Haddi: a performance that matters!

A piece of outstanding standalone acting (Nawazuddin Siddiqui), courageous plot with novel theme (Adamya Bhalla, Akshat Ajay Sharma), superbly blended with reverberating tunes (Rohan Pradhan, Rohan Gokhale) but marred by poor overall cast selection (Mohammad Talib) and direction (Akshat Ajay Sharma) that did injustice to the theme. The tale of revenge is an old one but when that centres the transgender, the tale takes a startling turn. A society that outcasts and abhors a community will be very likely to be indifferent to their state of being. But when their wrath is challenged, there strength is felt like never before.

The plot centres on the evil political leader utilizing the transgenders to promote his illegal trade while, at the same time, systematically trying to usurp the homes owned by the apparently weaker of the community to further his real estate business. To achieve his selfish aims of increasing wealth, he stoops to lowest measures, including mass murders, caring less for the people who stands in his way. But challenge comes from unsuspecting quarters, a transgender plotting a careful revenge to avenge the only family he knew, a home that once provided him shelter when ostracized by the society but now, the establishment being decapitated by the mafia greed.

There is quite a bit of novelty in portraying the vengeance of the transgender, but the way the central character is played by Nawazuddin Siddiqui, deserves special applaud. The wails of the devastated, the wrath of the desperate, the softness of the delicate heart within being the handful of the varied sentiments displayed by Nawazuddin that will keep you spellbound as you watch the classic manifestation of human sentiments that range from graceful elegance to utter arrogance! The theme is magnificently complimented by the soulful melody of Beparda with the voice of Rekha Bhardwaj, accompanied by Rohan Pradhan and Rohan Gokhale that amplifies the passion even further. But having said all these, I must say that the film will surely fall short of high ranks, thanks primarily to a horrid casting of Anuraag Kashyap as a central character. Who considers him to be a serious villain? Meaning no disrespect, he apparently just lacks that strain. Lowering the scales a notch further, is the abrupt direction that does injustice to the presentation that basically banks on individual performances. However, a casual watch will do no harm as the skilled acting of the professional, the unique storyline and the music that thrills, might be just the right ingredient for entertainment!