Harud

Some movies are all about entertainment, entertainment, entertainment. If youre looking for that, Harud is not for you. This one was plain simple, ... read more

Some movies are all about entertainment, entertainment, entertainment. If youre looking for that, Harud is not for you. This one was plain simple, gripping and heavy AND sorrowing.

It wasnt a fancy movie. There were only a handful dialogues, unknown actors, no songs, no dancing, but it had drama like one has never seen before. Unspoken drama. Rafiq and his family were coping with the strange disappearance of his brother and while managing their everyday on-the-edge lives in Kashmir, or like many of the characters call it, Hell.

I should have probably done my reading before watching the film (I will soon after this review is done) - the film is based on all the missing men in Kashmir and the Kashmiri graves, something our media has failed to give justice to. One of the most intriguing scenes in the movie was when a Journalist from Delhi arrives to cover the distribution of SIM cards to the local people on Eid. She reports the scene chirpily, describing the atmosphere as happy, which it was far from.

It wasnt a documentary but half way through, I craved knowledge on what actually has been going on in the region, something obviously very close o the director, Aamir Bashirs, heart. The movie was as real as it got for me.

Harud could have been more in your face but Im sure there was a good reason for the director to keep it subtle and quiet. The movie is definitely a one-time watch. Not more, not less and not the same kind of one time watch everyone said for Cocktail. This is a one time MUST watch (followed by lots of reading on the subject).view less

Harud is a film set in Kashmir. The fact that it doesnt play out like an Indian film or a Pakistani film is one of its comments on the state of Kas... read more

Harud is a film set in Kashmir. The fact that it doesnt play out like an Indian film or a Pakistani film is one of its comments on the state of Kashmir (pun intended). It isnt exactly a fun time at the movies but there is a devastating story being told here. Kashmir was once called jannat (heaven). The characters in the film identify its descent calling it jahannam (hell). Anything could go wrong here at any moment. The inhabitants live in perpetual dread, surrounded by constant danger, anyone looking for a future has one of the two directions to head: north or south. Anything in between is a land of hopelessness where every young lamb is up for slaughter.

Harud begins with footage depicting the ongoing insurgency in Kashmir. Tens of thousands of people have gone missing since the late 80s. Harud tells the story of a family that is directly victimized by this horror. Rafiq (Shahnawaz Bhat) has made peace with his brothers disappearance but cant seem to ward off the wraith that plagues his consciousness. He wants to be a photographer, his only hope to look at the world from a perspective that is not full of gloom. It is no surprise that his friends call him "afsos duniya".

The mother lives in denial and the father lives in fear and consequently suffers spells of delusion. The father is played by Reza Naji who instantly reminds you of the cinema of the Iranian filmmaker: Majid Majidi. Except, this film has very little to do with Majidis cinema. The sensationalism and the sentimentality have been stripped off. It is made in the Italian neo-realist tradition, especially recalling the films of Roberto Rossellini and Vittorio De Sica. Major scenes which a regular film would show to raise shock value, are deliberately given a miss. There are a couple of scenes, which would make Robert Bresson extremely proud. Moreover, there is no music to tell you when to expect a perilous situation or stretch the emotional aftermath. Attention must be paid.

There is a definite authenticity here and you can make great cinema with all of the elements mentioned above, but alas Harud does not go the distance. Lack of information is never a virtue. Complexity can also come with clarity. A film may ask you to pay attention but it cannot side step major plot points wearing the mask of depth. The fact that there is enough power in the story saves it from spurting into disorientation.

Albeit, Harud is a film that deserves to be seen, films like these are important. Visually, it doesnt glorify or vilify the Kashmir valley. It isnt flooded with shots of the magnificent valley and leaves falling in slow motion (few that are there evoke beauty). There is a sub-plot of a character that Rafiq seems to be infatuated by but what progresses is heartfelt and sincere. In a lesser movie, she would be his love interest. The film is directed by Aamir Bashir, an actor I remember from A Wednesday (2008) and a TV show called Alpviram. Thankfully, Harud isnt just a film that raises an issue and expects you to jolt with the impact of its strong subject. It tells you haunting story and makes you watch it unfold in stunned silence.

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nice movie

nice movies