September 6th 2023.
As an ardent admirer of Nawazuddin Siddiqui’s craft, I’ve long been of the opinion that he could do justice to any role he undertakes, no matter how short or what co-stars he is paired with. With his latest outing, Haddi, streaming on Zee 5, I’m pleased to report that not only has he completely aced his character as Haddi/Harika, you’re likely to believe that this character is actually for real.
Directed by Akshat Ajay Sharma and co-written with Adamya Bhalla, Haddi deploys the transgender community to tell a gritty tale of violence and crime in the National Capital Region. From the very first scene, it is established that the third gender is blessed with unique superpowers, and that their curses spell doom but their revenge is inevitable.
Haddi operates in the midst of transgenders, working under the influence of Pramod Ahlawat. Together, they run a racket of every criminal offense imaginable. With his abilities, Haddi soon rises to a position of invincibility. But his true motivation remains a mystery.
The film draws from the Mahabharata to substantiate the importance of the trans community. The story of Iravan, the son of Arjuna who married Mohini, the avatar of Lord Krishna for a day before he was sacrificed, carries a layered screenplay that is crisply edited to a run-time of two hours and fourteen minutes. Although the climax could have been better, the overall watch is extremely engaging.
Nawazuddin Siddiqui’s performance in this role is simply marvelous. The scenes that depict his transition from Haddi to Harika are done so beautifully that audiences are witness to the magical discovery of a woman. Mohammad Zeeshan Ayyub is empathic and charming as Harika’s lover Irfan, and Ila Arun is fabulous as Revathi Amma. Anurag Kashyap commands a solid presence as Ahlawat. Saurabh Sachdeva, Saharsh Kumar Shukla, Rajesh Kumar, Shriidhar Dubey and Vipin Sharma also help to add heft to the plot.
In totality, Haddi is a film that will leave you in further awe of the excellence that Nawazuddin Siddiqui commands. His performance is one that is sure to draw you in and keep you engaged.
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