HAIDER - A REVIEWPending
In the light of a protracted debate for and against the “Haider” without seeing it provoked me to
watch the movie along with my wife in the Cine World O2 Cinema in Greenwich
Millennium Dome although I generally do not watch them as most are being
sexist, violent, and long. Hence trash!
Frankly speaking, I liked the movie and I did not find even an iota amount of material either in the form or essence that would give rise to cause of concern to an independent reasonable observer in the right mind let alone a champion of ‘freedom of expression’.. In my view, the purpose of Cinema is many splendorous things, but I am going to identify the ones which I think are relevant, namely, (i) depicting a real social or otherwise, better known as what it is, as positivist view?, (ii) What it ought
to be that is normative approach, (iii) comedy for entertainment, (iv) Love Triangle, (v) Horror or Thriller, and (iv) a fiction science or otherwise. Unfortunately, Cinema in India has always been trying to combine all of them in one. And ultimately, the success of a movie is measured in terms of how it hits on the post box, i.e., the value of money rather than it real quality.
‘Haider’ story is not unusually shocking in a Police State, like in Northern Ireland under the umbrella of the United Kingdom, a home for freedom fighters and criminals where I have witnessed my worst nightmare. I note the following interesting points in the movie:
1. Shaheed Kapoor who played Haider overly protected by his father Hilal Meer, a doctor, he was disappointed, so he sent his son out of Kashmir to study so that he could stay out of troubles. Though Hilal Meer had no link with the terrorists/freedom fighters whichever side you are you could call by that name. Meer ends up in a situation where he had undertaken to perform an operation to remove his appendix of a Commander of insurgents in his home rather than in hospital. Quite understandably had been sent to the hospital he would have arrested and killed! Haider’s mother Ghazala Meer (Tabu) asked her husband which side he was and his telling response was, “Life”.
2. Arshia, a daughter of Parvez Lone, a Police Officer, a teen friend in love with Haider.
Though, Haider was away for studies he kept on sending his poem to Arshia that created a strong bond between them. Given stereotype generalizations about Muslim Director allowed Arshia and Haider to kiss to break the ice to overcome the accusation of Love Jihad!
3. Haider tells Arshia a story that a boy killed his parents and court convicted him but
the boy asked for leniency in sentencing. Judge asked the accused how could expect leniency for such a heinous crime and the boy told that after all he is now an orphan! When Arshia asked Haider try to explain that it is called “Chutzpah” (Hebrew) and his friend said it sounds like IASFA, i.e., Indian Army Special Forces Act., which was quite hilarious.
4. Hussain Meer, an old wise (Grand Dad) & pragmatic man spells out his views on a
very complex and sensitive issue Kashmir by telling that one can’t achieve the goal of freedom by violence, “Gandhi brought Freedom by Lathi (stick) rather than with the guns”. And “Revenge begets revenge and unless we liberate ourselves from revenge we cannot achieve freedom”.
5. Ghazala Meer appears very critical of her husband for his soft corner for insurgents. In the base of any attention, she enters into an extra-marital affair with her husband’s younger brother. In fact, as the story unfolds Dr Hilal Meer’s brother had a sinister plan to rid his brother to have Ghazala for good. It appears she was a co-conspirator. Haider is unwilling to accept his father’s criticism and told his mother, “You should also look at others’ perspective”.
6. Brigadier T.S Murthy responsible for fighting insurgents and their commander, Khurram
Meer and tells the public not to support them that they belong to the same Kabila who attacked India in 1948 and killed children and raped women and it was the Indian army which saved them.
7. Ghazala passes a message to Hilal Meer’s brother about the operation carried out by him
who in turn conveyed to Brgd. Khurram Meer who attacked the house and killed insurgents’ Commander. Dr Meer was taken to interrogation/Torture camps and no one knew about his whereabouts.
8. "Haider" is a poet who returns to Kashmir unaware of his father’s disappearance at the
height of the insurgency to find his disappeared father and ends up sucked into the politics of the state during this search. Arshia helps him find his father. Irfan’s guest entry was superb who played as Roohdaar, a suspected insurgent and co-cellmate with Dr Meer managed to convey a message to Haider. Haider manages to meet Roohdaar and insurgents’ Commander Zahoor and passes on message him as to what his father wanted him to do, i.e., “Revenge begets revenge”.
9. At the meeting with Roohdaar & Zahoor, it was revealed that Haider’s uncle was not only engaged in adultery with his mother but in collusion with Army he also organised a parallel terrorist group led by Ikhaf Latik. Not so surprising for those who have read CIA’s manual of Nicaragua as it is typical tactics CIA employed to kill Che Guevara in Bolivia
10. Arshia having missed Haider for a few days finally got to see him and there one see
some shades of dialogue from Helmet, “to be and not to be”, being a young confused man Haider is a big dilemma was whether to believe his uncle who got elected in Parliament to just find his father or to believe a co-prisoner Roohdaar who not only conveyed his father message but also told him whether his father was buried, and emotionally as he appeared, wish to believe his uncle to find his father alive, an impossibility, and being in love with as beautiful Arshia, he sees question even in answers how his uncle and mother cahoot in his
father’s murder. Director added a sense of humour when made Arshia say, Walk as walked, suck as a sucker, loved as loved and F’ck as F’ckked in local
accent. And Roohdaar's humming of lines from Iqbal..."...Dekhange", was amazing!
11. Arshia just out of love for father, as most children do, end up telling her father as
whereabouts of Haider and felt betrayed as her father emotionally blackmailed saying he would ensure the safety of Haider as his life was in jeopardy. Arshia once again in a colloquial tells Haider her father used her. Exasperated Betrayed Haider kills herself.
12. The news that Dr Meer is dead cleared the way for Ghazala Meer and Haider’s uncle
to get married for which they were waiting for a long time. This convinced Haider of conspiracy to murder his father who went crazy. Ghazala tried to talk into Haider to convince him of no conspiracy. Arshia’s father desperately looking for Haider found him with Ghazala at their ruined homes. Before Parvez could soot Haider he shot him making Arshia upset.
13. Finally, the moment of truth comes when Haider escaped assassination and Roohdaar planned his escape across the border, he was surrounded by uncle’s terrorist gang. In combat insurgents; loyalists got killed and Haider also got shot which left with little option for him. Things take a twist when Ghazala arrived at the scene of combat and tried to persuade her new husband to forgive Haider. Haider refused to give in, so exasperated
Ghazal walks passed by her husband taking off her overcoat revealing raped bombs on
her chest making everyone terrified. She blew herself killing ever one and severely injured her husband.
14. It crossed Haider’s mind to take revenge to fulfil his father’s last wish to shoot him in both eyes. Melodrama reached its highest climax where everyone thought expect me that he would shoot the bastard. Haider was reminded of old wise man’s words,” “Revenge begets revenge and unless we liberate ourselves from revenge we cannot achieve
freedom” he could not shoot.
Therefore I failed o understand what is the complaint here against Vishal Bhardwaj? Rather than the Hindus unnecessary and unreasonable outcry about demeaning the Army by trading off national interests, I would not have surprised if the protest was forthcoming form the radical Muslims as Muslim family has been portrayed of adultery, betrayal,
collaborators and kissing! It appears others are more tolerant than some of us on this Facebook and in the media. In my opinion, although I am unsure how much Haider is a departure from other Massala movies and how much he got Hamlet into it, Vishal has done a superb job in all respect. And every one performed very well. I would rate the movie at 8 on the scale of 1-10.
HAIDER - A LAYMAN'S REVIEW
Frankly speaking, I liked the movie and I did not find even an iota amount of material either in the form or essence that would give rise to cause of concern to an independent reasonable observer in the right mind let alone a champion of ‘freedom of expression’.. In my view, the purpose of Cinema is many splendorous things, but I am going to identify the ones which I think are relevant, namely, (i) depicting a real social or otherwise, better known as what it is, as positivist view?, (ii) What it ought
to be that is normative approach, (iii) comedy for entertainment, (iv) Love Triangle, (v) Horror or Thriller, and (iv) a fiction science or otherwise. Unfortunately, Cinema in India has always been trying to combine all of them in one. And ultimately, the success of a movie is measured in terms of how it hits on the post box, i.e., the value of money rather than it real quality.
‘Haider’ story is not unusually shocking in a Police State, like in Northern Ireland under the umbrella of the United Kingdom, a home for freedom fighters and criminals where I have witnessed my worst nightmare. I note the following interesting points in the movie:
1. Shaheed Kapoor who played Haider overly protected by his father Hilal Meer, a doctor, he was disappointed, so he sent his son out of Kashmir to study so that he could stay out of troubles. Though Hilal Meer had no link with the terrorists/freedom fighters whichever side you are you could call by that name. Meer ends up in a situation where he had undertaken to perform an operation to remove his appendix of a Commander of insurgents in his home rather than in hospital. Quite understandably had been sent to the hospital he would have arrested and killed! Haider’s mother Ghazala Meer (Tabu) asked her husband which side he was and his telling response was, “Life”.
2. Arshia, a daughter of Parvez Lone, a Police Officer, a teen friend in love with Haider.
Though, Haider was away for studies he kept on sending his poem to Arshia that created a strong bond between them. Given stereotype generalizations about Muslim Director allowed Arshia and Haider to kiss to break the ice to overcome the accusation of Love Jihad!
3. Haider tells Arshia a story that a boy killed his parents and court convicted him but
the boy asked for leniency in sentencing. Judge asked the accused how could expect leniency for such a heinous crime and the boy told that after all he is now an orphan! When Arshia asked Haider try to explain that it is called “Chutzpah” (Hebrew) and his friend said it sounds like IASFA, i.e., Indian Army Special Forces Act., which was quite hilarious.
4. Hussain Meer, an old wise (Grand Dad) & pragmatic man spells out his views on a
very complex and sensitive issue Kashmir by telling that one can’t achieve the goal of freedom by violence, “Gandhi brought Freedom by Lathi (stick) rather than with the guns”. And “Revenge begets revenge and unless we liberate ourselves from revenge we cannot achieve freedom”.
5. Ghazala Meer appears very critical of her husband for his soft corner for insurgents. In the base of any attention, she enters into an extra-marital affair with her husband’s younger brother. In fact, as the story unfolds Dr Hilal Meer’s brother had a sinister plan to rid his brother to have Ghazala for good. It appears she was a co-conspirator. Haider is unwilling to accept his father’s criticism and told his mother, “You should also look at others’ perspective”.
6. Brigadier T.S Murthy responsible for fighting insurgents and their commander, Khurram
Meer and tells the public not to support them that they belong to the same Kabila who attacked India in 1948 and killed children and raped women and it was the Indian army which saved them.
7. Ghazala passes a message to Hilal Meer’s brother about the operation carried out by him
who in turn conveyed to Brgd. Khurram Meer who attacked the house and killed insurgents’ Commander. Dr Meer was taken to interrogation/Torture camps and no one knew about his whereabouts.
8. "Haider" is a poet who returns to Kashmir unaware of his father’s disappearance at the
height of the insurgency to find his disappeared father and ends up sucked into the politics of the state during this search. Arshia helps him find his father. Irfan’s guest entry was superb who played as Roohdaar, a suspected insurgent and co-cellmate with Dr Meer managed to convey a message to Haider. Haider manages to meet Roohdaar and insurgents’ Commander Zahoor and passes on message him as to what his father wanted him to do, i.e., “Revenge begets revenge”.
9. At the meeting with Roohdaar & Zahoor, it was revealed that Haider’s uncle was not only engaged in adultery with his mother but in collusion with Army he also organised a parallel terrorist group led by Ikhaf Latik. Not so surprising for those who have read CIA’s manual of Nicaragua as it is typical tactics CIA employed to kill Che Guevara in Bolivia
10. Arshia having missed Haider for a few days finally got to see him and there one see
some shades of dialogue from Helmet, “to be and not to be”, being a young confused man Haider is a big dilemma was whether to believe his uncle who got elected in Parliament to just find his father or to believe a co-prisoner Roohdaar who not only conveyed his father message but also told him whether his father was buried, and emotionally as he appeared, wish to believe his uncle to find his father alive, an impossibility, and being in love with as beautiful Arshia, he sees question even in answers how his uncle and mother cahoot in his
father’s murder. Director added a sense of humour when made Arshia say, Walk as walked, suck as a sucker, loved as loved and F’ck as F’ckked in local
accent. And Roohdaar's humming of lines from Iqbal..."...Dekhange", was amazing!
11. Arshia just out of love for father, as most children do, end up telling her father as
whereabouts of Haider and felt betrayed as her father emotionally blackmailed saying he would ensure the safety of Haider as his life was in jeopardy. Arshia once again in a colloquial tells Haider her father used her. Exasperated Betrayed Haider kills herself.
12. The news that Dr Meer is dead cleared the way for Ghazala Meer and Haider’s uncle
to get married for which they were waiting for a long time. This convinced Haider of conspiracy to murder his father who went crazy. Ghazala tried to talk into Haider to convince him of no conspiracy. Arshia’s father desperately looking for Haider found him with Ghazala at their ruined homes. Before Parvez could soot Haider he shot him making Arshia upset.
13. Finally, the moment of truth comes when Haider escaped assassination and Roohdaar planned his escape across the border, he was surrounded by uncle’s terrorist gang. In combat insurgents; loyalists got killed and Haider also got shot which left with little option for him. Things take a twist when Ghazala arrived at the scene of combat and tried to persuade her new husband to forgive Haider. Haider refused to give in, so exasperated
Ghazal walks passed by her husband taking off her overcoat revealing raped bombs on
her chest making everyone terrified. She blew herself killing ever one and severely injured her husband.
14. It crossed Haider’s mind to take revenge to fulfil his father’s last wish to shoot him in both eyes. Melodrama reached its highest climax where everyone thought expect me that he would shoot the bastard. Haider was reminded of old wise man’s words,” “Revenge begets revenge and unless we liberate ourselves from revenge we cannot achieve
freedom” he could not shoot.
Therefore I failed o understand what is the complaint here against Vishal Bhardwaj? Rather than the Hindus unnecessary and unreasonable outcry about demeaning the Army by trading off national interests, I would not have surprised if the protest was forthcoming form the radical Muslims as Muslim family has been portrayed of adultery, betrayal,
collaborators and kissing! It appears others are more tolerant than some of us on this Facebook and in the media. In my opinion, although I am unsure how much Haider is a departure from other Massala movies and how much he got Hamlet into it, Vishal has done a superb job in all respect. And every one performed very well. I would rate the movie at 8 on the scale of 1-10.
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