorist group and goes looking for him in the Rajasthan area.

On e fateful night, she hears a break-in and on rushing down to see what is happening, comes face to face with Amaan, who is now a terrorist of sorts. She manages to take him back home to Bombay. But can Amaan now readapt to life in Mumbai? Can he fit in with what he left behind.

Khalid Mohamed's first film is a brilliant mix of commercial cinema with an art house slant. It tells the story of innocence lost, and the realisation that once that innocence has gone, even if you are given another chance, you can never recapture the purity of that feeling again. It tells the story of the devastation that the Bombay riots caused in so many people's lives, hindu and muslims both and how the survivors were as much the victims as those murdered. Its tells the story of human frailty and it does so in a sensitive and underplayed manner. There are no sermons, no speeches but the film makes its point. The main thread of the story is a sister's search for her brother and the film does not deviate from that. However, through her quest, we see the value for human life, at all levels, something which will sit uncomfortably with the audience…for it is very real. Is there, in fact, any value at all?

One criticism of the film is in its explanation to the viewer as to why Amaan disappeared. Amaan's flashback gives some of the picture but remains somewhat hazy and it is only gradually that certain assumptions are made and the fuller picture appears. This is most probably as a result of chopping at the hands of the censor. There is also the feeling that everything actually unfolds a little too easily but then again, it is the symbolism of the search, which is important, not the element of time in a film of this stature. The film boasts of a very impressive star cast and all the performances are extremely impressive.

Jaya Bachchan playing Nishat Bi gets the character just right and underplays beautifully. You feel that you know this woman, you can identify with her pain, . There are no dramatics on show here, just a smooth and tender portrayal of a woman who lives in hope. Karisma Kapoor has the title role and watching her in this film, one has to admire her growth as an actress and the material that she chooses. This is a mainstream actress who at a young age, has made the crossover into doing films of substance. That she is given the opportunity to do so when there is so much talent on offer is a show of respect for what Karisma has modelled herself into. Which is a surprisingly good actress.

I do her a disservice in not being able to highlight some outstanding scenes that she has because to do so would be to give the plot away. Hritik Roshan in only his second film does not disappoint living up to the promise of his first film. His role is complex, but he manages to convey the pain and confusion that Amaan lives in with a rare sensitivity. This is yet another excellent performance.

The dictates of commercial cinema unfortunately come in the way to some extent but it is something that one has to expect and accept. But Khalid Mohamed goes very wrong with the inclusion of the "nachoon" song by Asha Bhosle, picturised on a westernised Fiza. This is an appalling scene and completely unnecessary. It jars so much that it could have been a song from another Karisma potboiler. The other song ,which also looks out of place, is the title song, shot like a video and going completely against the grain of the film. What a shame. The music of the film however is excellent.

Rarely has a film, which is so understated, got so under one's skin in recent times. Well worth a visit.