Haasil

This is only kind of such movie made in Indian cinema. This movie truly replicates and speaks about mind and mindset of students in northern part of India (not in metros). The efforts put by director/writer Tigmanshu Dhulia can't be measured by just few awards. A lot of research (or say no research was required because every scene looks so natural) has been done behind each and every scene in the movie. Most of the actors in the movie are stage performers and they have given their best shots in the movie. No doubt this is the best movie of the best (?) actor in India after Kamal Hasan. Performance given by Jimmy Shergil and even Hrishita Bhatt is par above than so called superstars of Indian Hindi cinema. I recommend everyone to watch this movie at least once.

Firstly,I'd like to know more about this director Tigmanshu Dhulia.And why hasn't any producer taken notice of his talent till now.The lad has made such a fine movie that from what I see,this has put the Oscar winners to shame!And no freaking major recognitions for this movie in the country in which it was made and also which it has depicted so perfectly in its lens.Such movies are hard to make,and probably even tougher to get recognised.Isn't it?Irfan Khan has broken all the acting fronts through his debut performance as Ranvijay Singh,a wannabe politician,who takes up against the reigning student leader in his university,the character being portrayed so flawlessly by Ashutosh Rana.Irfan Khan has immortalised the character and the movie itself,at least in the hearts and brains of the ones who've seen this flick.Despite hailing from the state of Rajasthan,he's played the part of a UP guy and perfected the accent so easily,it makes you stand up,take notice and applaud the efforts.Jimmy Sheirgill is good as the lead,but Hrishita Bhatt leaves a lot to be asked.She was arguably the weakest link in the movie,which was dominated by the great performances and the dialogues of its characters.When I saw this movie,I became Irfan Khan's fan,and I can assure the same fate for any other cinema lover!This movie is as realistic as it can get and I simply love that for Indian cinema.

This movie is special for me as during our undergrad days, we were asked to learn each and every dialogue of this movie in ragging. I still remember 80% of the dialogue. Movie shows underbelly of College elections and how it impacts the students. One off of the best work of Irfan Khan.

Pros: Great script awesome acting well directed

Cons: Couple of unnecessary songs.

We, who live in metros, away from the rest of India need to be reminded sometimes that there lies a larger India outside the metros. We, who criticize politicians and call politics 'dirty' and never vote out of laziness and apathy yet disguising it brilliantly as our only act of protest against the corrupt system, need to be reminded that politics does run the country. And if we don't, someone else less worthy will take the reins in their hands. We, who watch films to escape from our otherwise dreary, tiresome, collapsed lives need to be reminded that possibly film can mean more than a sneak preview into the lives and lifestyles of the rich and famous.

Haasil, does all that. And more. Now while the film is not without its problems, lets begin by saying, it's a refreshing, thought provoking change from the regular onslaught of dancing on European alpine valleys; zipping on Mercedes Benz; parties - poolside in the lush greenery of palatial mansions and of course, designer clothes on designer bodies.

Set in a university in Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh, where the Director Tigmanshu Dhulia himself studied, the film revolves around two rival political gangs in a college. One headed by college veteran and students' union president Gauri Shankar (Ashutosh Rana), and the other by an aspiring politician Ranvijay Singh (Irfan Khan), encounter each other constantly in corridors of the university, the labyrinths that control student political power. While Aniruddh (Jimmy Shergill) and Niharika (Hrishitaa Bhat), both students of the college, fall in a simple and 'looks real on screen' kind of love creating a parallel narrative in the film, the plot thickens, as Aniruddh, after turning a deaf ear to the warnings of his friends and lover, gets slowly sucked into the world of Ranvijay's politics. He blindly places his faith in Ranvijay, who uses him to win votes from the `a-political' students. One thing leads to another and before he can realize what is happening, Aniruddh finds himself neck deep in the game of power politics which leads back to the rooms of ministers and the state.

Let's take a look at what I like and what I don't in Haasil.

I like:

1. The story, though not original, is a refreshing change. 2. The editing is neat and the narrative flows on perfectly. 3. The extremely real life dialogues give it a sense of being rooted 4. It has no stars, just characters. The actors perform these characters well. Irfan Khan as an upcoming, ambitious, brash, fearless student leader and yet nervous of his appeal to the other sex is brilliant. One wonders what's it with Bollywood, which can't nurture such talent! Jimmy Shergill, as a young boy from a middle class family of a small town finally gets to do in this film what he has never got a chance to do before, act. Hrishita Bhatt as his coy yet strong-minded girl friend is promising. Tinnu Anand as Jimmy's father needs a special mention. He performs the role of a father constantly aware of the growing gap between him and his son attempting to bridge it, yet not quite succeeding is believable. Ashutosh Rana as the president of the student association fails to impress beyond the stereotype he is being made to perform lately. 5. The film makes 'love' watchable again on screen. It is sensitively handled, looks believable and does not pretend to be anything other than it is; i.e. two college mates being attracted to each other and falling in love! Jimmy's impulsive kiss on Hrishita's cheek followed by a nervous 'sorry I'm really sorry'; the scented letter that makes her go into a bout of sneezing; the newspaperman turned love-letter delivery boy; the cycle and the ricksaw; the arguments in the old dilapidated movie hall where they meet secretly; all seem out of real life 'falling in love'. 6. The music scores are good and worthy of an ear though failing to make a lasting impression. Yet, it complements the film well. 7. The Director's involvement with the film, his personal experience with student politics in a small town is evident in the film. Even his understanding of the town of Allahabad, with its huge population of out-of-Bengal Bengalis, who have lived there now for ages and have managed to mingle with the locals yet keeping their festivals and customs alive prove that he has studies the city. 8. It is small budget. It cost just Rs 4 crore and it is doing pretty well inspite of the lack in advertising and promotions moneys. I guess word of mouth still works.

I did not like:

1. It gives in to the stereotypes and conventions of a mainstream Hindi film time and again. We could have done with fewer songs for instance, or less number of change of clothes for the heroin. 2. Irfan's character, its gray edges came out beautifully in the first half till the director decided to make him the ultimate villain and willfully simplified his emotions midway giving him no chance to redeem himself.

3. The introduction of the mosque, the `good Samaritan' Muslim friend and the song in the mosque ending with Jimmy's verdict on how friendly Muslims truly are inspite of popular belief, seems tokenistic and banal. If anything, it seems to be working against the very purpose it was meant for. And that I guess is the problem. When one tries to achieve a purpose in a sequence with no links to the main story it looks imposed, banal.

Politics. there are many of us who hate it and refuse to be part of it. Yet, politics is what runs a nation. To quote a fellow commenter, 'if we don't take part in politics, someone else less worthy will take the reins in their hands'. This is what Haasil does. While the more recent films like 'Rang De Basanti' which glamourizes violence or an insipid 'Yuva' which fails to get the message through due to its several weaknesses have been hugely successful (the former being a commercial success while the latter was a critical success), 'Haasil' is one film that received comparative little attention but excels both films (notwithstanding the fact that it was released before).

The screenplay is quite innovative and the narrative flows very well. Dhulia's storytelling is refreshing and he portrays the events with grit, realness and sensitivity. An example is the very gradual and somewhat subtle way he shows a carefree Anirudh's movement towards Ranvijay's party. Unlike 'Yuva' and 'Rang de Basanti' this one has no stars. It has actors, and that too, some of the best.

Irfan Khan is phenomenal as Ranvijay. While we see Ranvijay as a brave ambitious leader, we see his weakness towards the opposite sex, particularly the woman he desires. Shergill too is fantastic as the young and naive Anirudh who's slowly drawn into the web of politics. Both these characters are very well-written with different shades. Ashutosh Rana is strictly okay as his character borders on caricature. Hrishita Bhatt has a strong presence and she holds her own. She and Shergill have a wonderful chemistry and their love story is quite genuine and well-handled. Tinnu Anand is quite likable as the father who's unsuccessfully trying to bridge the generation gap between his son and himself. Rajpal Yadav doesn't have much to do.

The songs are quite nice but some could have easily been left out. For example, the Qawali sequence towards the finale, looked a little too dramatic and Bollywoodish. Actually the whole mosque sequence looks a little out of place. The screenplay is a little imbalanced. In the first half it balances the love story and the political chaos but in the latter half it shifts towards Ranvijay's obsession (why?) for Niharika. The sudden change in Irfan's character looks a little drastic, especially his outburst at Niharika's parents followed by his insane hunt. Then again, perhaps the outburst scene reflects his sexual frustration, a hint of which we see in an earlier scene when Anirudh jokes to him about his weakness with women. The ending too looks a little odd and rushed but one can understand why the director wanted to round it up this way. Also some situations required further development. For example, Ranvijay's attraction towards Niharika or how did Ranvijay manage to convince Niharika's father to marry her off to him?

'Haasil' is a brilliant effort in spite of its flaws. It isn't exactly a masterpiece but is a lot more real and effective than the other successful films (I already gave two examples) trying to convey a similar message. Worth the watch!