Movie Review: Haasil
After watching it for the fourth time yesterday, Haasil became my most watched movie overtaking JBDY. Being a long standing (and long suffering) Hindi movie fan, this movie has come to mean a lot to me. Its easily one of the best hindi movies made in recent times and the fact is especially important, not just because it announces the arrival of one of the most exciting directors in Bollywood today, Tigmanshu Dhulia, but also because it finds that happy compromise between art and commercial cinema, that other filmmakers find so elusive.
Haasil is a love story set in a backdrop of violent college politics in Allahabad. But before we get to the story, a few words about the director. Tigmanshu Dhulia is one of the new-breed Bollywood directors who believe in neo-realistic cinema. He also carries a fairly strong resume. He is a National School of Drama graduate and had worked as Shekhar Kapoor's assistant in Bandit Queen. He has also worked with Ketan Mehta (Sardar Patel), Pradip Kishen (Electric moon, written by Arundhati Roy), Mani Ratnam (Dil se), Asif Kapadia (Warrior) and wrote part of Tere Mere Sapne. Haasil is his first movie.
The first thing that hits you about the movie is its stark reality. There are no sets used anywhere. Since I have spent most of my childhood in Bihar, I can assure you the dialogues (also written by Tigmanshu Dhulia) and street lingo used is as real as it gets. The crowd scenes, the college campus, the hero's house and all his friends, they are all extremely real (probably because the director himself went to college in Allahabad and was involved in politics). The story revolves around a middle-class student Ani (Jimmy Shergill), who falls in love with his classmate Niharika (Hrishitaa bhatt). Unfortunately, he also befriends local college goon and aspiring politician Ranvijay Singh (Irrfan khan) and things suddenly go awry for all of them.
Granted the plot is nothing new, but that makes me admire the movie all the more because it only highlights the wonders good treatment can do to a movie. The confidence of the director shows in the relaxed way the plot unfolds. When you watch the movie more than once, you notice a number of nuances that you'd have surely missed the first time. And this is one movie thats filled to the gills with nuances. Some are subtle, some not-so-subtle, and some so miniscule that you cant believe a Bollywood movie director has actually take the pains to put them in there. Here are some examples..
The not-so-subtle: The way Ani douses his love letters (and also the pen) with "Fa", sending Niharika into fits of sneezing when she reads them.. Their embarrassing first kiss, that quickly goes haywire..
The subtle: The strained relationship between Ani and his father. There are no explanations given (which is so true, its usually just an age thing). The Super-cool goon Irrfan khan's angst at being such a failure with opposite sex.. And also the way he keeps talking about respecting artists. This is so very true of mid-level goonda-types in Bihar.. If you just tell them you are artist of some kind or are serious about your academics, they will always leave you alone with elaborate respect, as if they want to convince themselves that doing this righteous act would somehow compensate for their other shortcomings .. Among these goondas (at least in Bihar), you'll always find a secret wistfulness for a normal middle-class family. When this wistfulness goes unsatisfied, it gets translated into gentle scoffs for middle class types, but the yearning still remains (when Irrfan khan sends Shergill back home at night, "jaao ghar jaao, nahin to pappa aa jayenge dhoondte hue") This is very well captured (although never explicitly shown) in the movie...
The super-subtle: There are few scenes in the movie that are so minor, but yet so correct, that you just wont notice them unless you look very very hard.. For instance.. when Hrishita bhatt's father asks Jimmy shergill his name, He says Ani.. Immediately, her mom looks at him questioningly without saying anything.. and then Shergill replies, Aniruddha Sharma.. Although you wont think twice about this scene, but this is so true in Bihar.. Obviously the parents are probing for Ani's caste when they wait for his surname.. Immediately after the scene, Bhatt's father treats him with disdain (cuz they are from a higher caste), but it is never mentioned that caste was involved in this. In fact, you wouldnt know it unless you've stayed in the area. There are so many scenes like this that I could fill pages extolling the amount of attention to detail the director has given.
Another thing worth mentioning is the background noise used (say in a crowd scene). It isnt simply white noise, but it you listen hard, they are all very meaningful dialoges, but still toned down to not draw attention to themselves... And the attention to chronology.. Although dates are rarely mentioned, you see diwali, durga puja, republic day celebrations in the background marking the passage of time. Some of the best acting and dialogues are from the sidey characters (the villain's chamchas and hero's friends). Even the most minor ones have a consistent and carefully drawn out character, complete with well-etched mannerisms. Very RGV. The movie has shades of Satya and Shiva, but its much less stylized and much more realistic. I must throw in a word for the fantastic dresses the characters wear, very genuine, right from cheap and loud for chamchas to sober and conservative for the middle-class heroine..
The director also employs some film techniques that are probably cliched in Hollywood, but still a welcome change in India. Like the rule of three, where the director repeats a seemingly minor plot point (like eg a dialogue) three times. The first time depicts a trait in characters, the second time re-enforces that trait, and the third time, it suddenly plays a crucial role in the film (for example, coin flipping in Sholay). And then there is symbolism.. For instance, throughout the movie, its highlighted how depraved the political system is in UP, but in the end, with the protagonists near break-point, a rotten-to-the-core character suddenly comes good. This is symbolized in the closing shot, when the protagonists are walking in a tunnel and there's light at the end of it. (Believe me, its not done in as heavy-handed way as I made it sound :)
The background score is mundane, but thankfully non-intrusive. There are a few slip-ups in the movie. The songs, although easy on the ears and nicely paced, seem forced. It seems the director is almost embarrassed to put them there. There is some rhetoric about hindu-muslim unity, which although is toned down and streets ahead of what other desi directors do, was, IMHO, totally unnecessary. The worst part is the editing of the movie, which is extremely unprofessional. Another thing that disappointed me was that the director had carefully scheduled the shoot so the climax would be shot at the kumbh mela.. Unfortunately he didnt mine this for all that its worth and the climax turns out to be run-of-the-mill.
All said and done, this movie is a ray of hope for bollywood fans. It also shows commercial directors need not be completely unaware of subtlety. Haasil does have its share of flaws and pitfalls. My review is also tainted by the fact that my childhood memories helped me immediately idendify with the characters. But then its always a mark of a good director, if he can make you empathize with a thoroughly debauched villain. Its also a must watch for people who like to study directors and their approach to movie making. Its especially heartening that Haasil was not a total flop. Despite a no-name cast and a zero-publicity release, it still managed to do reasonably well in city as well as rural centers.
Tigmanshu Dhulia has already released his second movie Charas (which deals with drug network in Himachal). The movie recieved mixed reviews. Unfortunately, I still havent able to find a dvd for this and I refuse to watch it on VHS. The good news is he's been noticed and is getting producers more easily (unlike Haasil, which had been a struggle). He is currently busy directing the interestingly named "The killing of a porn filmmaker", also starring Irrfan khan.
Haasil is a love story set in a backdrop of violent college politics in Allahabad. But before we get to the story, a few words about the director. Tigmanshu Dhulia is one of the new-breed Bollywood directors who believe in neo-realistic cinema. He also carries a fairly strong resume. He is a National School of Drama graduate and had worked as Shekhar Kapoor's assistant in Bandit Queen. He has also worked with Ketan Mehta (Sardar Patel), Pradip Kishen (Electric moon, written by Arundhati Roy), Mani Ratnam (Dil se), Asif Kapadia (Warrior) and wrote part of Tere Mere Sapne. Haasil is his first movie.
The first thing that hits you about the movie is its stark reality. There are no sets used anywhere. Since I have spent most of my childhood in Bihar, I can assure you the dialogues (also written by Tigmanshu Dhulia) and street lingo used is as real as it gets. The crowd scenes, the college campus, the hero's house and all his friends, they are all extremely real (probably because the director himself went to college in Allahabad and was involved in politics). The story revolves around a middle-class student Ani (Jimmy Shergill), who falls in love with his classmate Niharika (Hrishitaa bhatt). Unfortunately, he also befriends local college goon and aspiring politician Ranvijay Singh (Irrfan khan) and things suddenly go awry for all of them.
Granted the plot is nothing new, but that makes me admire the movie all the more because it only highlights the wonders good treatment can do to a movie. The confidence of the director shows in the relaxed way the plot unfolds. When you watch the movie more than once, you notice a number of nuances that you'd have surely missed the first time. And this is one movie thats filled to the gills with nuances. Some are subtle, some not-so-subtle, and some so miniscule that you cant believe a Bollywood movie director has actually take the pains to put them in there. Here are some examples..
The not-so-subtle: The way Ani douses his love letters (and also the pen) with "Fa", sending Niharika into fits of sneezing when she reads them.. Their embarrassing first kiss, that quickly goes haywire..
The subtle: The strained relationship between Ani and his father. There are no explanations given (which is so true, its usually just an age thing). The Super-cool goon Irrfan khan's angst at being such a failure with opposite sex.. And also the way he keeps talking about respecting artists. This is so very true of mid-level goonda-types in Bihar.. If you just tell them you are artist of some kind or are serious about your academics, they will always leave you alone with elaborate respect, as if they want to convince themselves that doing this righteous act would somehow compensate for their other shortcomings .. Among these goondas (at least in Bihar), you'll always find a secret wistfulness for a normal middle-class family. When this wistfulness goes unsatisfied, it gets translated into gentle scoffs for middle class types, but the yearning still remains (when Irrfan khan sends Shergill back home at night, "jaao ghar jaao, nahin to pappa aa jayenge dhoondte hue") This is very well captured (although never explicitly shown) in the movie...
The super-subtle: There are few scenes in the movie that are so minor, but yet so correct, that you just wont notice them unless you look very very hard.. For instance.. when Hrishita bhatt's father asks Jimmy shergill his name, He says Ani.. Immediately, her mom looks at him questioningly without saying anything.. and then Shergill replies, Aniruddha Sharma.. Although you wont think twice about this scene, but this is so true in Bihar.. Obviously the parents are probing for Ani's caste when they wait for his surname.. Immediately after the scene, Bhatt's father treats him with disdain (cuz they are from a higher caste), but it is never mentioned that caste was involved in this. In fact, you wouldnt know it unless you've stayed in the area. There are so many scenes like this that I could fill pages extolling the amount of attention to detail the director has given.
Another thing worth mentioning is the background noise used (say in a crowd scene). It isnt simply white noise, but it you listen hard, they are all very meaningful dialoges, but still toned down to not draw attention to themselves... And the attention to chronology.. Although dates are rarely mentioned, you see diwali, durga puja, republic day celebrations in the background marking the passage of time. Some of the best acting and dialogues are from the sidey characters (the villain's chamchas and hero's friends). Even the most minor ones have a consistent and carefully drawn out character, complete with well-etched mannerisms. Very RGV. The movie has shades of Satya and Shiva, but its much less stylized and much more realistic. I must throw in a word for the fantastic dresses the characters wear, very genuine, right from cheap and loud for chamchas to sober and conservative for the middle-class heroine..
The director also employs some film techniques that are probably cliched in Hollywood, but still a welcome change in India. Like the rule of three, where the director repeats a seemingly minor plot point (like eg a dialogue) three times. The first time depicts a trait in characters, the second time re-enforces that trait, and the third time, it suddenly plays a crucial role in the film (for example, coin flipping in Sholay). And then there is symbolism.. For instance, throughout the movie, its highlighted how depraved the political system is in UP, but in the end, with the protagonists near break-point, a rotten-to-the-core character suddenly comes good. This is symbolized in the closing shot, when the protagonists are walking in a tunnel and there's light at the end of it. (Believe me, its not done in as heavy-handed way as I made it sound :)
The background score is mundane, but thankfully non-intrusive. There are a few slip-ups in the movie. The songs, although easy on the ears and nicely paced, seem forced. It seems the director is almost embarrassed to put them there. There is some rhetoric about hindu-muslim unity, which although is toned down and streets ahead of what other desi directors do, was, IMHO, totally unnecessary. The worst part is the editing of the movie, which is extremely unprofessional. Another thing that disappointed me was that the director had carefully scheduled the shoot so the climax would be shot at the kumbh mela.. Unfortunately he didnt mine this for all that its worth and the climax turns out to be run-of-the-mill.
All said and done, this movie is a ray of hope for bollywood fans. It also shows commercial directors need not be completely unaware of subtlety. Haasil does have its share of flaws and pitfalls. My review is also tainted by the fact that my childhood memories helped me immediately idendify with the characters. But then its always a mark of a good director, if he can make you empathize with a thoroughly debauched villain. Its also a must watch for people who like to study directors and their approach to movie making. Its especially heartening that Haasil was not a total flop. Despite a no-name cast and a zero-publicity release, it still managed to do reasonably well in city as well as rural centers.
Tigmanshu Dhulia has already released his second movie Charas (which deals with drug network in Himachal). The movie recieved mixed reviews. Unfortunately, I still havent able to find a dvd for this and I refuse to watch it on VHS. The good news is he's been noticed and is getting producers more easily (unlike Haasil, which had been a struggle). He is currently busy directing the interestingly named "The killing of a porn filmmaker", also starring Irrfan khan.
posted by void @ 10:29 AM
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