Haider

Haider

                          What qualifies for a great movie? Simply, Haider! A great screenplay, one of the best cinematographies, brilliant acting by almost everyone, a clever adaptation of one of the most sublime tragedies (Hamlet) of all times and seamless infusion of the same with contemporary, identifiable Kashmir militancy, all contribute to a memorable experience.

                          Shahid as Haider is the Aligarh Univ educated, English speaking, Kashmiri youth, out on a mission to find his missing father in the valley, while discovering new aspects of his "half-widowed" mother. He's torn asunder, almost going mad, by her deceit on the one hand and her love for him on the other! Kay Kay Menon, is the snake who poisons the life of this small family and he is hatefully brilliant in his portrayal of a treacherous brother, lover and uncle!

                           But Shahid is more engrossing than his last three best roles put together, while Tabu as his mother has never done a better job than this. And that's saying a lot, considering she has been consistently brilliant! Oedipus Complex has never been portrayed better in Hindi cinema. How is it that Tabu is so convincing in all her self-contradictory manifestations in this film? When she says that she had no poison in her heart against her husband, you believe her; when she is with Kay Kay and hinting at betrayal, you are left wondering whether she's a victim or an accomplice; when she swears to die for her son, she is your normal, loving mother; even her Oedipal behaviour is mostly matter of fact! The movie most certainly belongs to Tabu, but that is also relatively speaking, considering how credibly Shahid plays the role of a vulnerable, innocent, fragile character who needs to be mothered, while trying to seek vengeance for his hero of a father!

                             How can I not comment on my favourite Irrfan Khan? His appearance puts purpose into the narrative, which by that time had started meandering a bit! Just proves, it’s not the length of your role that matters, but how central it is to the progression of the narrative  and how effectively you deliver that. Full marks to him for his portrayal but even fuller marks (!) to Vishal Bharadwaj for making the Ghost of Hamlet’s father come alive through a character named Roohdaar! That was brilliantly inventive, if nothing else was.

                              Some scenes (entrapment play) were not so well done, but let’s forget them because on the whole, the film retains your interest and does provide periodic comic relief in an otherwise heavy theme. Literal translations of the famous soliloquies were avoidable, but it was not jarring. In any case I am feeling magnanimous enough to forgive and forget a few deficiencies!

I loved the climax when Shahid is besieged by his mother’s advice on the one hand and his father’s appeal for revenge on the other! That it manages to leave a socio-political-ethical message for the youth is an added bonus. Go watch the movie to see the choice Shahid makes!