Haider’s dilemma “to be or not to be” and “Inteqam (The Revenge)”

In recent times a few days ago an astonishing movie of Vishal Bhardwaj’ Haider is released. It is an adaptation of William Shakespeare’s play “Hamlet”, but the movie is thoroughly different from Shakespeare’s ‘Hamlet’ as the concept of revenge is similar theme in both the ‘Hamlet’ and ‘Haider’ but Haider is presented here in dissimilar way by Vishal Bhardwaj. He directed the movie “Haider” in path braking way. Shahid kappor played an amazing role which I never before seen apart from all his movies.  Vishal also shows that how political power is engaged in Indian Army against militants. They want freedom (Azad Kashmir).

Vishal Bhardwaj throughout this movie gives you an idea about that how a common man like Haider confused in his charade, inner conflict, dilemma of “to be or not to be” .  Haider’s impasse tills end up the story never clear as one scene of the movie in which the people are shouting to get their right or saying that what are their existences?

“Hum hai ke hum nahi, Hum hai ke hum nahi”

Now I am going to thrash out something about this movie that this movie was called “Anti- national” The film represent that how thousands of lives have been lost in the Kashmir conflict. The film gives a picture of “disappearance and the issue of half widow.”

 This is indeed a film about revenge (Inteqam) Haider’s father being “disappeared person by making Haider’s mother half- widow.

Vishal also gives an image of Indian Army under political power as Khuram (Haider’s Uncle) killed his brother and married with his brother’s wife (Khajana). It’s very living death kind of situation for any person and its acidic truth for anyone to tolerate it. In One scene in this movie we can see   some lines written on the wall

“Go India,    Go Back”

It shows that Kashmir wants free from riots and militants environment.  They want to taste the freedom (Azad Kashmir) like Haider also wants freedom from his dilemma.

All the things are going into the mind of Haider one or two ways he wants to take revenge of his father’s murder. His inner voice makes him psychologically mad. His soliloquies demonstrate his inner voice towards his madness to take revenge:

“Dil ki agar sunu toh hai, dimag ki toh hai nahi ... jaan loon ki jaan doon, main rahoon ki main nahi”

( If I listen to my heart then you are there, if I listen to my mind then not ... should I take a life or give my life, should I live or not)

One side his mother loves him a lot. Not much but in some scenes we can see the Oedipus complex.  As Khajana (Haider’s Mother) memories Haider that it was disliked by him when she slept with her husband.

But she wants escape from the concern of “half widow”. one the other way Haider’s conflict is that he never tries comes out his inner struggle to recognize the voice of his mother, the character of his mother. One man Ruder (Iran Khan) comes and takes message with him “a pegam” that to kill his uncle.

But the end of the movie is very stupendous one. When Haider’s mother kill  herself with explosion and after all the things Haider now becomes  a fiend  to kill his uncle but last very poignant scene or very devout feat by Haider that he leave his uncle.  At that time his inner conflict does not  end. The two voices heard by Haider  one of his father to take revenge  and one of his mother that :

“Inteqam sirf inteqam paida karta hai. Jab tak hum inteqam se aazad nahi hote, koi azadi hamein azad nahi kar sakti”

(Revenge only gives birth to revenge. Till the time we don’t set our minds free from the idea of revenge, no freedom can free us.)

His uncle tells Haider to kill him but Haider last remember his mother voice it shows that one or two ways he loves his mother extremely. He leaves  his uncle and disappear into his dilemma and with his inner conflict and struggle which remains question mark for Haider's life.

Apart from all good scene , Last scene is very marvelously  directed by Vishal Bhardwaj.

In Shakespeare’s ‘Hamlet’ the hero was dead but in Vishal Bhardwaj’s ‘Haider’ the hero is alive. I want to say that it is his leaving death. So to the end of the movie Haider’s dilemma is not clear. 

 So my point of view about this movie " Haider" is outstanding one and I would like to thanks Vishal Bhardwaj for making and presenting such a breathtaking movie to us.

Sources are taken from

http://www.filmyquotes.com/movies/85

http://agniveer.com/a-soldier-reviews-haider/