Haider- A Review
Cast: Shahid Kapoor, Shraddha Kapoor, Tabu, Kay Kay Menon, Irrfan Khan, Narendra Jha
Director: Vishal Bhardwaj
Producers: Vishal Bhardwaj, Siddharth Roy Kapur
Writers: Basharat Peer,Vishal Bhardwaj
Music : Vishal Bhardwaj
Genre: Drama
Based on Hamlet by William Shakespeare
Release dates: 2 October 2014
Rating: ***.75 (3.75/5)
Review By: Birjis Adeni Rashed
Hamlet, Kashmir and Chutzpah, it’s a complex combination to handle and Haider does it brilliantly. The movie adapted on Shakespeare’s Hamlet weaves the story in socio political and cultural milieu of Kashmir. The movie evokes strong emotions, depicts powerful narrative, poetic violence and brilliant performances.
Vishal Bhardwaj who has earlier made ‘Maqbool’ and ‘Omkara’ based on Shakespeare’s tragedies Macbeth and Othello creates another masterpiece with Hamlets adaptation into Haider. Haider has dark emotions of love, deceit and revenge weaved into the canvas of the unrest and upheaval in Kashmir. And of course not forgetting chutzpah ‘KHootspah’, meaning audacity or the nerve, ( though pronounced as 'chutspaa' in the movie) which is ironically punned about to relate to the context of power of the armed forces and the turmoil in Kashmir.
Bharadwaj’s Hamlet adaptation is set in 1995 Kashmir which is in a state of chaos and dispute between India and Pakistan with militancy, uprisings, army control, curfews, misery and hopelessness. The grey frozen Dal Lake with bodies and bloodshed provides a stark contrast from the old time heavenly Kashmir. Haider, the namesake and the central character played by Shahid Kapoor returns home to Kashmir when his doctor father Hilal Meer ( Narendra Jha) gets imprisoned by the army for saving a militants life. On his return he discovers his mother Ghazala Meer (Tabu) has moved in with his politician/lawyer uncle Khurram( Kay Kay Menon) and later learns of his uncles deceit and treachery.
The characters in this movie all have a mosaic of personalities, conflicts of loyalties, and each are complex people. The story connects these relationships artistically. Each characters love, passion, hate, revenge are all intense. And the audacious subject like oedipal feelings of Hamlet is hinted with subtlety and undertones in Haider.
The conflict question “to be or not to be” takes multiple meanings in Haider. “Hum hai ki nahin hain” is not just Haider’s conflict, it’s played also as Kashmir’s existential dilemma, caught between India and Pakistan, army and militants, fight for freedom from what, who, why? Here this embodiment of dialog is deep.
Hamlet is a tragedy, so don’t go expecting Bollywood style song and dance entertainment from Haider. Except for a few moments of light hearted humor including a spoof on Salman Khan and Haider making fun of the local Kashmiri accent( pronunciations like lovve-ed for loved ), it is mainly edgy sadness. It does not have an item song like Beedi Jalaika in Omkara. The item song is replaced by the movie 'Karz' inspired story telling song in "Bismil Bismil" which is very emotive and haunting.
Shahid Kapoor as Haider exhibits acting prowess unlike his previous comic performances. His passion of love, hate and insanity handled excellently. Shraddha Kapoor carries her character of Arshi , Haider's love interest and connector of many dots in the movie well. Tabu is glorious as Ghazala. Her acting talent is flawless and incomparable; none in the industry could have done this complex role better than her. Kay Kay Menon as the deceitful uncle and Irfan Khan as the militant 'Roohdar' have outstanding performances too.
The writing team of Basharat Peer ( Kashmiri journalist and author of “ Curfewed Night” about Kashmir conflict) and Vishal Bhardwaj is excellent. They bring out the despair and hopelessness of Kashmir beautifully showing the stark contrast to the paradisiacal Kashmir it used to be.
The direction of Vishal Bhardwaj is excellent to have adroitly handled Hamlet, Kashmir and of course chutzpah ;)
It’s a movie worth watching.
Cast: Shahid Kapoor, Shraddha Kapoor, Tabu, Kay Kay Menon, Irrfan Khan, Narendra Jha
Director: Vishal Bhardwaj
Producers: Vishal Bhardwaj, Siddharth Roy Kapur
Writers: Basharat Peer,Vishal Bhardwaj
Music : Vishal Bhardwaj
Genre: Drama
Based on Hamlet by William Shakespeare
Release dates: 2 October 2014
Rating: ***.75 (3.75/5)
Review By: Birjis Adeni Rashed
Hamlet, Kashmir and Chutzpah, it’s a complex combination to handle and Haider does it brilliantly. The movie adapted on Shakespeare’s Hamlet weaves the story in socio political and cultural milieu of Kashmir. The movie evokes strong emotions, depicts powerful narrative, poetic violence and brilliant performances.
Vishal Bhardwaj who has earlier made ‘Maqbool’ and ‘Omkara’ based on Shakespeare’s tragedies Macbeth and Othello creates another masterpiece with Hamlets adaptation into Haider. Haider has dark emotions of love, deceit and revenge weaved into the canvas of the unrest and upheaval in Kashmir. And of course not forgetting chutzpah ‘KHootspah’, meaning audacity or the nerve, ( though pronounced as 'chutspaa' in the movie) which is ironically punned about to relate to the context of power of the armed forces and the turmoil in Kashmir.
Bharadwaj’s Hamlet adaptation is set in 1995 Kashmir which is in a state of chaos and dispute between India and Pakistan with militancy, uprisings, army control, curfews, misery and hopelessness. The grey frozen Dal Lake with bodies and bloodshed provides a stark contrast from the old time heavenly Kashmir. Haider, the namesake and the central character played by Shahid Kapoor returns home to Kashmir when his doctor father Hilal Meer ( Narendra Jha) gets imprisoned by the army for saving a militants life. On his return he discovers his mother Ghazala Meer (Tabu) has moved in with his politician/lawyer uncle Khurram( Kay Kay Menon) and later learns of his uncles deceit and treachery.
The characters in this movie all have a mosaic of personalities, conflicts of loyalties, and each are complex people. The story connects these relationships artistically. Each characters love, passion, hate, revenge are all intense. And the audacious subject like oedipal feelings of Hamlet is hinted with subtlety and undertones in Haider.
The conflict question “to be or not to be” takes multiple meanings in Haider. “Hum hai ki nahin hain” is not just Haider’s conflict, it’s played also as Kashmir’s existential dilemma, caught between India and Pakistan, army and militants, fight for freedom from what, who, why? Here this embodiment of dialog is deep.
Hamlet is a tragedy, so don’t go expecting Bollywood style song and dance entertainment from Haider. Except for a few moments of light hearted humor including a spoof on Salman Khan and Haider making fun of the local Kashmiri accent( pronunciations like lovve-ed for loved ), it is mainly edgy sadness. It does not have an item song like Beedi Jalaika in Omkara. The item song is replaced by the movie 'Karz' inspired story telling song in "Bismil Bismil" which is very emotive and haunting.
Shahid Kapoor as Haider exhibits acting prowess unlike his previous comic performances. His passion of love, hate and insanity handled excellently. Shraddha Kapoor carries her character of Arshi , Haider's love interest and connector of many dots in the movie well. Tabu is glorious as Ghazala. Her acting talent is flawless and incomparable; none in the industry could have done this complex role better than her. Kay Kay Menon as the deceitful uncle and Irfan Khan as the militant 'Roohdar' have outstanding performances too.
The writing team of Basharat Peer ( Kashmiri journalist and author of “ Curfewed Night” about Kashmir conflict) and Vishal Bhardwaj is excellent. They bring out the despair and hopelessness of Kashmir beautifully showing the stark contrast to the paradisiacal Kashmir it used to be.
The direction of Vishal Bhardwaj is excellent to have adroitly handled Hamlet, Kashmir and of course chutzpah ;)
It’s a movie worth watching.
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