HAIDER, BEYOND RATINGS: THE STYLE AND SUBSTANCE OF VISHAL BHARDWAJ
HAIDER BEYOND RATINGS: THE STYLE AND SUBSTANCE OF VISHAL BHARDWAJ ****WARNING: MAJOR SPOILERS AHEAD**** During the opening moments of the movie, Tabu’s husband mockingly touches his angry and scared wife’s face and jokes “Uff.. Aag lag jaayegi Ghar mein”. Minutes later, we see the same home being blown off and burnt to the ground. It is one of the most masterful opening sequences in the history of Indian cinema as it perfectly juxtaposes the story of a household with that of the Kashmir conflict. Ghazala(representing Kashmir herself) in an uneasy marriage with Hilal (India) turns to a close but untrustworthy Khurram (Pakistan) who as usual double crosses and causes unwarranted destruction of the household. In this entire fracas, it is Haider (representing the people of Kashmir) who ultimately suffers the most. The scene where he comes back to his now-in-shambles home (the current state of affairs in Kashmir) and reminisces his growing-up years in a happy &