Haider Review

Acclaimed filmmaker Vishal Bhardwaj returns to direct Haider, the third instalment of his Shakespeare trilogy after Maqbool (2003) and Omkara (2006). The film starring Shahid Kapoor, Tabu and Shraddha Kapoor is a modern-day adaptation of William Shakespeare’s Hamlet. Set in the beautiful Kashmir valley, Haider promises to be one of the best films of 2014. Does it live up to the immensely high expectations that comes with every Bhardwaj film? More importantly, will the filmmaker finally get commercial success? Let’s find out.

Story: Haider (Shahid Kapoor) returns to his hometown after he receives news that his father is missing. After returning home, Haider gets to know that his father has been abducted by the security forces and his mother Ghazala (Tabu) shares a relationship with his chacha Khurram (Kay Kay Menon). On a mission to find out the whereabouts of his missing father, Haider takes a journey that is filled with deceit, betrayal, pain and revenge. His only solace is his fiance Arshiya (Shraddha Kapoor).

Review: Shakespeare’s longest play Hamlet is widely regarded as one of his best works, a powerful story that has been adapted and retold by several filmmakers over the years. He captured human emotions like no other writer, which is why his plays have an evergreen quality about them even today, centuries after his death. When the film was first announced, it immediately generated quite a bit of curiosity. After successfully adapting Shakespeare’s Macbeth (Maqbool) and Othello (Omkara), how would Bhardwaj adapt a story as complex and layered as Hamlet to suit Indian sensibilities? How would he handle the sexual tension between Haider and his mother Ghazala? Thankfully, Bhardwaj not only gets it right with Haider, but delivers a film that will be remembered for years as one of the best adaptions of a Shakerspeare play to be made in the country.

Haider is made for those who love cinema, not the typical melodrama-filled or over-the-top masala movie lovers, but for those who have the patience and appetite for films that require you to be completely involved. Forget a loo-break, Haider is a film that requires your complete attention and understanding throughout. Cinematography is top notch and the soundtrack works well goes well with the film.

Like every other film, Haider has its own share of problems. Understanding the language can sometimes be a problem unless you understand Urdu. The pace tends to dip quite considerably at times and the film feels much longer than its runtime.

Coming to the performances, if you happened to walk in expecting Shahid Kapoor to deliver the performance of his career, you won’t be disappointed. He handles the toughest role of his career like a seasoned actor and by the time the closing credits roll, you can’t imagine any other actor in the industry nailing the character of Haider like Shahid has. Both Kay Kay Menon and Tabu leave a lasting impact on the audience. Menon is outstanding and Tabu deliveres a heart-wrenching performance, an act that will make you cry. Shraddha Kapoor does her best, she looks beautiful and acts well.. but expecting her to match-up to the onscreen histrionics of the other actors in a role that doesn’t really demand much, isn’t fair.

Overall, Haider is Vishal Bhardwaj’s best and by far the best of 2014 after Queen. But the response it gets will be mixed as Haider is not something that everyone will enjoy watching.

At the box office, Haider is expected to take a good start. But the business of the film will be affected by Bang Bang, which is sad because Haider deserved a solo release and complete attention of the audience. Releasing with a more mass-pleasing and audience-friendly film like Bang Bang is suicidal, but for the film that Bhardwaj has made, we hope it does well enough to be perceived as a success.

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