There’s something eminently immature about Haseena Parkar; as though a bunch of youngsters decided to indulge the alleged filmmakers in themselves when they appear to actually have none of that talent. No wonder the film feels half-baked — in its recreation of Mumbai and its gangster politics and in focusing on the life and times of Dawood Ibrahim’s sister, the Aapa or Godmother who ruled the world of crime from Nagpada, lording over it all — from extortions to hawala rackets. Forget black, director Apoorva Lakhia’s palette doesn’t have shades of grey either. His Haseena Parkar (Shraddha Kapoor) could well be Sister/Mother India; a sweet, simple, vivacious wife and mother who had to turn to crime because circumstances forced her to.
- Director: Apoorva Lakhia
- Cast: Shraddha Kapoor, Siddhant Kapoor, Ankur Bhatia
- Storyline: A biopic of late Haseena Parkar, sister of Dawood Ibrahim, who allegedly ran his business in Mumbai when he had to flee to Dubai
- Run Time: 125 minutes
There could have been a lot going on here but Lakhia decides to let go of nuance to make way for sheer inanity and boredom taking us back and forth in time, with sutradhars , when we would much rather just stay put where we are, all by ourselves. Happenings of recent past — Babri Masjid demolition, Mumbai riots, the blasts — determinants in Haseena’s life are also not well grounded.
Don’t go looking for a Shabana Azmi-like assured turn (in Godmother ) from Kapoor . She is unable to rise above her age, despite trying to emote way too earnestly in some scenes. Her Haseena lacks gravitas and menace, is callow rather than strong and intimidating. Cotton stuffed in both cheeks certainly doesn’t make for a jaw-dropping performance. And her real and reel brother, Siddhant Kapoor, looks more a young Shakti Kapoor than the dangerous Dawood Ibrahim. As to whether he is better than Farhan Khan, in the same role, in Daddy, well the jury is still out on that one.
