India and Pakistan have more often than not had daggers out. However, love is something that always transcends boundaries. This is what Hina Khan’s Lines is all about. What happens when a man from Pakistan and a girl from Kashmir fall in love and get married? It’s not an easy affair, especially since the film is based at the onset of the 1999 Kargil War. Facing borders and biases, lacking a visa and what not, Lines weaves a story of bloodshed, constant gun shots, fear and anger. The couple, Nazia (played by Hina) and Nabeel (played by Rishi Bhutani), have lost their family members and all they want is to be able to spend their life together. Their love makes Nazia take steps that are illegal. Lines makes it clear that love stands above religion, borders and politics.

Lines, as a film, is no different from the Bollywood stable of cross-border tales. However, it makes the right kind of noise with its powerful ending. Directed byHussain Khan and written by Kunwar Shakti Singh and Rahat Kazmi, there are some heart-wrenching scenes that would tug at your heart. Without giving away much, the story starts with Nazia trying every possible way to make her grandmother meet her sister after 40 years. Eventually, she succeeds in bringing her to Kashmir from Pakistan. Nazia falls in love with her grandma’s sister’s son, who also accompanies her to Kashmir. After a simple desi romance, the two tie the knot and thus starts the real story. Nabeel goes back to Pakistan, leaving Nazia behind; the visas and permits come in between their love, and Kargil War breaks out. It pushes Nazia to take a step she perhaps shouldn’t have.

While Hina Khan has done several projects post her stint on TV, Lines has to be her best performance so far. Her character is written well, and her acting is on point. She doesn’t make bold statements and yet she challenges the patriarchal mindset at home in her own style. She is restrained, but determined, and has a heart-breaking innocence. For the viewer, it’s love at first sight. You invest in her instantly and her tears for her love wring your heart. With little details like her outfit to her scaring the cows in the farm or working in the field, she brings alive a Kashmiri girl’s character in Nazia. Even though her pairing with Rishi Bhutani doesn’t really do any justice, their chemistry is unmissable. He matches Hina with a polished, luminous performance.

The supporting cast, Farida Jalal, Ahmed Haider, Zahid Qureshi and Tariq Khan, among others, also do a wonderful job with their acting and accent.

Alongside memorable performances, the film features gentle comedy and soulful poetry. Shot in Kashmir, Lines also has beautiful visuals, from houses to mountain peaks, and the greenery. It never deviates from its authenticity. Even though the script could have been tighter, it has some effective dialogues. For example, when an Indian soldier talks about how they are bound by the system to fire on Pak troops even though they don’t want to: “Hum jaise hi to hai vo log. Border par to baat bhi karte hai hum,” he says, thus proving that they are also humans who treasure humanity beyond the barbed wire and border guards. In another instance, Hina Khan gives an emotional speech about being kept apart from her husband due to the countries’ politics. With no gory enmity or chest-thumping patriotism, Lines is a welcome change from the predictable India-Pakistan war narrative. It brings out the nuances of being victims of an ongoing war, with great maturity and authenticity. However, the tension between India and Pakistan, which forms the base of the story, should have been stressed upon.

3.5 stars on 5 for Hina Khan’s Lines. You can watch Lines on Voot Select.