Haddi REVIEW: Nawazuddin Siddiqui steals the show as transgender in this poorly executed drama

Film:
Haddi Movie Review

Director: Akshat Ajay Sharma

Star cast: Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Anurag Kashyap, Mohd. Zeeshan Ayyub, Saurabh Sachdev, Saharsh Kumar Shukla, Shriidhar Dubey, Vipin Sharma

Platform: Zee 5

Haddi movie review

Sometimes I wonder why transgender are so neglected in our society. Why they are not being treated with full respect and dignity? I mean even though they are human beings, they have all the equal rights to enjoy and satisfy themselves. But it is never the case in our country and they are honestly looked down upon. After watching Sushmita Sen starrer Taali, I got to know more about transgender and their community. Well, Haddi also takes you through their life and hardships but that’s not the main plot of the story. It’s more than you think. Haddi is not just about showing the significance of the community but it shows the revenge story of a transgender and that’s intriguing. It is a never-seen-before story and Nawazuddin Siddiqui’s performance will surely pull you to watch the movie. But is Haddi worth watching, read the review…

Story:

Set against the backdrop of modern ruins in NCR, Gurgaon, and Noida, the film takes audiences on a
vindictive ride, delving into the life of Haddi. A rookie transgender — portrayed by Nawazuddin
Siddiqui—who comes from Allahabad to Delhi to join a gang of transgenders. She climbs up to the top of the criminal food chain to avenge her family who was wronged by a mighty powerful gangster turned politician played by Anurag Kashyap. Harika dresses up like a man and joins the gang as Haddi. She then works like a cross-dresser with them and makes a place in everyone’s heart. However, they don’t know that Haddi is a mysterious person who joined the gang for a reason. But is this move aspirational or driven by revenge? Will she succeed in taking revenge?

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What’s best about Haddi

Performance: The performance given by Nawazuddin Siddiqui and then by Anurag Kashyap, Mohd. Zeeshan Ayyub is quite intriguing. Not just the main cast, even the actors who played transgender or who were the real transgender did a good job. Even though the story is not that captivating, the strong performances by them saved the movie.

Storyline: In hindsight, Haddi is actually not a bad story. It is never seen before revenge drama that will surely make you feel angry, sad and a little bone-chilling. Haddi is a refreshing drama that will make you want to watch the movie. The second half of the movie is engaging and gripping and every puzzle pieces are perfectly fit. The best part about the movie is the love story of Harika and Irfan. It is sad, beautiful and innocent. The way Akshat showed the romance between the two is so heart-touching. However, even Haddi has its own flaws.

What didn’t work for Haddi

Nawazuddin Siddiqui in Haddi

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Screenplay: I wish the screenplay was a bit crisper and clear. Honestly, I couldn’t understand the flow of the story before the interval. In the first half of the movie, Haddi looks quite confusing and messy. It is the flow of the story that doesn’t grip your attention.

Execution: The reason the plot looked messy is because of the poor execution. It is an intense drama and yet, I was not feeling the impact. In some parts, there are scenes that were made in a flimsy way. You don’t feel connected to the plot or the characters.

Star Performance

Nawazuddin Siddiqui is the actual star of the story. He essays the role of transgender Harika and honestly, he looks quite enchanting. This is the first time, Nawazuddin is seen getting out of his comfort zone and he excels at it. Nawaz has done a fantastic job in playing a transgender. He plays with so much ease and panache. From exuding adayein to showing nazakat, Nawaz managed to pull off the behaviour of a woman quite nicely. I was amazed to see him showcasing his feminine side. He is a true veteran star and I enjoyed his performance as a trans girl throughout the movie.

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Anurag Kashyap plays the antagonist in the movie and he impresses with his grey side. Yes, at some point, I felt he was trying too hard to look like the bad guy. However, overall, he did a great job playing Pramod Ahlawat. You will feel the hatred towards him.

Zeeshan Ayyub plays an activist and Harika’s love interest. Zeeshan is a great actor and demands all the attention when he comes onscreen. Unfortunately, it seems his talent has been underused in the movie. He was not used to his full potential and that’s quite unfortunate. In fact, he is seen in the limited screen space and yet he didn’t shine as he supposed to be.

Saurabh Sachdev, Saharsh Kumar Shukla, Shriidhar Dubey and Vipin Sharma have also done a good job with their supporting roles.

Conclusion:

Concluding my review, Haddi has a captivating story but with poor execution and editing. At the start of the movie, you will be a little confused with the story as it is messily narrated. It becomes a little chaotic to even keep up with the story; however, you can see a flow after the interval. The story picks up in the second half and again gets lost at the end. Akshat Ajay Sharma tries to give a powerful climax but it sadly falls flat and leaves no stronger impact on us.

Watch Haddi trailer below:

Also read: Kushi Review: Vijay Deverakonda & Samantha Ruth Prabhu’s chemistry infuses life into this feel-good love story