Haider Movie Review

Reviews Movie review : Haider is deeply stirring Direction: Vishal Bhardwaj Actors: Shahid Kapoor, Tabu, Kay Kay Menon, Irrfan Khan, Shraddha Kapoor Rating: 4/5. There is much in Haider that deserves a standing ovation. Let’s start with the courage of director Vishal Bhardwaj. Hamlet is one of Shakespeare’s most difficult and ambiguous texts. It’s also his longest— it takes over four hours to deliver. Hamlet in itself is a beast to be tamed. Vishal and his co-writer, the acclaimed Kashmiri journalist Basharat Peer, transplant the play to Kashmir. It plays out against a socio-political tragedy that has been wrought over six decades and that has a Rashomon-like quality to it — the heroes and villains switch places, depending on the narrator. The result is a film that is problematic and far too long, but also thrillingly ambitious and powerful. The action takes place in 1995. There is something rotten in paradise. Pura Kashmir quaid khana hai, a character remarks. Haider, played by Shahid Kapoor, returns home from Aligarh. Shahid Kapoor, dealing with one of Shakespeare’s most challenging heroes, does so with impressive sincerity. He manages the many shifts of mood skilfully but always appears like an actor performing a role gamely instead of an actor who has become the character: he's very good, just not as unaffected as the actors around him. An actor called Narendra Jha who plays a doctor is an absolute find, Lalit Parimoo is excellent, Shraddha Kapoor is very believable in the Ophelia part, two Salman Khan fans (Sumit Kaul and Rajat Bhagat) are a lot of fun, and it's good to see Kulbhushan Kharbanda get well-forged lines of dialogue. At the heart of the film stands Tabu. Her Ghazala is a heartbreaking character, all passion and preening and perpetually inappropriate relationships. What's good: With Haider, Vishal Bharwaj completes his trilogy of Macbeth, Othello and now Hamlet. While most people would agree that Maqbool remains at the top slot, Haider comes in at second place. Vishal scores where he does best -- storytelling. He overpowers you with the locations, his actors, the language, dialogues and the background score. This is a subject that could have ruffled many feathers, but that doesn't stop him from showing what was wrong with Kashmir, or exploring the sexual undercurrent between the mother and the son. Vishal along with co-writer Basharat Peer weaves the Hamlet saga into the tension in Kashmir in mid 90s, making it hard for you to imagine it in any other setting. Haider is a well-acted, well-written and beautifully directed movie with a top supporting cast. But it is Shahid and Tabu that stun you with the ease with which they handle the complexities and layers of their characters. What's not: While no one expects a Shakespeare plot to be snappy and quick paced, you will find yourself getting restless with the pace and the length. Twenty minutes too long? The Bismal song though wonderfully choreographed and performed by Shahid, is somewhat of a speed breaker as it comes at a point when you are keen to know what's ahead. The most dramatic moments in the film come way before the climax, leaving you feeling a tad let down as the credits roll. Haider begins as a great movie but ends as only a good one. PLEASE SEE THIS MOVIE. ITS AN HEART TOUCHING,SIZZLING PICTURE EVER SEEN.

Location: HYDERABAD, India