Haider : Movie Review

I usually don't write movie reviews, but then Haider is an unusual movie.

This movie is ingenious due to a myriad of reasons. First thing first, its a Hamlet adaptation. For those who are acquainted with Shakespeare's work will know that Hamlet is one of his boldest of plays. So much darkness was only matched by probably the Macbeth. 

But that is just the adaptation part. Rest what Mr. Bharadwaj did was ingenious.
He brought into notice that one aspect which has been the root cause of all the protests we have been witnessing in Kashmir, Manipur and few other north-eastern states. AFSPA - Armed forces Special Power Act of 1958. The end does not always justify the means, and neither does AFSPA. Torture, unwarranted encounters without any trial or conviction. The people of India were needed to be educated in these matters, and thanks to Mr. Bharadwaj, they did to some extent. I am big fan of the Indian defense, and I do to some extent advocate military actions in disturbed regions, but AFSPA started as something else, and was brought down to something else entirely. What changed? We will never know. Natives have a different version and so does the Army. Both are right in their own account, but the real truth is something else entirely.

And this was precisely what, in a very very subtle manner was depicted in the movie. The army has to do what it does to maintain order. But somewhere down the line it goes wrong, which the natives do not understand and pick weapons and get branded as the enemy of the state.

And it was this, which made me love this movie even more.

Coming to point number three. Acting. When there are stars like K K Menon, Tabu and Irfan Khan, nothing could have gone wrong, but then Shahid Kapoor's acting matched the brilliance of these living legends. Every single actor delivered what was expected of their character, and I mean everyone.

Point number four, of which I usually am a huge fan of - Cinematography. Everyone knows Kashmir is a beautiful place, and few know that it is also the valley of death. This movie has brilliantly shown us both the sides. I remember reading in a novel- "Where there is beauty, one finds death". How apt to put this in the case of Kashmir. One would never have imagined the problems of our jannat and our pride and honor, until now.
Haider shows us the reality, if one looks deeper.

Music and dialogues by Vishal Bharadwaj himself. The composer of our childhood favorite song "Jungle jungle pata chala hai" delivered a masterpiece. The most important song of the movie was "Bismil bismil" which holds a great significance, because even in the play, Hamlet creates what we call a rat-trap play, during which Claudius gets up and leaves the court, which tells Hamlet that Claudius indeed had his father killed.
So, this song was a very very important piece of the whole movie. The lyrics were beautifully written to encapsulate the hatred and of Haider.

This movie is a painting, an art which shall be preserved in the history of Bollywood till the end of time.
5/5. Because - Chutzpah

"Dil ki gar sunu, toh hai
Dimaag ki, to hai nahi.
Jaan lu ki jaan du?
Mai rahu ke mai nahi..."

To be..or not to be.