Review:
This is the third time Vishal Bhardwaj is adapting a Shakespearean play. If 'Omkara' and 'Maqbool' were marvels, 'Haider' is a spectacle. Vishal Bhardwaj takes the basic plot of Shakespeare's 'Hamlet' and changes the setting to Kashmir in the mid 90s. Roohdar (Irrfan Khan), a Kashmiri doctor goes missing in the time of upheaval. Haider (Shahid Kapoor) comes back home to find his mother Ghazala (Tabu) married to his uncle (Kay Kay Menon). Just when he comes to terms with the fact that his father is no more, he finds out who the murderer is. How he deals with this bitter truth is what forms the rest of the plot. The film is a riveting take on Haider's relationship with his mother Ghazala and her new husband Chacha.
Vishal Bhardwaj puts so much soul into 'Haider', it is hard to imagine it in any other setting. We were a little sceptical about Vishal Bhardwaj remaking such a nuanced play, keeping in mind the Indian audiences, but we must say that the man has done us proud and how! The more you expect, the more the film delivers. It is one of those rare films you will discover new dimensions to every time you watch it. The chaos in Kashmir is so well shot; it is bound to make even the strongest men tear up. The film is as thrilling as it is frightening. There are so many things happening around you, you begin to feel a part of the mayhem, which is the truest mark of a brilliant piece of cinema. Half an hour into the film, you're no longer an audience, you're a part of it all. The film is unbelievably real and palpable. The screenplay is so well written, you'd get goose bumps every other minute. The cinematography is the best we've seen in a long while. The characters are so detailed, you wouldn't be able to decide whom you hate and whom you love. They're too real to be just characters. The incestuous angle between Haider and Ghazala is infused in the plot with perfect subtlety. An extra star to Vishal Bhardwaj for just this one big feat! The film isn't flawless of course, but they can be easily looked over.
'Haider' is one performance that Shahid Kapoor will be remember for, for a very long time. Not only is it the best he's ever acted in films, it is one of the most impactful performances on screen we've seen in a very long time. The character is tailor made for him. Who would've thought this once chocolate boy could don the role of a dilemma-striken boy who doesn't know whether to love his mother or hate her, nd portray it to perfection! Kay Kay Menon is spectacular as Chacha and there is nobody else who could've pulled off the role better than him. Irrfan Khan is effective as usual and Tabu pulls off a nuanced performance that will set even the critics raving about her. Shraddha Kapoor looks ethereal and sinks deep into her character. Her character is as multifaceted as any other character in the film and she does more than complete justice to the scope she's given. The music deserves another special mention. Vishal Bhardwaj sets the eerie mood since the first frame itself and builds it up till the very end. We bet you'd be playing the whole music album on loop after watching the film.
Verdict: 'Haider' is a cinematic piece of brilliance Bollywood will always be proud of. The film is nothing less than a spectacle. It is a film that is meant to be watched in a theatre, for the experience the makers create just cannot be missed. You have to see it to believe it.
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