Haider Movie Review - A masterpiece thriller

Haider is sheer brilliance from adaptation to execution!

Maqbool (Macbeth) and Omkara (Othello) made evident the unknown capability of the great Vishal Bhardwaj when it came to Shakespeare adaptations. When he announced ‘Haider’ an adaptation of Shakespeare’s ‘Hamlet’ and that too with the ‘Kaminey’ actor Shahid Kapoor, we all expected it to be big, but never this huge. Haider is of a different class, a different league altogether.

A young man returns home to Kashmir on receiving news of his father's disappearance. Not only does he learn that security forces have detained his father for harbouring militants, but that his mother is in a relationship with his very own uncle. Intense drama follows between mother and son as both struggle to come to terms with news of his father's death. Soon Haider learns that his uncle is responsible for the gruesome murder, what follows is his journey to avenge his father's death.

Haider is certainly one of the greatest political thrillers you’ll ever witness. The way Vishal Bhardwaj adapted Kashmir into the plot is commendable. Until now, no other Bollywood movie explored deep into Kashmir but Haider picked up the less known issues of the place and fitted it with the storyline perfectly. The screenwriting, script and cinematography is top-notch. Kashmir has never looked so ‘bloody’ beautiful!

The music by Vishal Bhardwaj more than just fits; it enhances the emotions, the feel of each and every character, scene and situation. The songs are already chartbusters. ‘Aaj Ke Naam’ by Rekha Bhardwaj is brilliantly written and enriches soul. ‘Jhelum, Khul kabhi toh & Gulon mein rang bhare’ are very deep and you also have extremely intense soundtracks like Aao Na & Bismil. 

Shahid Kapoor as Haider is the show-stealer. It is probably the most challenging role of his life and he has lived up to it. His transitions, shifts of moods are really impressive. Tabu as Ghazala redefines dark! She is so spot on that you just can’t imagine any other actress portraying it. She makes Ghazala her own. Kay Kay Menon has also delivered a breathtaking performance. Shraddha Kapoor suits her part well. 

The career best ‘Haider’ for Vishal Bhardwaj & Shahid Kapoor should not be missed out on any cost whatsoever. Go Watch it and I am sure you’ll take it home with you.

Rating – 4.5/5