Haider: A risky, dangerous film

Haider is not Shakespeare’s Hamlet as much as it is Vishal Bhardwaj’s quirky Indianised family revenge drama for the Hindi-movie goer, says its star Shahid Kapoor

October 01, 2014 08:30 pm | Updated December 04, 2021 10:57 pm IST

To be or not to be Shahid, however, has no qualms about experimenting Photo: G.P. Sampath Kumar

To be or not to be Shahid, however, has no qualms about experimenting Photo: G.P. Sampath Kumar

Filmmaker Vishal Bhardwaj’s Haider completes his Shakespearean trilogy after Maqbool and Omkara . And with Haider comes actor Shahid Kapoor’s chance to be his best as an actor, getting to play the ultimate tragic hero, Hamlet — something actors world over would kill for. “It was a risky, dangerous and a very different film to do. It is a labour of love. We’ve done what convention tells you not to do,” said Shahid Kapoor, who’s been stuck in a rut of comedy and action.

“Playing Hamlet is the most complex part for any actor. It’s a mental and emotional journey. Not to mention the physical transformation,” said Shahid who was in Bangalore to promote the film, which releases on October 2. Hamlet’s famous “To be or not to be” soliloquy has become a rage in Gulzar’s ‘Main rahoon ki main naheen’ and Shahid has been in the news for shaving his head for a five-hour shoot for a shot comprising a six-page monologue. “This is the scene I will always remember as an actor,” stressed Shahid. All praise for his director, he spoke of Bhardwaj’s ability to convert Shakespeare into Hindi and maintain its quirkiness in Hindi. Excerpts from an interview.

Any film based on a literary work always comes with great expectations. And this is Shakespeare! What was your thought on being offered the film?

First of all I want people to know that this is an adaptation of Hamlet . It’s not Hamlet . It’s a film called Haider which has been made for the mainstream Indian audience, for the normal guy, who likes to go watch Hindi movies in the theatre. It is a differently commercial film. At least that’s how we see it.

How is it different, as you just mentioned?

To begin with, it’s a revenge family drama. Revenge is a rather universal emotion and we’ve seen many films on it. It has family dynamics and relationships between son and mother, father and wife, lovers, brothers, uncle and nephew. All the drama and histrionics of the film lie with these characters, who are local Kashmiri people. Normal people, with normal lives, with complex emotions. Like you and me. That’s what makes it very relatable for anyone to connect with it.

And Haider?...

Haider is a very real guy, very vulnerable, emotional, attached to his father and mother. He loves Arshiya’s character truly from the bottom of his heart. And he’s trying to deal with the complexities of where life has brought him. And Haider is trying to understand how to ride above this feeling. Whether he’s able to do that, or chooses to take revenge — that’s the story that’s so human.

Even though it’s the title role, I do feel that it’s not just about my character. If anybody has read Hamlet , or any of Shakespeare, the supporting characters — even calling them that is unfair — because each character is equally crucial. And Vishal sir has been amazing in always providing strong performance opportunities to good actors, especially female actors. There are very few directors in our country who write strong roles for female characters.

What is it about Vishal Bhardwaj that he gets dark, brooding movies right?

He’s cool enough not to care about what people say. He makes what he believes in and he makes it from his heart. He has his unique way of telling stories. He has the honesty to talk about conflicted emotions. He’s not worried about portraying emotions how they are, he doesn’t try and sugar-coat them. That’s what makes his films hard-hitting and original. Raw.

You seem to get both your comic timing right, and manage the dark, angsty, brooding act well too…

I just copy my directors. I really try and sink into the mind of the filmmaker I work with. You have to let yourself go and not worry about how you will come across. Trust the filmmaker. Because, for him, the first concern is to get his protagonist right. And once you let go, you feel liberated and you know that someone else is looking out for you. Go with the creative flow.

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