What Is the Story About?
ZEE5 original film ‘Haddi’ follows a transgender woman, Harika, aka Haddi (Nawazuddin Siddiqui), who joins a group of transgender sex workers and gang of criminals in Delhi, all of whom owe allegiance to politician Pramod Ahlawat (Anurag Kashyap). But there’s more to what drives her to do the things she does.
Haddi is written by Adamya Bhalla and Akshat Ajay Sharma and directed by the latter. It is produced by Sanjay Saha and Radhika Nanda of Anandita Studios.
Performances?
Nawazuddin Siddiqui is compelling as Harika/Haddi. He captures and holds the viewer’s attention, though his transgender act is not very convincing. It is a good performance overall. Anurag Kashyap is evil personified as the sadistic Ahlawat. He brings a chilling menace to his role, lending credence to the casting director’s move to pick Kashyap as the primary antagonist.
Mohammed Zeeshan Ayyub is wasted in the inconsequential role he’s saddled with. The character of Irfan is poorly etched out, and barely makes any meaningful contribution to the plot. After his excellent act in Netflix’s Scoop, one expected bigger and better things from him. What were the filmmakers even thinking when they chose an actor of his stature for the trivial role? And why did he accept it, for heaven’s sake? Haddi is definitely a jarring anticlimax in Mohammed Zeeshan Ayyub’s filmography.
Ila Arun, as Revathi Amma, is as powerful a performer, and as delightful to watch as ever. Vipin Sharma, Saharsh Shukla, Shriidhar Dubey and Saurabh Sachdeva lend good support in their roles as criminals and hustlers. Rajesh Kumar is a revelation as the gang leader, Satto. If your only memory of him is as the adorable Rosesh in Sarabhai Vs Sarabhai, prepare to be surprised.
Analysis
At its heart, Haddi is a revenge drama, albeit set in a unique milieu. The world-building is good, and the characters, quite interesting. The compelling character of Haddi is a sight to behold. Chunna, Satto, Inder, Bibek Mitra, Ahlawat – the supporting characters are equally intriguing.
The narrative is evenly-paced and moves at a fast clip. The ‘Beparda’ song is exquisitely sung and composed, and picturised in mesmerising fashion. The song and its picturisation are definitely the highlight of the film.
Haddi gives us an extended, never-seen-before look at the transgender community, and the heartwarming way they support others of their ilk. The childhood scenes of Hari/Harika are spine-chilling, especially the lynching scene. That is also why the sequences when Amma takes her under her wings, nurtures her and gives her the courage to flaunt her identity are some of the best sequences of the film.
However, despite all the positives, Haddi fails on two fronts – the messy writing that is all over the place; and the tedious length that is 40 minutes too long. As a result, the movie fails to make much of an impact, despite the hard-hitting premise.
With so much going for it, one would expect the film to be a good watch. Alas, the writers and director squander away the potential with their indulgently long-drawn style of storytelling, the constant toggling between past and present, the overstuffed plot, and the messy plot.
To sum it up, Haddi is a one-time watch, meant to be seen, and forgotten.
Music and Other Departments?
Rohan and Rohan’s musical score for Haddi is very good, especially the Beparda song. The background score is not as good, and leaves a lot to be desired. Piyush Puty and Jay Pinak Oza’s cinematography is above average, but not outstanding. Tanya Chhabria’s editing is jerky and below par. Shot transitions are erratic – shots move on to the next scene abruptly, and in a way that niggles.
Highlights?
Nawazuddin Siddiqui’s performance
Drawbacks?
Too long and tedious
Messy plot
Poor editing
Unimpactful overall
Did I Enjoy It?
Not as much as I had hoped
Will You Recommend It?
As a one-time watch
Haddi Movie Review by Binged Bureau
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