Friday, October 03, 2014

Haider



Rating : 8/10
Release Date : 2nd October, 2014
Time : 161 minutes
Director, Writer, Music: Vishal Bhardwaj (based on William Shakespeare’s play Hamlet); Co-writer : Basharat Peer;
Starring : Shahid Kapoor, Tabu, Kay Kay Menon, Shraddha Kapoor, Narendra Jha, Irrfan Khan, Lalit Parimoo, Aamir Bashir, Sumit Kaul, Rajat Bhagat, Kulbhushan Kharbanda




The most beautiful places can be the settings for the darkest of deeds. The vivid red splashes of human blood on an otherwise pristine, white blanket of powdery snow. The desolate magnificence of winter. The gushing, glorious river being used to cleanse all manner of sins. The bare, stark limbs of a tall trees providing cover for the rich, human drama that unfolds in what was once Paradise.



Hamlet acquires a Kashmiri makeover in Vishal Bhardwaj’s latest masterpiece. Shakespeare’s story of a young prince returning home to find his father gone, his uncle king and his beloved mother the new king’s consort, finds new meaning in the very special Indian state. Where broken promises, the ugly beast of religious fundamentalism, the brute strength of the military boot and most of all, the meddlesome politics for petty gains have ensured a state which remains Paradise only in name.



Shahid is superb as the innocent boy-man who returns to find his manipulative mother, Tabu, smiling, singing as she is being wooed by his hungry-for-power uncle, Kay Kay, just a few days after his soft-spoken father, the good doctor, Narendra Jha’s, disappearance. His subsequent journey, loss of innocence, the blossoming of his love with childhood sweetheart, Shraddha Kapoor, his brush with militancy via Irrfan Khan’s brief appearance and his run-ins with the law represented by the head of the local police, Lalit Parimoo, also Shraddha’s father make for a delicious study of human motives and dilemmas.



Betrayal, greed, filial love, lust – for power and for the female form, the desire to do good irrespective of the cause, the purity of a sweetheart’s love and the burning fire of revenge form a potent mix and compete against one another in most of the key characters at some point or another. Each one, at the end, betrays and is betrayed, as they seek to resolve the maelstrom that envelops their lives.


Shahid and Tabu are superlative amongst a luminous star cast. For Shahid, this film is not about his chocolate candy looks but more about acting prowess as he struggles to find his way amongst conflicting information and emotions. Whether as the son desperate for his mother’s affection, the lost man in need of his beloved’s unflinching love, or the vengeance seeking mad man – he holds our attention and keeps us spellbound. Tabu is mesmeric, magnificent as the woman torn between various desires. A caring mother, the capricious consort, the wronged and the manipulative, its hard to keep your eyes off her riveting performance. There is also a hint, probably more than just a hint, that there is something deeper than filial love that binds these two star performers !



This film unfolds slowly, weaves a rich tapestry and is filled with melodious music and visual delight. It isn’t for those who only want instant gratification, a thrill or a spill per minute but for those who’re willing to be rewarded for their patience. The best movies play with your mind. Lay out choices, force you to take sides, showcase the consequences and outline simple characters who aren’t black or white but imbued with the many shades of grey. With Haider, even the next day, you’re still looking for answers…

14 comments:

  1. Anonymous3:46 PM

    To be rewarded for the patience. Worth the wait...

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    Replies
    1. Anonymous5:55 PM

      Veni, Vidi, Vici...

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  2. Anonymous4:06 PM

    What we see on the surface isn't the whole picture. We see only the shine, the sheen, the gloss. Beneath it, there is masonry, peeling plaster, shaky foundations. It is all dressed up and we never notice it because of the veneer.....

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  3. I AGREE .... (with your POV)

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  4. Anonymous6:14 PM

    All this has been happening since time in memorial..... Jealousy is a strange monster. It gobbles up relationships without leaving a trace, only a vileness so foul the stench permeates forever, staining the very soul... No matter what the colour of your skun, human emotions are the same everywhere.... The pain and hurt and disappointments that relationships come with. How even the best ones die out and all that remains is the embers that still burn.. Wish Happiness could be bought too...

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  5. Anonymous8:01 PM

    Vishal Bhardwaj needs to read other Shakespeare's comedies and lighten up a bit...

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  6. Anonymous4:50 PM

    Dear Blogger, your energy is strong and focussed. You must have been to all the exotic far off destinations of the world. But Kashmir is actually Paradise regained... I have been there once with my extended family. Still cannot forget the white water rafting, adventurous experience in Pahalgam, the icy waters of Lidder river and encountering rapids of grade \V , sends a chill down my spine... It's a beautiful valley, sunny gardens. Vortex of mysticism, such romantic houseboats.... Best way to get in touch with nature: take a walk in the woods, sit at the edge of the lake, such calm blue waters... There are shikaras and a floating market selling piping hot mutton kebabs, kesar, papier-mache, such pretty flowers selling girls, you just don't feel like saying no to them. It's their only source of income, that lasts only few months... Feel the earth and her connection with it.. Cradled in the lap of majestic snow capped mountains of the Himalayas.. Enjoy the landscaping beside the warmth of a fire, sipping Kahwa... Jehangir, the Mughal emperor rightly states, "If there is paradise anywhere on earth, Hameen-astoo, Hameen-astoo, Hameen-astoo" .... Life can be so simple....

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  7. Anonymous5:00 PM

    Broken promises...loss of innocence...the purity of a sweetheart's love...a daughter desperate for her mother's affection...the lost woman in search of her beloved's unflinching love....seem like a true story... They say lust is easy. Love is hard. Like is most important.... Why is there so much bloodshed, violence, hatred, rivalry, bitterness, jealousy, vengeance..in society ? (The green earth and transparent waters and the mighty ruins...) Have people ever had the chance to admire a swan sleeping ? The curvaceous body of a sleeping swan as it gently floats on water. Imagine the graceful bird with its head between the wings...a unique position.. Nature holds the best forms of inspiration....

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  8. Anonymous3:40 AM

    You can map your life through your favorite movies, and no two people's maps will be the same...

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  9. Anonymous8:38 AM

    No one notices your tears, your sadness, your pains. But they all notice your mistakes... But then again all she wanted to do was apologize; it wasn't like they were going to fall into each other's arms. A long time had passed. They were both different people now..

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  10. Anonymous5:12 AM

    You can only take so much grief from one person before you give it back.....(in movies)

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  11. Anonymous9:30 AM

    What happens to a dream deferred ? Does it dry up like a raisin in the sun ? Or fester like a sore and then run ? Does it stink like rotten meat ? Or crust and sugar over like a syrupy sweet ? Maybe it just sags like a heavy load. Or does it explode ?

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