Haasil (2003)
Cast: Jimmy Shergill, Hrishita Bhatt
Director: Tigmanshu Dhulia
Music Director: Jatin Lalit
Synopsis: Set against a backdrop of university politics - good effort but no cigar
Reviewed by: Faiz Khan

 

Haasil has me in a bit of a spin. Whilst appreciating the fact that the director has attempted something different, the film left me largely unaffected, untouched and, frankly, somewhat disinterested. The mayhem begins with the opening scene, where Ranvijay Singh (Irrfan Khan) is fleeing from hoodlums across a university campus and collides with Niharika (Hrishita Bhatt), a seemingly incidental moment that later assumes greater significance. From there until its predictable conclusion, the violence scarcely lets up. Good triumphs over evil...or does it?

The film is set against the backdrop of university politics, where Gauri Shankar (Ashutosh Rana) and Ranvijay Singh are locked in a ruthless battle for the presidency of the students' union. Here, the random shooting of a student or gang member barely interrupts everyday life. In fact, the campus resembles the world of organised crime more than an educational institution, offering a frightening glimpse into student politics and the way it mirrors political life on a much larger scale. Corruption is everywhere; everything revolves around power. Murders occur with alarming regularity while the police appear either powerless or simply unwilling to intervene.

Amidst all this violence, we meet the simple and idealistic Anirudh (Jimmy Shergill), who falls in love with Niharika. With her conservative father standing firmly in their way, the young lovers struggle to meet. Anirudh is passionate about theatre, and during one rehearsal he helps Ranvijay evade capture, more out of fear than loyalty. The incident nevertheless earns Ranvijay's favour.

Gradually, Anirudh is drawn into the cesspit of violence and corruption that surrounds Ranvijay. His moral decline reaches its lowest point when, in a misguided display of bravado, he shoots one of Niharika's cousins. Now wanted for attempted murder, Anirudh is forced to flee, allowing Ranvijay to step into the void and begin pursuing Niharika himself. The stage is now set for Anirudh to return, rescue his beloved and slay the dragon.

Tigmanshu Dhulia sets out to make a taut and realistic drama, but ultimately loses his way by allowing the love story to dominate proceedings. During the first half, the emphasis appears firmly rooted in the brutal world of student politics, but after the interval the romance increasingly takes centre stage. Ranvijay's determination to marry Niharika belongs more to the old Pran-Rehman school of villainy than to the grounded realism the film otherwise strives for. It feels contrived and unconvincing.

Bombay was also a love story set against a backdrop of political turmoil, yet there the two strands complemented each other beautifully. Why doesn't it work here? Primarily because Haasil attempts to combine gritty realism with mainstream commercial cinema, and the marriage between the two never feels entirely comfortable. This is neither Ardh Satya nor Bombay, and it never quite reconciles the conflicting demands of either approach.

Jimmy Shergill and Hrishitaa Bhatt both acquit themselves well, but the acting honours unquestionably belong to Irrfan Khan. His Ranvijay is genuinely chilling, charismatic and quietly menacing—a performance that dominates the film whenever he appears.

Jatin-Lalit's music is a noticeable improvement over some of their recent work, though it is unlikely to become widely popular because it serves the film rather than pandering to commercial expectations.

On the whole, Haasil is a worthwhile and sincere effort, one that deserves a larger audience simply because it dares to attempt something different. Yet, despite its ambition, it remains a curious film. It is too commercial for the arthouse crowd and too restrained for the masses. One leaves admiring its intentions more than actually being moved by what it achieves.