Haddi Review: Nawazuddin Siddiqui Shines As Transgender In This Meaty Revenge Drama With A Satisfying Climax!
Nawazuddin Siddiqui stole the show!
You cannot ignore Nawazuddin Siddiqui’s range as an actor. From comedy to crime drama, he has displayed his versatility as an artist in all of his projects so far. Adding another power-packed performance to his body of work is the latest film, Haddi. Directed by Akshat Ajay Sharma, the film also stars Illa Arun, Anurag Kashyap, Mohammed Zeeshan Ayyub, Saurabh Sachdeva, and Rajesh Kumar in prominent roles. Nawazuddin Siddiqui kept me hooked on the film with his riveting portrayal of a transgender in this action crime drama. Here’s my full review of Haddi.
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Plot of Haddi
Nawazuddin Siddiqui stars in and as Haddi in this film. The plot follows the story of Harika, a transgender, who tries to worm her way into Inder’s gang (played by Saurabh Sachdeva) to seek revenge against politician Pramod Ahlawat (played by Anurag Kashyap). The reason why she wants to join Inder’s gang is that the latter is Pramod’s wingman and being with him will make her job of seeking revenge on Pramod easier.
Harika, who is known as Haddi in the gangster circle, gets into Inder’s gang but it is not easy for her. She has to put her life in danger several times to prove she is worthy of joining the gang. The plot of Haddi swings between reality and the past. It shows Harika’s transition into being transgender and being raised like a daughter by Illa Arun. She is a sweet loving woman who wants to find love and settle down but the tragic incident she experiences turns her into this cold-hearted woman who does not flinch before slicing someone into two or firing a bullet at anyone.
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When you learn how Harika goes on to earn her name as Haddi sort of surprised me. But it is fitting nonetheless. What ensues in between is a tale of betrayal, a lot of back-stabbing (quite literally) and the deaths of the most trusted ones in the gang. But Haddi manages to survive it all because as she says, “Mai marti nahi!”
Haddi loops the lives of the characters and the plot seamlessly and ties all loose ends together, all thanks to the editing done by Tanya Chhabria. The film’s first hour might leave you confused, but trust me, stick until the end to know how it all makes sense. And of course, being a Nawazuddin Siddiqui revenge drama, be prepared for gruesome violence and bloodshed which is necessary for the film’s story as it is not just thrown in the mix for the sake of it.
Background score
No film’s background score has ever won my heart before like Haddi has. The music for the film is composed by Rohan-Rohan and the lyrics of the songs are penned by Rohan Gokhale of the duo. Never did at any point do the songs of the music feel unnecessary. In fact, music plays a major role in certain scenes to leave a lasting impact.
Cast of Haddi
Nawazuddin Siddiqui as Haddi
I would not be wrong if I said this is Nawaz’s career-best performance. The range of emotions he has displayed in this film is simply marvellous. He brought out the softness of a woman and also the anger of one who lost every good thing in her life so perfectly that he deserves a standing ovation for this role.
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Interestingly, the film being a crime drama, maintains a balance between killing and crime. People do not die unnecessarily at her hands in the film unlike in most crime dramas. Also, kudos to Nawazuddin Siddiqui’s makeup and costume team for making him look his part convincingly. The plumpy upper lip and the raw makeup which made his skin look real and not airbrushed were quite on point.
One thing that deserves a special mention is Nawaz’s walk in Haddi. Uff, that measured sway in his hips does not look forced or fake and adds such swagger to his character that it is surely unmissable!
Anurag Kashyap
Right from the time he made his screen presence known and it was revealed he was the villain, he made sure I, as a viewer, hated him till the end. His cunningness, his candour when it comes to killing people and no remorse for his wrongdoings make him well-casted for the role of Pramod.
Saurabh Sachdeva
Saurabh Sachdeva played the role of Inder, the gang leader who takes Haddi in. I cannot imagine any other actor who could have played this role better. Inder is one of those rare transgenders in her community who is born that way and he made sure he reflected that in his body language. The way he kept his hands on his hips and swayed them just enough while walking and that last scene in the end, when he wears a saree, had my jaws dropping to the floor! Brilliant casting and performance here as well.
Mohammed Zeeshan Ayyub
Mohammed Zeeshan Ayyub played the role of Irrfan, Harika’s love interest. Irrfan plays a major role in Harika’s character development and why she is filled with so much vengeance. The romantic moments between Harika and Irrfan are also heartwarming and they make you wish the couple a happily ever after!
Rajesh Kumar
Imagine my shock when I saw my innocent Rosesh from Sarabhai VS Sarabhai playing a gangster’s role in Haddi! Rajesh Kumar delivers a memorable performance in this one and at no given point was I reminded that he is better off playing soft roles.
Ill Arun
Illa Arun’s performance as the strong matriarch in Haddi was quite powerful as well. Even though she did not have much screen time, she delivered a stunning performance as Revathy Amma.
Also read: Yaar Ka Sataya Hua Hai Song: नेटिजन्स ने कहा Nawazuddin Siddiqui और Shehnaaz Gill की केमिस्ट्री बेहद शानदार ….’
Verdict
Haddi is a must-watch for sure. It is riveting, and hard-hitting and keeps you anticipating what will happen next. The climax is the most satisfying scene in the movie. It is exhilarating to see Haddi finally get her revenge and see her in all her violent glory as she unleashes the beast inside. There are hardly any dull moments in the film and everything comes a full circle at the end, giving you proper closure for all that went down. If not for anything else, you have to watch it for Nawazuddin Siddiqui!
Haddi is now on Zee 5.
