Haraamkhor Movie Reviews

Haraamkhor is one film you just shouldn’t miss, even if it’s just to see how Hindi cinema is exploring new themes with finesse.

There is a lot to love and lot to notice in Haraamkhor. The film is like a diamond; the more you notice, the more you find imperfections which make it all the more beautiful, all the more perfect. Just one advice: Don’t take your jaanu to watch it with you, it is not a date movie.

This film is insightful and dark, a certified entry into the indie and art cinema stable. If you like your films to be gritty and real, Haraamkhor is a real mean machine.

See Haraamkhor for its original and audacious content and for the way the debutant director extracts a  gush of empathy from these bored characters even during their worst moments. Love, we always knew, as redemptive. But lust needn’t be all bad either.

It’s a compelling story and for the most part it’s well told.

‘Haraamkhor’ has good performances to watch but it won’t appeal to the masses. Since there are multiple big releases this Friday, pick this only if you are an ardent Nawazzudin Siddiqui fan or want to see an unconventional love story with a social message.

Haraamkhor may not appeal to the regular Bollywood audience but if you’re a Nawazuddin Siddiqui fan and love watching performance-oriented films, this shouldn’t be missed at all…

Haraamkhor shows a lot of promise but ends up being way too vague to be hard-hitting.

Haraamkhor starts off as a very enjoyable film that’s filled with funny situations, unique characters and an overall enjoyable aura. But in the second half the story seems to take unnecessary turns, slowing its pace down. It will still be a delight to watch for those who admire the genius that is Nawazuddin Siddiqui.

How far will this film travel? Not sure. No one ever is. It is, however, a very interesting take worth the big screen, if not in the theatre, then ideally in the comfort of home since Netflix or Amazon very much allow such options.

In a small town, when a young girl battling hormones battles loneliness and finds it easy to seduce a local teacher, who thinks nothing of but his own pleasure, there is chaos in the lives of a young lad (and his friend) who stalk her constantly. This is such fearlessly new storytelling, it takes getting used to. But it’s a story that needs to be told.

Haraamkhor deals with a taboo subject and the theme may not be everyone’s cup of tea. But that doesn’t stop it from being a captivating watch for Sharma’s skillful treatment and the superlative performances. Go for it if you are looking out for some escape from the usual stale crowd-pleasers!

Haraamkhor isn’t a ground-breaker, but it certainly is worthy of applause for its fearlessness and for the impressive quality of the acting.

Haraamkhor is definitely not everyone’s cup thanks to its gritty subject. However it is not exactly a fantastic piece of art either, even though it had the potential to be one. But thanks to the spectacular performances of Nawazuddin, Tripathi and the kids, Haraamkhor can be an uncomfortable one-time watch.

Shweta Tripathi and Nawazuddin Siddiqui front a film about a topic we barely acknowledge, forget showing it in our films. Director Shlok Sharma shows talent.

After the insipid scripting, the lack of connection of Nawaz and Shweta with the audience becomes the movie’s biggest drawback. Further during the climax when we pray that this tepidly misguided attempt will reach to some conclusion, a dark, abrupt end makes the matter worse leaving the audience in confusion whether to scratch their brains or tear the screen in which they have just seen HARAMKHOR – ironically, the makers have managed to objectify the movie’s title in the end. BRAVO. What an art!!

Though the scenes are repetitive, Sharma does succeed in walking the edge between intensity and airiness and transporting the audience into this simple and confined world. As the uneasiness builds, you brace yourself for an explosive end.Unfortunately, when it does come there is a sense that everything that preceded it was designed to lead up to it and, as grisly as it is, like everything before, this scene too does not move you. I didn’t feel for any of the characters and I was let down by this emotional disinterest.

For once, don’t watch a movie for the actor playing it. Give this film a try, and you will be awed by the performances of the young stars. The story is dark, the ending is not happy, but the journey is highly entertaining as well as educating about an issue that is not often spoken about.  

Nawazuddin Siddiqui has made a career out of playing the evil man, so he gets into his role in “Haraamkhor” with ease, bringing the right kind of sliminess to Shyam’s character that will make you despise him. Tripathi as Sandhya is wonderful too, but it is Irfan Khan and Mohd Samad, the two boys who play Kamal and Mintu, who are the two standout performers in the film.

Haraamkhor’s characters are supposed to have shades of grey, but their blandness can never be mistaken for maturity. About the most shocking thing about this major-minor affair is its sloppiness.