Haider - yet another adaptation of Hamlet, a personal struggle of an average Joe with Oedipus complex. Nothing sounds so mentionable about this one line description, but then, wait till I add two variables - Vishal Bhardwaj and Kashmir. And that changes everything, leave alone giving birth to useless and unnecessary chutzpah in its aftermath. I could have used more apt synonyms for that word over here but I am tempted to use this one since I am talking about Haider. I am looking at this movie from a cinegoers point of view and thus staying away from any political discourse, a few hours of visual drama wont do justice to something which is decades old and multi-dimensional in complexity anyway. To begin with, we should thank our stars that we still have creative professionals like Vishal Bhardwaj amongst us; for those who dont agree with that, please stop reading any further and continue getting your mental faculties assaulted by the never ending assembly line products dished out in the name of entertainment or the all encompassing logic of this-is-what-works-in-India. Coming back, we should stop debating the rights and wrongs of this movie and fool ourselves that a few hours of screen time is enough (or for that matter will ever be enough) to summarise the agony and torture of the people caught in crosshairs of this tragic situation or the pain and misery of those who had to leave everything behind and live the life of refugees or countless and unheard tragedies which cant even be clubbed in a particular category or relegated to any side of the fence. Haider is a very personal story of the protagonist by the same name and it just happens to be set up in 90s Kashmir, it isnt a documentary, period! For some brilliant social and political documentaries touching almost all the aspects of a particular conflict or situation and even offering probable solutions, please watch Michael Moores work and stop having this unreasonable and unfair expectation from Vishal Bhardwaj. Adaptation of Hamlet say in Mumbais context maynt, cant and shouldnt capture everything which ails this megapolis or whats troubling different sections of the society therein. Thats the job of a documentary or a special news program - by that measurement, every other movie showing Mumbai in the backdrop should talk about life in slums, commuters dying while travelling in local trains, segregation of real estate and the caged inhabitants on religious grounds, dark underbelly of the showbiz, stock market greed, etc. Roja, Mission Kashmir, Maachis, Kai Po Che, The Pianist, Schindlers List, Munich, Inglourious Basterds, Life Is Beautiful, Syriana or so many Middle East centric movies had their own personal stories and so does Haider. So lets rest this debate for good. What is awe inspiring and worth an applause is the sheer creative brilliance of Vishal Bhardwaj and how he expresses it breathtakingly through a Hollywoodesque cinematography, high voltage drama, fine detailing and subtle nuances. The two Salmans represented a particular section of the torn society who slipped seamlessly to and fro to serve their own agenda and rode on the back of a highly fluid situation to make a quick buck. Characters of three aged gun slinging Kashmiri cowboys humming while taking aims rooted in an urban legend. He stayed away from the obvious touristy beauty of the valley and showed the realistic lanes, neighborhoods & pathways. This is sheer boldness, courage and guts at display! I am not a fan of Shahid and Shraddha Kapoor, but you cant help gaze in amazement and appreciate the discipline and rigour with which he has managed to extract superlative performances from Shahid, Tabu and Kay Kay. Shraddha Kapoor, Irrfan and even the young Shahid were more than impressive, though I still feel Irrfan deserved a lot more than a ghostly Roohdaar. Vishal Bhardwajs fertile imagination and ability to push the boundaries of whats possible may have managed to resurrect hard working Shahid Kapoors sagging career graph and breathe a new life inside Tabus lifeless eyebags. Apart from him, very few directors bother to take pains and possess the imagination and courage to create multiple sub-plots almost equal in size and gravity, intertwine to make them inseparable, add a layer of goose bump music and let the visual extravaganza of a cinematography deliver it to an average cinegoer. The landscape is waiting to be discovered, the music cant wait to be given birth to, the stories are more than willing and eager to be told - its the way guys like Vishal Bhardwaj, Anurag Kashyap, Dibakar Banerjee, Imtiaz Ali and their tribe bring everything together which makes the whole difference. He didnt make this movie to resolve the conflict or even put forth a set of discussion points worthy enough of a debate at the next round-table conference, thats for diplomats to discuss and for people in power to decide. Hes created a visual treat for a self respecting movie buff and delivered a powerful message which isnt only applicable to Kashmir but also pleads to those who are at the receiving end of such conflicts across the globe. When you come out of the cinema hall thinking what have you been doing with your life till date, regretting the lost opportunities, cursing yourself for not taking enough risks and procrastinating or not listening hard enough to your calling, for me that means the movie has done its job. Haider is not only a must watch, its a must repeat watch. Enjoy it for what and how it offers you. Leave the political debate for politicians and news program hosts. Movies like these make me immensely proud and highly optimistic. Long live Indian cinema, time to let go of chutzpah!
Posted on: Thu, 09 Oct 2014 15:55:02 +0000
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